In every respect, the River Test is the pre-eminent
chalk stream. Physically, it is the longest: 39 miles from source to estuary.
Historically, it is generally regarded as the birthplace of modern fly
fishing. In literature, Halford, Plunkett Greene and Skues, to name but
a few immortalised the Test in their fishing writings.
The Test rises in north Hampshire in the hamlet of
Ashe, not Overton as generally supposed. It then travels on a south-west
curve, growing in width and flow as first the Bourne, and then the Dever
and the Anton join the main river.
At no point in it’s first 35 miles can the
Test be regarded as one river; it is an amalgam of the main channel, tributaries,
carriers that have been man-made for water meadow irrigation, side streams,
mill channels and feeders. At some points two, three or even four streams
run parallel. All are fishable and such is the nature of the river that
it is often hard to deduce which is main river and which is carrier.
On through the sheep grazed valley the river flows,
seemingly every sleepy, thatched village on its journey having some
part of fly fishing history. Below Stockbridge the river becomes appreciably
bigger, in places too wide to cast across. Then the Wallop Brook and the
Dun join the main river and it is only south of Romsey, a few miles from
the sea that the River Test finally becomes one single channel.
BROADLANDS HOUSE 
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Broadlands House is the private beat of the Mountbatten family flowing as it does alongside the lawn that slopes down from this magnificent Georgian home. This is an opportunity to fish on one of the most iconic sections of the River Test.
The Tanyard and House beats are perfect for a small group with plenty of river to spread over, open banks and extensive sections which are ideal for wading. There is a fishing hut with The Cromwell Arms is just 100 yards walk. It offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus has comfortable bedrooms.
The fishing is available for 1-4 Rods except during Mayfly when it is booked for exclusive use by groups of 3-4 Rods. |
May 2-12 |
£195 per Rod |
May 13 - June 7 |
£285 per Rod |
June 8 - July 14 |
£195 per Rod |
Min. booking 3 rods May 13 - June 7.
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BULLINGTON MANOR - Upper Test 
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If sight fishing over bright gravel beds, picking out trout with a dry fly or sight fishing with a traditional nymph pattern between the waving tails of ranunculus is your chalkstream dream then this is the place to head for.
You will rarely find a more beautiful spot than these beats on the Upper Test, where the 2½ miles of unspoilt chalkstream fishing is always crystal clear.
Immaculately maintained, with three picturesque fishing huts and resident keeper Simon Fields, Bullington Manor is excellent for the seasonal hatches we hanker after, where the chalkstream year may be measured by the flies you pluck from your box.
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There are four beats of roughly the same length and all double bank, but within that there are some variations that give each a distinct edge. Bullington Manor has remained a Fishing Breaks favourite for each of our 25 years.
Watch the 3:30 minute Directors Cut of CHALK filmed at Bullington Manor.
Beat 1
Like all the beats, Beat 1 is double bank
along its entire length, but with only one bank prepared.
Starting upstream of the old mill this is the narrowest of
the beats. Fish from the left bank until the halfway point
where you cross to the opposite bank, so it’s good for
left-handers.
There are two cracking hatch pools and a rarely fished section
beyond the disused railway viaduct. You will share the Mill
Cabin with Beat 2.
Beat 2
There is plenty of variety on this beat,
which runs through open water meadows and shaded wooded sections.
Fish the left bank (looking upstream) for the entire length.
Starting out at Keepers Bridge this is classic chalkstream
fishing that then turns into a slower, deeper section along
Grayling Alley culminating in the famous Ash Tree pool. Beyond
that the Tank Crossing is a banker as is the mill race just
short of the cabin. You will share the Mill Cabin with Beat
1.
Beat 3
This is the beat that has the quirky Buckingham
Palace fishing cabin and is the beat with the highest proportion
of wild fish. Make your way along the back track through the
woods to reach the bottom of the beat at Venice Bridge without
disturbing a single fish.
Start on the left bank just upstream of Venice Bridge; you’ll be fishing with trees behind you nearly all the way but there is mostly sufficient room for an easy back cast. There are variety of wide, fast or shallow sections, interspersed with pools and impoundments that have scoured out pools.
The final straight from the bridge to the Palace is a great holding
section.
Beat 4
If you want guaranteed protection from the
weather, be it bright sun or wind, Beat 4 is perfect as it
runs through woodland from top to bottom. This beat has the
greatest depth of the four and has a slightly slower
pace that suits larger fish.
Start from the Dever Castle cabin and work your way up the
left bank until you reach the beat end at Venice Bridge. The final section to the bridge has some fantastic undercuts. This is not a good beat for a left-hander.
