CHOICE LOCATIONS

1 Skerne Wetlands, north of Hull, protects around 2km of West Beck, the UK’s most northerly chalk stream that rises in the Yorkshire Wolds. The site is managed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.

2 Bayfield Estate in North Norfolk is a great place to enjoy perhaps the best stretch of the River Glaven, which runs for just 17km from source to sea. You’re likely to see damselflies, dragonflies and sea trout.

3 Rack Marsh, near Newbury, is a snapshot of what the Lambourn river valley would have looked like 100 years ago. It’s cared for by the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust.

4 Winnall Moors, just outside Winchester city centre, is managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. At its heart is a stretch of the crystal-clear River Itchen.

5 Avon Valley Local Nature Reserve in Wiltshire is managed by Salisbury City Council, with an extensive boardwalk that runs alongside both the River Avon and its adjacent water meadows.

Don’t go without polarising sunglasses – they’ll take the glare off the water, which will help you spot any shoals of fish emerging from the aquatic vegetation to bathe in the sun’s warming rays.