Due to the very cold spring the start of the Mayfly hatch has been delayed a little but it has now started on the lower River Test in the Romsey area.  Our chalkstreams guide Colin Alexander has been out guiding on the River Test and River Itchen in recent days – just as the Mayfly hatch was starting – and here is his report:  Click here to read more

Some beats on the River Test do not open to fish until 1st May but I have always thought that this was a pity because there is usually some good sport to be had in mid to late-April when the first main fly hatches take place.  Below is the report from our excellent River Test guide Colin.  It shows that even after a very cold spring April sport can be good. Click here to read more

The Trout season legally opens on the chalkstreams of Hampshire, Wiltshire and Berkshire in early-April but some beats choose not to open until mid-April or 1^st May.  Fly hatches can be sparse in the early two or three weeks but some surprisingly good hatches take place if you are in the right place at the right time.  In early-April last year there were swarms of Grannom over parts of the lower River Test near to Romsey and some good dry fly sport was had.  Click here to read more

What a difference a year makes.  This time last year the chalkstream rivers of Hampshire were at their lowest flow levels in living memory following two years of drought.  The rain started in mid-April and now, after a year of record rainfall, they are at their highest flow levels in over forty years.  Drought conditions are bad news for the health of the river and its Trout and Grayling but high flow levels are very good news.  Click here to read more

The River Test really is a superb Grayling river for fly fishers.  It has to be the best Grayling river in the UK for winter fly fishing. There is a consistently large population of Grayling with many in the 1lb to 2lb size range; it never floods; in the upper reaches it almost never gets coloured; and small nymphs and even dry flies can be used all winter long…no matter how cold the weather gets. Click here to read more

I have personally carried out over 900 guiding days on the chalkstream rivers and this last week I saw some of the best dry fly sport I have ever seen on them.  I guided five consecutive days from Monday 15th to Friday 19th October, Click here to read more

With the onset of the cooler autumnal weather fly hatches on the River Test have really picked up recently.  The upper River Test is currently looking superb – better than I’ve seen it for a couple of years.  Click here to read more

It’s not long before our thoughts turn fully to Grayling.  August has already brought some spectacular Grayling catches to my clients with fish to over 2lbs from the upper River Itchen and to nearly 2lbs from the upper River Test.  Click here to read more

It’s been a very busy last few weeks for me out guiding on the chalkstream rivers.  After the monsoon rains of mid-April to mid-July the rivers of Hampshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire and the Cotswolds  and are now looking superb.  The River Itchen downstream of Winchester is looking better than I’ve ever seen it.  Click here to read more

In late-June the spring fly hatches are tailing off and tactics change for the summer months.  In the cooler mornings, especially where you have good shade, expect to see small upwings hatching in reasonable numbers.  Click here to read more