Wilde Trout are delighted to be the exclusive fishing travel operators for this brand new Fishing TV production, The Trip. We invite eight guests to join us on adventures to some of the most famous fly fishing destinations anywhere in the world, each trip hosted by chef, author and passionate angler Valentine Warner, and each one built around brilliant fly fishing, exceptional food and the friendships that only a few days beside the water can create.
The first episode takes Valentine Warner and his guests to the Wilderness, our private beat on the River Kennet, for two nights in a luxury country hotel and a full day’s fly fishing on one of the most exclusive stretches of chalkstream in England. From there, The Trip heads further afield, with the second episode taking guests to Austria for a very different flavour of fly fishing, swapping the gentle glides of the Kennet for dramatic Alpine rivers and streams.
The Trip is a new kind of fishing travel experience, and as a guest, you will be part of the film itself. This is not simply a fishing trip filmed from a distance. You will fish, dine and be filmed as part of this brand new Fishing TV production, appearing on screen alongside Valentine Warner as the series is made around you. Every episode brings together private access to extraordinary water, expert guiding, and the kind of hospitality that turns a fishing trip into a proper adventure, and few fishing holidays offer the chance to become part of a television production in the process.
Wilde Trout has built its reputation on private day rod and guided fly fishing across some of England’s finest chalkstreams, and this partnership with Fishing TV allows us to bring that same standard of access, expertise and hospitality to fly fishing destinations across the world, from the Wilderness to Austria and beyond. Every trip is planned in detail, from the water itself to the accommodation, the guiding and the food, so that all our guests need to think about is the fishing in front of them.
We are thrilled to be part of this new chapter for Fishing TV, and we cannot wait to welcome our first guests aboard. Book your place on The Trip, and discover fly fishing travel like never before.
Valentine Warner is a chef, food writer and broadcaster, and now, we are delighted to say, our host for the first two episodes of The Trip.
Trained originally as a portrait painter, Val spent eight years working in London kitchens under chefs including Alastair Little, before running his own catering company, Green Pea.
He made his television debut in 2008 with the BBC’s What to Eat Now, and has since presented a string of series exploring food, nature and the outdoors, including Valentine Warner: Coast to Coast and Hook, both built around his lifelong passion for fishing.
Val is the author of several cookbooks, among them The Good Table and The Consolation of Food, and has written for the Times, Countryfile and Delicious magazine. Rarely happier than in a field with a rod in hand, Valentine brings a chef’s eye for good food and a genuine love of the water to every episode of The Trip.
The Trip is a brand new series from Fishing TV, and this is your chance to be part of it. Join eight guests for two nights at a luxury country hotel, The Retreat at Elcott Park, and a full day exploring one of the most exclusive stretches of the River Kennet, guided throughout and hosted by chef, author and passionate angler Valentine Warner. This is fishing television built around the people, the conversations and the friendships that happen beside the water, great food and extraordinary places included. As a guest you won’t simply watch the programme being made, you’ll be part of it.
Welcome to the Wilderness, one of the best kept secrets in the south of England. With over five miles of privately owned river, the first thing that strikes you is the length, breadth and diversity of the fishing here, simply unmatched by any other trout beat in the country. The main river and carrier streams are kaleidoscopic by nature, engulfed by acres of ancient deciduous woodland that make this a true playground for the adventurous fly fisher. The broad main Kennet is perfect for entertaining guests with large, plentiful and often obliging trout, while the small, intimate backwater streams offer something far more technical for those who tackle up for a challenge. Strong hatches of hawthorn, sedge and olive run right through the season, building to one of the most explosive Mayfly hatches anywhere in England.
Long held as a private, little known fly fishing syndicate, the Wilderness is offered for guided rods only, for the very first time, exclusively through The Trip. Over two nights you will dine and fish alongside Valentine Warner, share stories over exceptional food, and experience a private stretch of English chalkstream that very few will ever see.
Book your place, and discover the Wilderness for yourself.
The second episode of The Trip takes Valentine Warner and his guests to Mittersill in Austria’s Salzburger Land, to the private fishing grounds of the 4 star Hotel Bräurup, part of Austria’s largest private fishing estate. Guests arrive on Friday, settle in over welcome drinks, and share a relaxed first dinner at the hotel before two full days on the water.
Saturday brings a full day’s guided fly fishing at the Finkausee, a glacier fed mountain lake tucked into the Wilder Gerlos valley, with a riverside lunch taken right at the water’s edge and easy conversation with local guides as the day unfolds. Sunday moves to the Krimmler Ache, Austria’s largest private fishing water, where two contrasting stretches meet above and below the falls: a gentler meadow river above, and bigger, characterful pools below. Lunch is taken at the historic Krimmler Tauernhaus, followed by an afternoon spent with local personalities, including a cooking session with Toni, chef at Restaurant Sunnseit in Mittersill, known for his regional, seasonal cooking with organic ingredients and fresh smoked fish from his own spring water pond.
Guests stay throughout at the family run Hotel Bräurup, a warm, characterful base with its own brewery, wellness facilities and a fishing store on site. Local guides handle every detail of the fishing itself, from licences to technique, so guests can simply fish.
As with every episode of The Trip, guests are part of the production itself, fishing, filming and sharing the experience alongside Valentine Warner as the series comes together around them. From glacial lake to alpine river, and from riverside lunches to a shared table with a local chef, Mittersill is an extraordinary stage for this leg of the journey.
The Trip is a brand new Fishing TV production combining private, exclusive fly fishing with fine hospitality. Small groups of guests join guided fly fishing trips to some of the world’s most celebrated destinations, hosted by chef, author and passionate angler Valentine Warner.
Valentine Warner hosts the first two episodes of The Trip: a private day’s fly fishing on the River Kennet at the Wilderness, and a weekend of alpine fly fishing in Austria.
Each episode of The Trip welcomes eight guests for a fully guided fly fishing experience.
Yes. As a guest on The Trip, you are part of the production itself, fishing, dining and appearing on screen alongside Valentine Warner as the series is filmed around you.
No prior fly fishing experience is needed. Expert guides accompany guests throughout every trip, tailoring the day to every ability, from complete beginners to experienced anglers seeking a technical challenge.
Guides and expert instruction are provided on every trip. For the Austria leg, guests are asked to bring their own fly fishing equipment where possible, with a limited range available to rent from the hotel.
Guided fly fishing, accommodation and hosted meals are included on every trip. Full inclusions vary by destination and will be confirmed at the time of booking.
Episode one is filmed at the Wilderness, a private stretch of the River Kennet chalkstream in Berkshire, England. Episode two travels to Mittersill in Austria’s Salzburger Land, fly fishing the Finkausee and the Krimmler Ache.
Wilde Trout is the exclusive fly fishing travel operator for The Trip, coordinating the fishing, hospitality and logistics for every guest.
Wilde Trout does not arrange flights for guests. Airport transfers to and from the hotel are organised as part of each trip once travel details are confirmed.
Contact Wilde Trout directly to register your interest and check availability for upcoming episodes of The Trip.
