Unfortunately, Greater London has a real dearth of fly fishing locations for you to choose from. And whilst there are some excellent stocked lakes with mammoth trout and freshwater rivers abundant in trout, fly fishing in the capital can be challenging.
As a beginner, we would recommend starting with a stocked lake. Albury Estates is a great place to start as the club runs tutorials and very good value day tickets. Walthamstow Reservoirs is much more of a challenge, whilst Thornwood Springs is a more premium option. And whilst The Wandle – a firm favourite – is beautiful, it is nigh-on-impossible for inexperienced anglers.
Some of these rivers and fisheries also feature in our favourite places to fish in London and carp fishing hotspots. If you’re a complete newbie to fishing in the capital, we recommend reading our beginner’s guide to fishing in London first. If you need to stock up on a few items, London has some fantastic fishing shops to try.
What’s on this page?
Albury Estates
Possibly London’s premier fly fishing destination, Albury Estate’s Syon Park Lake has superb trout only eight miles from the centre of London. It operates a strict no-catch-and-release policy and for beginners (and even intermediate fly fishers) the club runs tutorials and introductory sessions.
With day tickets available for just £14.50 (and evening tickets for just £10.50), Albury Estates is a fantastic venue for members and non-members alike. A full season membership – April through to March – comes in at £205.
Walthamstow Reservoirs
The most accessible fly fishing location on the list, Walthamstow Reservoirs – located in the heart of the Lee Valley and on the Victoria Line – has three lakes solely reserved for fly fishing. Stocked with a minimum of 10,000 aggressive trout, these mammoth lakes have been known to create trout well into double figures.
The trout at Walthamstow Reservoirs are highly aggressive and it’s rumoured the lake depth – particularly unusual for trout – has helped foster a unique set of attributes.
Of the 10 available reservoirs, Reservoirs Four and Five are fly-fishing-only lakes that are open year-round and operate either a catch-and-release or take-home policy. These reservoirs can be fished with a day ticket. East Warwick is the third fly fishing-only reservoir, but it can only be fished with an annual membership and you must be a member of the Walthamstow Fly Fishers Club. One of our favourite fishing clubs in London.
How to Find a Fishing Spot
Thornwood Springs
Set in a stunning location and complete with monster trout, Thornwood Springs has multiple lakes to choose from at a very reasonable annual fee. Whilst Epping Forest is almost certainly in Essex, you can get there on the Overground and it’s remarkably easy to get to, even from central London.
With a full access membership costing £595 – with a £10 supplement per fish – it’s not a fishery for the penny pinchers among us.
If you browse the gallery section of the site you can see some of the monster trout caught from the lakes. If you’re on the lookout for a double-figure trout, you can find them at Thornwood. And – unlike most trout fisheries – Thornwood Springs is open all year round thanks to the unique environment provided by the deep pools and oxygen technology.
The River Wandle
London’s most famous fly fishing location is surely The River Wandle. A twelve-mile stretch of river that runs from Croydon into The Thames at Wandsworth. Whilst the river becomes too overgrown and industrial in the lower stretch, parts of the upper and middle stretches of the river are sublime for fly fishing.
The two arms of the upper river meet at Wilderness Island (near Hackbridge) to form a chalk stream habitat that allows trout to flourish. The river is shallow, crystal clear and home to a fantastic head of small, but fierce brownies. Although the heaviest on record is a whopping 7lb.
You can fly fish for trout from April 1st – September 30th. However, you can carry on fly fishing for other coarse fish – barbel, chub, roach, dace, rudd et al – until March 14th. The only annual period where fly fishing is illegal on The Wandle is March 15th – 31st.
This Angler’s Guide to Fishing The Wandle is an absolutely superb resource and a must-read for any London-based fly fisherman.
Coarse Fishing Season in the UK: What You Need to Know in 2023
The River Thames
Whilst The River Thames is more famed for its coarse fishing, there are absolutely no restrictions on fly fishing the river other than adhering to the traditional close season. Whilst it isn’t a common sight – particularly in London – every so often you’ll come across fly fishermen predominantly after pike, chub and – of course – trout. Although fishing for any salmonid in the London stretch of The Thames is a largely thankless task.
Whilst Thames trout may seem like a fallacy, there are dozens of tributaries – like The River Wandle – that have a fantastic head of trout. So wild trout in cleaner stretches are possible, if unlikely.
Historically there have been some enormous salmonids caught on The Thames. The largest non-tidal on record is a 14lb 5oz salmon caught in Maidenhead in 1993 – albeit caught on a spinner rather than a fly. In the same year on the semi-tidal stretch of river at Teddington saw a 17lb salmon. The Thames is also an excellent London-based pike fishing location.
FAQs
Where can you fly fish in London?
Whilst fly fishing is not common in London you can fly fish at Albury Estates, Walthamstow Reservoirs, Thornwood Springs, The River Wandle and The River Thames
Can I fly fish on The Thames?
Yes you can fly fish on The Thames. It is not a common fishing method on the London stretch of the river, but you can target pike into the mid-30lb range, members of the salmonid family and chub amongst others. The best stretch is around Teddington and Hampton Court.
Can you fly fish on The Wandle?
Yes you can fly fish on The River Wandle. It is arguably London’s most well-known fly fishing destination. The upper stretches of the river around Hackbridge through to Morden Hall Great Park (and a little further north) are primarily shallow chalk stream waters that are superb for wild trout fishing. If a little overgrown.
Harry
Hi, I'm Harry. A keen, albeit exceedingly average fisherman. I've spent the last few years trawling London's waterways with - if I'm being kind - varied success and would love to help you avoid the mistakes I have made.
