Just like its Hampshire cousins, the River Kennet is a sanctuary for the devoted fly fisher. Flowing east from the chalk downs of Wiltshire through to Berkshire’s broad valleys, it is widely regarded as one of England’s most beautiful and ecologically rich chalkstreams.
Its waters run lucid over bright gravels, gliding over emerald ribbons of ranunculus and starwort as it threads ancient water meadows, flint churches, and red-brick watermills. It slips under weathered footbridges and drifts through the grounds of stately country homes and sleepy thatched villages where time seems pleasantly delayed. Just as is unique to all the southern chalkstreams, the River Kennet has been shaped over centuries by both nature and careful human hand.
The fly hatches can be prolific here, sometimes more so than anywhere on the River Test or Itchen. Olives, sedge, and mayfly lift in gauzy clouds that hang over the current like gunsmoke. Kingfishers flash electric blue across the surface, water voles gnaw on reed stems at the margins, and in the soft light of evening, trout begin to rise.
In contrast to the immaculately maintained river banks of the River Test, the Kennet carries a slightly wilder spirit. The river winds through many sprawling country estates and the beats are extensive, often measured by the mile not the yard, so the fishing is a challenge and an adventure in every measure. A playground for the devoted fly fisher.
Here is a collection of beats on the River Kennet exclusive to Wilde Trout.
Between the Wilderness, Benham Park, and the Lamb Stream alone we have over 10 miles of private chalk stream fly fishing, blissfully secluded in quintessential rural England.
The main river is broad and generous, with long glides and deep pools that suit beginners and seasoned rods alike, the kind of water where a big Kennet brown will sit up out of the flow waiting for the right fly.
On the Benham Estate, the carrier streams, including the Duckwood, Pound and Parliament Draft, are the real heart of the fishery: narrow and intimate in places, calling for a careful bow and arrow cast on two knees, and in others shallower and quicker, gravel runs where trout hold tight to cover.
Throughout the season, purple loosestrife colours the banks and the air carries the scent of watercress, meadowsweet and hemp agrimony, while ranunculus and ribbon weed riffle gently beneath the surface.
Whether you are entertaining guests on the wide open glides of the main river, or you prefer the wild and intimate up-close-and-personal backwater carriers, the river Kennet has something for everyone.
Great Oaks stand scattered across the water meadows, and as you drive down towards the river, the fields either side of the track are dotted with sheep and cattle grazing throughout the grassland. It is the kind of old-money setting that oozes quintessential English countryside.
In July and August, the blindingly vibrant purple loosestrife chequers the riverbank, and all around you are heady smells of watercress, meadowsweet and hemp agrimony. Beneath the water, swathes of ranunculus and ribbon weeds riffle gently in the flow. It truly is beautiful.
With private and exclusive use of over 5 miles of the River Kennet and a myriad of carrier streams, this is some the best fly fishing available anywhere in the United Kingdom.
Single rods are available up to groups of six, with larger groups and corporate events available on request. Welcome to the best kept secret on the chalkstreams, the Wilderness.
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!