NB If you are not sure which beat to pick please email me simon@fishingbreaks.co.uk and I’ll be happy to advise.
Trout Season - Beats 1, 2, 3 and 4
April 22 - May 12 |
£195 per Rod |
May 13 - June 7 |
£393 per Rod |
June 8 - July 15 |
£277 per Rod |
July 16 - October 9 |
£195 per Rod |
Min. booking 2 rods May 13 - June 7.
Grayling - All beats
October 10 - November 30 |
£117 per Rod |
December 1 - January 31 |
£87 per Rod |
During the grayling season we disregard the beat boundaries and all rods are free to roam as you wish.
Mini Season Rod NEW
Mini Rod for one |
Five days Aug-Oct |
£780 |
Mini Rod for two |
Five days Aug-Oct sharing a beat |
£1,365 |
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DUNBRIDGE - River Dun
(Test tributary) 
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The River Dun is one of the most important
of the River Test tributaries, rising above Lockerley and
joining the main river at Mottisfont Abbey.
Dunbridge is a little bit of chalkstream heaven, immaculately
maintained with great fishing for one rod or two friends.
There are deep pools, fast riffles and plenty of shaded cover
from the opposite bank that encourage fish to rise throughout
the day. The river holds wild trout, grayling plus some really
very large fish. Of all our beats this is one that regularly
gets an evening rise.
If you don’t have a car, the train station in Dunbridge
village connects to London in around two hours. |
May 4 - May 12 |
£195 per Rod |
May 13 - June 7 |
£365 per Rod |
June 8 - July 31
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£255 per Rod |
August 1 - September 30
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£195 per Rod
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MIDDLETON ESTATE
The Middleton Estate is in Longparish, one of the loveliest villages in the Test valley where the fishing is cared for very much in the tradition of an old-style chalkstream.
The Half Water is one of our longest single
beats on the River Test, coming in at just over a mile in
length.
Extensively restored in recent years, this is a beat
that has a bit of everything: slow sections, fast sections,
deep holding sections and, hatch pools. Sections run
through the water meadows; some parts are shaded by trees.
There is a good head of wild fish, supplemented by careful
stocking.
The Half Water has its own fishing hut at Dog Leg Hatch with a
parking area. This beat is perfect for two or three rods.
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May 1 - 12 |
£295 per Rod |
May 13 - June 7 |
£379 per Rod |
June 8 - July 31 |
£252 per Rod |
August 1 - September 30 |
£221 per Rod |
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MOTTISFONT ABBEY
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Mottisfont Abbey is the birthplace
of modern fly fishing. It is where Frederick Halford, the man who can truly be said to have established dry fly fishing as the sport we know today,
fished at the height of his fame.
The famous Oakley Hut, where Halford spent the summers
of the early twentieth century until his death in 1914, stands
today almost exactly as it was in his day. The photographs
in the Hut takenby him at that time show the river and fishing barely
changed today which makes you truly feel you are following
in the footsteps of a fishing great.
Now under the care of the National Trust and the Mottisfont Fly Fishing Club the fishing is looked after with an eye to perhaps how it was in Halford’s day. The banks are well kept but manicured. Nature is allowed to take the lead. Stocking supplements rather than replaces the increasingly abundant wild trout population.
Mottisfont Abbey Estate comprises of four beautiful beats, three on the River Test and one on the River Dun. The Oakley, Rectory and Main beats are each suitable for two Rods and the Dun for three Rods. It is usually possible to combine the beats to make up a small party, with the beats within a few minutes drive of each other. |
Oakley
This is the beat with the famous Oakley Hut where Halford held court; nearly every fishing great of the Victorian era came here at one time or another.
The bottom of the beat is fast, wide and shallow and a haven for wild fish. A little further up, the Oakley Oak (the oldest in Hampshire) presides over a lovely series of riffles over gravel with thick ranunculus and some deeper pools. Upstream, the river ripples through the Oakley Hut garden which beautifully maintained by National Trust volunteers.
Beyond the garden the river opens up into the water meadows, with two bridges allowing the angler fish from either bank. This is another section extensively restored by the National Trust with thousands of tonnes of gravel introduced in 2017, making good damaging dredging done in the 1950’s and returning the river to how it would have been in Halford’s day. |
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Main
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A truly majestic beat which is as wide as any as you will encounter on the Test between Stockbridge and Romsey. The Main has produced huge fish in recent seasons.
