The Dark Water runs for 8.9 km. It flows south from a source a few metres north-east of the New Forest, reaching the sea through the end of the Beaulieu River estuary.  

As the Dark Water becomes more saline you will start to find more sea fish, especially pollock, further upstream the predominate fish will be trout and grayling both are susceptible to either fly or a fished unweighted worm downstream.