This year, Good Friday lands on the first day of the trout fishing season in Hampshire so if my meandering Wednesday morning ramblings were not distraction enough from your important work, then here is something to drag you further into the doom-scroll ether.
Hidden in this newsletter are 10 easter eggs. Find all of them and be entered into the draw for a chance to win a fly box, full to the brim with all the seasonal chalkstream essentials for the month that is April.
Simply email your findings numbered from 1 to 10 to info@wildetrout.co.uk, and we’ll announce the lucky winner in next week’s mailer. This trout has found the first one for you, 9 more to go! Happy hunting.
Finally the clocks have changed and the evenings are long and warm, the dawn chorus is louder than ever before and the call of the wild just feels that little bit more irresistible.
We are but 2 days away from the start of the season here in Hampshire and the pull of the chalkstreams is growing stronger and stronger by the second. Friday cannot come soon enough.
Going through the tackle boxes with a fine tooth comb.
My first venture is not until Easter Monday, when I will be guiding a friend along the River Itchen. Five more days until I can slide into the chest waders again and feel the cool embrace of a chalkstream.
Until then I shall be sitting down and tackling up, making all the final preparations to my kit including tying fresh leaders, tippets and honing the hook points in preparation for the month ahead. For us fishing guides, failure to prepare is preparing to fail.
Last week I questioned whether journalism could get any better. This week I stand corrected as Samba goes international.
Samba the capybara remains at large after almost 2 weeks on the run, making headlines in not just the national tabloids, but on Australian television. Yes, on the other side of the world, aussie news presenters have reported that Samba has “gone full Madagascar,” in her escape from Marwell Zoo in Hampshire.
Samba before she escaped from Marwell Zoo, Hampshire.
The 9 month old capybara was last seen 2 miles from the zoo on the banks of the River Itchen and despite extensive search parties, dog units and thermal imaging drones, Samba remains uncatchable.
I cannot profess to be an authority on these enormous rodents but I suspect that the River Itchen; the myriad of channels, meadows and wetland dykes that it is, provides relatively comfortable habitat for Samba, though I am not sure the local River Keepers will agree.
Last week we released episode two of the Wilde Trout Journal, a quick catch up on all that has been going on here in Hampshire.
In this week’s entry we are hacking into the mind of Neil Swift, the Project Officer at the Wessex Rivers Trust charged with designing and rolling out river restoration projects across the southern chalkstreams and in particular, the River Test at Mottisfont Abbey. Tune in on Friday to hear all about it.
Welcome to our brand new fly fishing podcast, the Wilde Trout Journal.
Hosted by me, Jamie Pankhurst, the Wilde Trout Journal follows the diary of a fishing guide on the Hampshire chalkstreams. In this exciting new project, we explore the history, heritage and culture of fly fishing in England, and celebrate the people and the places that have shaped the past, present and future of this fabulous way of life.
If you are at a loss for what to listen to on your next long drive, please tune into the WTJ and see how long you can put up with my dulcet tones. New episodes every Friday!
Follow the Wilde Trout Journal on Spotify and Apple…
The last remaining day to fish at Mottisfont Abbey is Wednesday 15th April 2026. Book today for your chance to fish in the footsteps of FM Halford on only the second day of fishing at Mottisfont this season. Book now via the big green button or call us in the office on +44 1264 554884.
The Oakley Beat in full summer bloom. All to look forward to!
After a few short years of little use, we decided Halford’s Hut was long overdue a paint job, so last Wednesday we assembled a crack team of artists, who donned the overalls and took brush to the wall inside this most famous of fishing cabins.
It was rather a privilege not just to be the ones redecorating this fabled thatched structure, but moreover to leave our mark on such an integral artefact in the heritage of fly fishing around the world. Today its thatch is almost fossilised by moss, but inside it is every bit the bright and airy nod to FM Halford it once was.
Halford’s Hut looking brighter then ever with a brand new lick of paint.
Next week we are returning to adorn the walls with photographs depicting Halford and his guests and all the fly fishing memorabilia that will throw you back into an era before carbon rods and titanium reel seats. We will keep you posted with the progress!
This week we’re teaming up with Matthew Chalk and his fabulous boat renovation in the heart of the Hampshire countryside.
Just a hop skip and a jump from the River Test, between the Mottisfont and Kimbridge Estates, lies one of George Clark’s all time favourite amazing spaces, the ‘Mooph.’
Inside, this landlocked fishing boat has been carefully restored using heavy-duty rustic materials and tastefully adorned with nautical memorabilia to make a cosy bolthole perfect for fly fishers visiting the famous Test Valley.
Much of Matthew’s inspiration comes from locally sourced materials and without fail, when asked, he can recount exactly where the piece came from and why he used it.
Much of the timber used was dragged out of the river by the nearby Kimbridge Estate and so carries the wear of many decades under the thumb of the Test. Every wooden board is an artefact with a backstory.
The Mooph, Hampshire, by Matthew Chalk.
From outside you have uninterrupted views into the woodland where you can watch the deer, owls and birds of prey as you recline beside the firepit after a long day on the river. It really is a boyhood dream come true.
For the first time in almost 5 years, the Mooph will be available to book and stay, so if you have plans to fish at Mottisfont this season, or perhaps you are fishing elsewhere on the river Test, this is the perfect place to base yourself for a quiet retreat.
We will be building ‘The Mooph’ a place on the Fork and Feather Guide over the coming days, but in the meantime do check out this video where Matthew features on Channel 4’s Amazing Spaces.
I am visiting new pubs, hotels and B&Bs on a weekly basis so stay tuned for the latest updates on the best places to eat and stay when you come fly fishing on the chalkstreams.
That’s all from me this week. Thank you very much for making it this far and don’t forget to hunt down those 9 remaining easter eggs for a chance to win our April fly selection!
I hope you have a relaxing Easter break and I am looking forward to catching up with you on the river sometime.
Tightest of Lines!
Jamie Hayes-Pankhurst
Founder & Managing Director
+44 1264 554884 | info@wildetrout.co.uk | www.wildetrout.co.uk
Wilde Trout | The Old Post Office | Hurstbourne Tarrant | Hampshire | SP11 0AG
Dreaming of a burbling chalkstream brimming with frenzied brown trout slurping in the gunsmoke of an electric fly hatch? Your next adventure starts here!
