If the course of a river splits in two creating a large, flat island (of gravel, say) where can you fish from? Let's say that the river splits in two equally.

I'ld fish the downstream end in the pool and eddy that would be formed as the river merges again. Good chance you will have some large fish lurking in the calmer waters waiting for food to be swept to them by the current. Good place to try a nymph, wet or streamer.

I'm with the Drifter. Usually there's a scour hole where the two currents rejoin on the downstream side of the island. I'd nymph the current seams and try to dead drift through the hole.

Also using streamers and working both sides of the island downstream would be another good bet.

Grouse

I stand and watch for ten minutes and then fish where the fish are rising.

Hi', Aiden. Just a thought. Are you looking to find the legal aspect of fishing, having one bank only at your disposal. Apart from the scour mentioned, the flank of an island is just another bank, to all fishing intents and purposes. It's the latent lawyer in me that prompts the query. . TerryC

Is this a legal, trout, salmon or sea trout question?

Hi,
Thanks for all the responses thus far. My apologies, I did not make my original question clear. It is the legal aspect I was inquiring about. The gravel island I'm specifically referring to is about twenty meters wide and forty long. On my side of the bank, the river is relatively shallow, however, on the other there's a deep pool. I would have said that the river divides equally either side of the island, so I was just wondering where I could fish.

If your club or you owns just one bank you normally have the right to fish to the midstream point.

If the island is in midstream and doesn't have specific ownership by one side or the other you can usually fish from the island back towards your bank but not the other way.

__________________
“There is no more lovely country than Monmouthshire in early spring. Nowhere do the larks sing quite so passionately, as if somehow inspired by the Welsh themselves. There is a blackbird on every thorn and a cock chaffinch, a twink as they call him there, on every bush...... It moved me profoundly. I had been spared to see another spring, and I thank God for it.”

Oliver Kite
“A Spring Day on the Usk”
A Fisherman’s Diary

I agree with SB. You can fish any direction you like, within your own half. TC

Thanks guys, good advice from my POV.
Just started on a river and its hard going simply because I have no Idea what I'm doing. Will keep at it though as I am in love with the place! 2.5 miles of sheer beauty, I havent caught anything bigger than my index finger yet but I am sure they are in there (I have see a couple of huge trout but just out of reach). Couple of islands on the stretch so I'll give this a bash tonight. Thanks again.
Scott.