The Field – May 2015

Fishing after dark.
Read Simon Cooper tale of a night on the river

Fish Camp

This is our version of glamping – fish camping. Two days beside a chalkstream where you can fish and camp to your heart’s content. We lay on the fishing and the site, the rest is up to you with beats on the Hampshire, Wiltshire and Dorset chalkstreams. You will have the place to yourselves for a night of camping and two days of fishing. At all the rivers the parking is right beside the river, a short walk to where you will pitch your tent. So if you want to be up early to fish with the lark and be in bed late to fish with the bats, this might well be the thing for you.

River Test: Wherwell Priory. Our flagship fishery with the fishing on both beats included. Day cabin. Cooking facilities. BBQ. Running water. WC. £452 for two days/one night including fishing for a party of two or £854 for four. All dates during the June 12-24, July 17-26 and August 21-30 weed cuts.

River Test: The Parsonage. Over a mile of fishing in a hundred acres of water meadows. Day cabin. Cooking facilities. BBQ. Running water. WC. £450 for two days/one night including fishing for four during the June 13-26, July 18-28 and August 22-31 weed cuts.

River Avon: Upavon Farm. Wild trout beat in the heart of the Avon valley with walks on Salisbury Plain. Camping only. Long drop. BBQ. £195 for two days/one night including fishing for two. All dates July 1 – August 31.

River Allen: Deans Court. Very pretty wild trout fishing on the edge of Wimborne Minster that boasts 13 pubs! Riverside hut. Cooking facilities. BBQ. WC. £195 for two days/one night including fishing for two or a family. All dates July 1 – August 31 except Saturdays.

River Frome: Ilsington. True wilderness fishing but with the facilities of the Fishing Lodge and the excellent Wise Man pub is not a million miles away! Riverside lodge. Cooking facilities. BBQ. WC. Shower. £585 for two days/one night including fishing for four. All dates July 1 – August 31.

For a complete list of dates and availability please email or call.

On the River Test I have succeeded in keeping the cost down by offering Fish Camp during the weed cutting periods. From my own personal experience of fishing during the cut you'll certainly find times in the day when it is tricky, but morning and evening are usually fine and with all the insect life stirred up the fish are surprisingly active. The Allen and Avon beats are free from cutting.

Generally we will ask you to keep to the standard fishing rules, though you’ll be free to fish from dawn to dark and rod sharing is permitted. Upavon Farm is all wading; The Parsonage is bank fishing. Wherwell Priory is predominately bank fishing with some wading sections if you prefer. In terms of numbers over and above the anglers we simply ask that you restrict the party size to two additional adults or family members.

I must stress that we will not be providing any tents, bedding, food or facilities other than those listed above. In most cases you are left to your own devices though the keeper or owner may drop by at some point to check all is well.

For further details, please complete our enquiry form or e-mail info@fishingbreaks.co.uk