Welcome to the website of the Newbury Angling Association, whether you are a current member or just looking.
We are a friendly club of around 700 members. You can read more about us and our history on the ‘About the NAA’ page, or learn about our nine private lakes and numerous river and canal sections in the Club Waters section.
Membership details are also within. Season tickets are available to all those living within 12 miles of Newbury Town Hall, or outside subject to prior approval.
Club history
Newbury Angling Association is one of oldest coarse angling 
clubs in the UK, founded in 1878, when the Great Western Railway signed over the fishing rights of the Kennet & Avon canal between Four Hatches (ie the sluice still seen by Victoria Park) and Aldermaston at a cost of £1 per annum. The GWR, keen to maximise profits, had previously bought the canal to reduce competition for its trains by driving up the tolls for barge traffic. By handing over fishing rights, it was perhaps passing over some of its unwanted legal obligation to maintain the waterway, thus reducing some of the associated costs. The newly-formed NAA also had fly-fishing only rights to the Newbury stretch of the River Lambourn by arrangement with a local landowner for the first years of its existence.
Before 1878, the waters had been freely fished (and where privately-owned, poached) by the town’s residents, some of whom, not impressed that they now had to pay for the privilege, were successfully prosecuted in the local courts by the NAA for continuing their hobby without purchasing membership.
Under Packer’s leadership, the fishing thrived as he oversaw the stocking of trout to the Lambourn. The Association was awarded a prestigious silver medal by the organisers of the 1883 International Fisheries Exhibition for its display of 20 glass cases of stuffed fish, all caught by members from its waters. This was a major public event held at South Kensington which attracted 2.6 million visitors.
Less is known in the period from 1900 to the 1950’s because the Newbury Weekly News does not yet have an on-line search facility. The Association is keen to compile an archive of its history. Should you have any information from this or indeed any period, or have any photos from yesteryear, we’d be delighted to hear from you. Please contact us at mail@newburyanglingassociation.crmail.co.uk
In the 1950’s, the club held just a few sections of largely
dilapidated canal, including Enborne, as shown in the picture below, and the length of the Kennet at Hambridge that it now has a ticket-exchange scheme with the Civil Service Angling Society.
In the early 2000’s, the Kennet was renowned as one of the premier barbel rivers in the country, the picture showing member Karen Peacock landing a then Kennet record fish of 17lb 2 from a NAA water. Membership stood at around 1,200 in 2002 and big river catches seemed the norm. Since then, like all fisheries, NAA have had to face difficulties presented by water abstraction, algal blooms, pollution and predation by ever increasing numbers of otters, cormorants and red signal crayfish. Covid 19 brought its own issues, of course, but through the fine work of the Angling Trust, fishing was allowed during lockdown when so many other activities were banned. This saw a surge in membership, and though this has fallen as restrictions were lifted, it stands in 2023/24 at around a healthy 700 approx.
Despite the pressures faced by the sport, the fishing at NAA continues to thrive. Our Specimen Award for 2022/23 was contested between two barbel, the winner coming in at 15lb 10. Third place went to a pike of 23lb 2. The club’s carp record has now exceeded 40lb, and one of our junior anglers, 
Archie Moore won a substantial prize in Improve Your Coarse Fishing magazine for this perch of over 3lb. In 2023/2024 a fine 3lb 9 Crucian carp captured by Nathan Wheeler won the prize.Trends always evolve in angling, and recent years
have seen increased popularity in carp and lure fishing in particular. The NAA has moved with these demands, with Bellwood, Collins and Knotts being managed chiefly with carp in mind. Our canals in particular attract roving anglers, travelling light with a short rod, landing net, unhooking mat and a box of lures, seeking the many perch and pike. Of course there are plenty of waters available for all angling preferences, and we strive to cater for all arms of our sport. Maintenance of the club’s waters is largely undertaken voluntarily by members. All are welcome to join in, with dates and locations publicised on the members Facebook site and on the Proboards Forum – please email us for further details.
Over 140 years since its formation, NAA’s fisheries include stretches of the natural river Kennet and its side streams, the Kennet and Avon Navigation in the form of still and flowing waterway, and a variety of still waters large and small. Between them these waters hold all the coarse species you would expect from the southern lowlands.
Standard membership is available to anybody who lives within a 12 mile radius of Newbury town centre. There are different membership categories to cater for all people, and associate membership is available for the more distant friends of our local members.
The Committee
Steve Pallett
Martin Strike
Dougie Hull
Paul Futcher
Rob Allen
Get in touch
If you’d like to learn more about our club, membership or anything else, please get in touch via email.
