The Sawyer’s Pheasant Tail Nymph is surely one of the most famous and widely adopted fly patterns in the world and it was here, on the banks of the River Avon in Hampshire, that the great fly fisher and riverkeeper, Frank Sawyer, perfected his craft.
The Hampshire River Avon rises in the valley of Pewsey and descends through quintessential english countryside in an area of outstanding natural beauty, and rich cultural heritage. Stonehenge is all but a few miles west as the river flows south toward the cathedral city of Salisbury, where it is joined by its chalkstream tributaries, the Bourne, Nadder, Wylye, and Till.
Downstream comes the River Ebble and beyond that the vast water meadows of the River Avon as it pulls south towards christchurch harbour, where it is joined by the River Stour before finally spilling out into the solent and saltwater.
All along its journey, the River Avon is adorned with castles, watermills, and historic artefacts that tell the story of the Hampshire chalkstreams going back many hundreds of years. It is like all the chalkstreams a story of tectonic marvel and human masterpiece.
A fishing guide will come with all the tackle, equipment and flies required, plus an encyclopedic knowledge of chalkstream fly fishing, but more than that they make an amiable companion on a day beside the river.
Find out more about bringing a fishing guide on the chalkstreams, and check out our private tuitions and courses for beginners and intermediate fly fishers.
Dreaming of a burbling chalkstream brimming with frenzied brown trout slurping in the gunsmoke of an electric fly hatch? Your next adventure starts here!
