The Shrewsbury Anglers’ Club water at Preston Boats, on the outskirts of the town, is typical of the middle river and provides a range of swims for the discerning angler.
The upstream limit starts by a railway bridge where the river runs over bedrock. The swims here are fast and shallow, giving good sport in the summer months when the river is low. Further down it’s steadier and deeper, before sweeping around a big right-hand bend and passing over boulder-strewn steady glides. An island sits at the downstream limit, and its tail end can produce catches of good-sized bream.
Barbel
Most anglers fishing the Severn nowadays are targeting barbel, and this venue gives every chance of one over the magical 10lb mark. As with all kinds of fishing, it pays to experiment with your approach. In low, clear water, banded 6mm pellets can be very successful, with bigger, smelly baits coming into their own when the river is coloured and carrying extra water. Having said that, most well-known approaches will have their day, and pellets, boilies, lobworms, cheese and the like are all readily taken by the resident barbel. For those wishing to single out the really big girls, a quarter tin of Spam on a size 2 hook is a tried and tested method.
Salmon
Prince Albert members have the right to fish our bank of the Preston Boats stretch for salmon only, and may ask you to remove your lines from the water while they make a maximum of three casts.