The thatched Round Hut, beautifully restored in 2020, is your starting point, about one third of the way up the beat. Turn downstream to reach the start, staying on the left bank the entire way as you move upstream. At the very bottom of the beat, big fish are occasionally taken in the shadow of the bridge. A little further up, the river deepens and narrows sharply at Cuckoo Clump, then opens out again, but the platforms in the reed beds give plenty of opportunity to cover the water.
On past the Hut the food line, under which the fish hang, is mostly on your side or within casting distance. Close to the top the beat the river shallows with some great holding water on the final bend.
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Dun
Off the main River Test, this beat is an
absolute delight and vies as one of the most popular with
the Mottisfont Fly Fishing Club members.
The beat starts on the right bank (looking upstream) in
the Bitterne Grove Woods which give plenty of protection from
the extremes of sun and wind, but with a thirty yard open
bank corridor casting is rarely restricted to one of the best
sections on the entire Abbey estate for free rising fish.
At the half way point the woods end and the meadows begin.
The fishing is on both banks as you choose, with gentle curving
bends, gravelly sections, undercuts and tremendous ranunculus
weed growth.
This beat is suitable for 3 rods and has a thatched fishing
hut.
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Rectory
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A lovely beat that has been extensively improved and restored by the National Trust in the recent past.
The beat starts where the Kimbridge Estate ends with fast water that races over a clear gravel riverbed that twists and turns until the junction with Wallace’s Stream, a deep pool for big fish, salmon and sea trout. Above The Chicane you are back in the meadows on the left bank until you reach the bridge just past the fishing cabin.
Beyond the cabin, with still half the beat to go, fish the bank of your choice for most of the way until the turbulent water that races out under the bridge that marks the top of the Rectory beat close to where you park.
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Main, Oakley, Dun & Rectory Beats
Oakley beat
May 1 - May 10 |
£321 per Rod |
May 11 - June 7 |
£538 per Rod |
June 8 - July 31 |
£376 per Rod |
August 1 - October 13 |
£242 per Rod |
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Rectory and Dun beats
May 1 - May 10 |
£276 per Rod |
May 11 - June 7 |
£448 per Rod |
June 8 - July 31 |
£334 per Rod |
August 1 - October 13 |
£242 per Rod |
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Main beat
May 1 - May 10 |
£200 per Rod |
May 11 - June 7 |
£448 per Rod |
June 8 - July 31 |
£273 per Rod |
August 1 - October 13 |
£242 per Rod |
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Minimum booking May 1– July 31 is 2 Rods on all beats |
SCHOOL FARM - River Dun (Test tributary) 
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The River Dun is one of the most substantial
of the River Test tributaries, rising above Lockerley and
joining the main river at Mottisfont. The School Farm beat
lies at about the mid-point, gently snaking through the lightly
wooded valley and holding fish along its entire length.
School Farm is one of the most immaculately maintained estates
in the river valley, with five-star facilities for the fisherman.
The beat is very well stocked with both brown and rainbow
trout, the fishing offering a variety of glides, weirs and
a hatch pool in a peaceful setting.
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The fishing is available for two or three rods a day or small corporate
parties.
April 23-May 12 |
£287 per Rod |
May 13-June 7 |
£436 per Rod |
June 8-July 31 |
£303 per Rod |
August 1-October 9 |
£209 per Rod |
Minimum booking 2 rods until August 1.
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THE PARSONAGE

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The Parsonage is one of the original Fishing
Breaks beats, dating back over 20 years. It is a unique combination
of the main River Test with a long carrier, all within the
beautiful setting of woodland and water meadows.
The main river is wide with a combination of long glides,
deep pools and some shallow sections. There is a good wild
trout population supplemented by regular stocking plus plenty
of grayling and the occasional sea trout and salmon towards
the end of the season. The carrier, recently extensively restored,
is far more intimate fishing and the perfect place to break
out a smaller rod.
The beat is ideal for up to four rods or larger parties.
There is an excellent fishing cabin overlooking the river
and plenty of parking. |
May 1 - 12 |
£195 per Rod |
May 13 - June 7 |
£285 per Rod |
June 8 - July 31 |
£195 per Rod |
August 1 - September 30 |
£185 per Rod |
Season Rod
Full: Two days a month May-September |
£1,850 |
Half: Two days in May and one day a month June-September |
£1,095 |
Additional benefits include two guest tickets (one in Mayfly period) for a Full Rod and one guest ticket June-September for a Half Rod. Unlimited changes to dates within a 14-day notice period. This is a four Rod beat.
Fish Camp Click here to check dates. Email to book.
