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Go fly fishing in the Yorkshire Dales, on the Chalkstreams, near London, in the Cotswolds ...
The River Kennet is a very special fly fishing river – one of the best English chalk streams. It is located in the county of Berkshire around 60 miles due west from central London and is easily reached from there by the M4 motorway or by train. It is a highly alkaline stream with clear water making for a rich environment for fish and a very enjoyable one for fly fishing. It has a fantastic hatch of Ephemera Danica Mayflies from late-May to mid-June. In early-June 2008 during the daytime almost every leaf of every tree by the riverside had at least one Mayfly resting underneath and in late-afternoon clouds of flies were doing their mating flights.
We do guided days and fly fishing tuition days at locations on the River Kennet between the small towns of Hungerford and Newbury. Days on different beats have different prices at different times in the season. Contact us for the specific prices of specific locations on specific dates. Note that we do not provide just day rod beat access to fish without a guide/instructor.
The game fish in the River Kennet are wild and stocked Brown Trout, stocked Rainbow Trout and wild Grayling. The Trout season runs from 1st April to 30th September with Grayling being in season from 16th June to 14th March. Thus the river is open for fly fishing for almost all of the year.
Downstream of the town of Newbury the river is mostly a coarse fishery and there is no quality fly fishing. However upstream from Newbury it is an excellent Trout and Grayling fishery. Some of the Trout are very large.
The River Lambourn is a small particularly clear and pure chalkstream. It is located just four miles north of the main Trout fishing reaches of the River Kennet. It is similar in character to the River Test tributary streams such as the River Anton and River Dever and holds a good head of wild Brown Trout plus a small stock of sometimes very large Grayling. The Lambourn is a very interesting and challenging fly fishing river but is not ideal for beginners.
Paul is a lead features writer for 'Trout & Salmon' magazine, a Vice President of the Wild Trout Trust and one of the UK's most famous river Trout and Grayling fly fishers. On 24th October 2008 Go Fly Fishing UK proprietor Dave Martin hosted Paul for a day of Grayling fly fishing on the River Kennet. The sun shone, the fish were biting and over the day, fishing short-line nymph tactics, Paul caught somewhere around 40 Grayling plus a few out-of-season Trout. His comments to Dave by email were "Just got back home and reflecting on a great day we had on the Kennet. Just to say that it was a really enjoyable day with you and to thank you for organising everything."
The River Kennet is mostly a fairly narrow chalk stream although there are some wider sections. An 8’ 6” rod for a 5-weight floating line is perfect for the wider sections although an 8 foot rod for a 4-weight line would be better for the narrower carrier streams and the River Lambourn. Polarised sunglasses are a must have item of fly fishing equipment.
The Kennet and Lambourn are mostly fished by casting upstream from a position on the bank. Wading is not necessary in most places. As with all chalk streams stealth and observation combined with delicate accurate casts are the key to success. Sight casting is the norm and the fisher must do everything he can to try to avoid the fish being spooked by either clumsy casting or too much bank side movement. Dry fly fishing is very good from late-April to late-June, during summer evenings and then again in the autumn. Nymph fishing is best in the summer and autumn and no matter how warm or bright the weather is the fishing is usually still very good to small unweighted nymphs.
Go Fly Fishing UK have considerable experience in offering guided days on the River Kennet and River Lambourn as well as fly fishing tuition days for beginners and improvers. We have access to some excellent beats in the middle reaches of the river Kennet between Newbury and Hungerford and the River Lambourn.
As well as providing a superb fly fishing guide service our guides will also loan all the required fly fishing tackle, waders, flies, etc. – or you can bring your own - and can provide a local railway station collection and return service for fishers. This would usually be from Newbury station (almost exactly 54 minutes from London Paddington). If required they will also act as a chauffeur/guide for non-fishing sight-seeing as part of a fly fishing trip.
If you fancy making your fly fishing part of a short-break in then we can advise you on the best accommodation options. These including manor house hotels, country hotels, inns and bed & breakfasts, each within a short distance of superb fishing.
River Kennet beat costs are very reasonable when compared to those of the rivers Test and Itchen. Day rates during the Trout fishing season, excluding guiding charges, are from around £60 to £90 per person. During the autumn/winter Grayling season (from 1st October) they are just £15 to £35 per person. Our guide charges start at just £140 for a mid-week day for one person in the autumn/winter (upto 14th March). Rates are higher to fish the very special River Lambourn. Note that we do not provide just day rod beat access to fish without a guide/instructor.
Contact Dave at our southern office to discuss your preferred fly fishing location and date or to make a booking – telephone 01252 851397 or email dave@goflyfishinguk.com
"Dave, Thank you for a wonderful day of fly fishing on the River Kennet. My wife and I
enjoyed it very much."
Patrick & Audrey Chee (Hong Kong) - Guided/Tuition day, River Kennet, 6th April 2007.
Steve Rhodes and Dave Martin the proprietors of Go Fly Fishing UK are Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guides.
Steve Rhodes is chairman of the Grayling Society