Fishing along the River Medway

Although in the past pollution from local industry had caused damage to the waters and the life therein, recently anglers have recorded catches of sole, eels, flounder, brown shrimps, sea trout, whiting and even the odd salmon.

Iron rich streams in the Weald support resident populations of small but highly coloured brown trout. The River Teise is managed as a game fishery down to Marden while the lower stretches of both the Teise and Beult are managed as coarse fisheries with chub, roach, dace and pike.

In the middle and lower reaches of streams where the water is deeper, there are bream and tench. Minnows, gudgeon stone loaches, bullheads, brook lampreys and perch are also found in riffles.

The main river has considerable angling interests over its entire length and attracts large number of fishermen. Chub, roach and pike along with several other species can be found in the upper reaches, while the stretch below Ashurst Weir has a breeding population of barbel and is an important spawning ground. Grayling have been stocked to the upper reaches over recent years and some also find their way down the River Teise into the Medway.

Eels are less prolific in the Medway catchment than on the Kentish Stour and the River Rother. In wet years the occasional sea trout or salmon is reported but existing water conditions in the estuary prevent a self-sustaining population from being re-established at present.

You can fish for nothing in the following stretches without belonging to an angling club, as long as you have a valid rod licence (obtainable from post offices) if aged 12 or over: - upstream from Yalding Sluice, 200m along south bank (except April to September); - the Lees at Yalding, south bank; - East Farleigh Lock to Maidstone, north bank (excluding the moorings). Some angling clubs sell day tickets for fishing on other stretches of the river. Day tickets can be purchased from Tonbridge and District Angling and Fish Preservation Society, 01732 832352.

You must also have a valid rod licence, available from local Post Offices.