Selected dates June/July/August |
£495 two days/1 night for four
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TIMSBURY 5
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The Timsbury 5 beat is a mid to lower stretch of the main River Test with an idyllic chalkstream carrier.
There is just under half a mile of main river fishing and 370 yards of carrier, which is catch and release. The main river has a moderate flow rate with shallows and deep runs. It has good aquatic fly with a good mayfly and prolific sedge hatches later in the summer.
There is a fishing cabin overlooking the river and plenty of parking. This beat can accommodate 3-5 Rods. |
May 1 – 14, June 9 – July 13, September 1 – 30 |
£205 per rod for 3-5 Rods |
July 14 - August 31 |
£165 per rod for 3-5 Rods |
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UPPER CLATFORD - River
Anton (Test tributary)
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Set in the heart of Hampshire, the gin-clear
chalkstream waters of the River Anton are a delight for any
river angler.
The Upper Clatford beat is the perfect opportunity for classic
sight fishing with the dry fly. A tributary of the River Test
the Anton has a natural head of brown trout and large grayling,
which are supplemented by carefully selected locally reared
brown trout.
Mostly fished from the bank, the beat does however have
a wading section from the weir to the top boundary. Please
note this is dry fly only until the end of July and restricted
to two-rod bookings. There is a fishing hut and parking.
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May 1- May 12 |
£87 per Rod |
May 13-June 7 |
£110 per Rod |
June 8-September 30 |
£87 per Rod |
October 1-December 31 (grayling) |
£53 per Rod |
Minimum two Rod booking May 1 – September 30.
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WHERWELL PRIORY

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Wherwell Priory is one of the most idyllic country estates
in Hampshire’s famous River Test valley, where the river
flows through a tranquil parkland setting.
The fishing comprises just over 1½ miles of double bank
river, divided into two beats named The Park and The Priory which are cared for by river keeper, Michael Taplin (pictured). All
of the fishing is from the bank, though there are some short sections
which can be waded. Each beat has a comfortable fishing cabin and
is suitable for up to three rods, or you can combine both beats
for a larger party.
Watch the 3:31 second Directors Cut of CHALK filmed at Wherwell Priory. |
The Park Beat
There is a great variety of fishing on this
very long beat, double bank along its entire length with the
right bank prepared for easy bank fishing. Start from the
bottom where the river is not deep, but wide and fast. You
are overlooked by the village houses on the opposite bank
but they have no fishing rights.
At The Mill there is a deep, turbulent hatch pool and beyond
that is the garden section that is only fished by wading.
Above Church Lane you return to your fishing hut, a quaint
little wooden hut right beside the river under the shade of
a chestnut tree.
Cross to the island for the best pool on the beat. Above is a lovely
section that is deep and fast, shaded by the woods on the opposite
bank to take you to the end of the beat. |
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The Priory Beat
The beat itself is the same length as Park,
again double bank the whole way but without any houses and
fished from a combination of left and right bank, plus a wading
section. Start from the downstream end with fast, deep runs
that in turn become a shaded glide up to the productive double
hatch pool.
Above the hatches is a long straight section that is really
good for sight casting to the holding fish. The final section
is again shaded by the opposite bank trees and is perfect
to fish from the bank or wading.
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Priory and Park Beats
Day rods
April 22 - May 12 |
£307 per Rod |
May 13 - June 7 |
£412 per Rod |
June 8-July 31 |
£307 per Rod |
August 1-October 9 |
£263 per Rod |
Minimum booking 3 rods May 13 - June 7.
Fish Camp Click here to check dates. Email to book.
Selected dates June/July/August |
£925 two days/1 night for four
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WHITCHURCH FULLING MILL
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The higher one ventures up the River Test
system, the better the hatches, the clearer the water and
the wilder the fish. There is no better way of summing up
the fishing at Whitchurch Fulling Mill.
Fulling Mill is one of those rare places where you can get
up so close to feeding fish that you can sometimes almost
pick them up in your hand. The water clarity and the abundance
of food are exceptional, and the fish are always on the look
out for food.
The beat divides into three sections; two wading sections and a third with a choice of bank or wading. In association with the Wild Trout Trust and Sparsholt College there has been much restoration work completed over the past winter with log deflectors and woody debris creating many new holding spots. The upper section has been fenced off from the footpath which is a huge improvement. |
May 1-12
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£270 per Rod |
May 13-June 4 (min 2 rods) |
£350 per Rod |
June 5-July 31 |
£285 per Rod |
August 1-September 30 |
£225 per Rod |
Season Rod
Two days a month May-September. Double rod option on request.
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