With private and exclusive access to one of the most prestigious stretches of water anywhere across our southern chalkstreams, this is your chance to experience this incredible fly fishing destination. Welcome to one of the best kept secrets in the south of England, the Wilderness.
With over 5 miles of privately-owned river, the first thing that strikes you about the Wilderness is the length, breadth and diversity of fly fishing here. It is simply unmatched by any other trout fishing beat in the country, a completely unique chalkstream animal. The myriad of main river and carrier streams is kaleidoscopic by nature and it is engulfed by many acres of ancient deciduous woodland that make it a true playground for the adventurous fly fisher.
The main river Kennet is the perfect place to entertain your guests with large, plentiful and often quite obliging trout, whilst the small and intimate backwater streams offer something more technical for those fly fishers that tackle up for a challenge. The Wilderness enjoys strong hatches of hawthorn, sedge and olive throughout the season, plus one of the most explosive mayfly hatches anywhere in England.
The Wilderness has long been a private and little-known fly fishing syndicate, but today we are delighted to offer private and exclusive access for guided rods only. The beat is available to book on every Thursday throughout the season.
The Wilderness has long been fished by a private fly fishing syndicate but today we are delighted to offer exclusive fly fishing experiences for guided day rods on Thursdays throughout the trout fishing season.
For the first time ever, the beat will be available for single rods and small groups when accompanied with a fishing guide. It is upstream dry fly fishing only and the fishing is vast, so come prepared for a little walking in search of that rising trout. There will be plenty of time to explore the water as much or as little as you wish.
There is a fully equipped fishing lodge with ample seating inside and out, plus all the facilities for accompanying rods and spectating guests. Your guide will meet you at the fishing cabin at 9am unless you agree otherwise. For lunch we suggest you bring a picnic, or if you prefer we can take you to the local pub! If you are staying locally, hotel pick up is also included.
We can readily take up to 4 people per fishing guide, but we recommend a ratio of 2:1 for the best experience. If you would like to take an additional guide on your day, do please let us know and this can be arranged. Large groups and corporate events are also available on request.
The Oakley beat is perhaps the most famous fly fishing beat anywhere on the River Test. It was here that F.M. Halford would sit in his fishing cabin overlooking the river and send his riverkeeper to capture a mayfly dun as it hatched off the surface. The river keeper would present his catch in the clasp of his hands, then Halford would study it and tie his own pattern in anticipation of the evening rise.
This is the place to base yourselves for your day. Gather at the hut here in the morning for teas and coffees and reconvene back here for the lunch. The Oakley cabin has electricity, fresh drinking water, and ample seating inside and out.
The newly restored Oakley beat has been revived with habitat that provides everything a wild trout needs. The first thing that strikes you is the diversity of tree cover, wooded debris, deep fast scours, and slow open glides. You will require a good range of techniques in order to make the most of every step as you wade upstream, so short line overhead and roll casts, and even the bow and arrow cast, may be useful when those big wild trout hold in the hard-to-reach places.
Oakley enjoys terrific fly life, and when the season opens in April the hatch calendar turns to grannom, Hawthorn, and large dark olive, but the wild trout wait until the mayfly before they throw caution to the wind. As spring turns to summer, the olives are complimented by some explosive hatches of evening sedge that will keep you glued to the riverbank long into the evening.
It is upstream dry fly and nymph fishing all season. We recommend a lightweight outfit for delicate presentation, but something strong enough to hold the course in case you fool one of the large wild brown trout into slurping up your fly. They can put up a tremendous battle in the weed and marginal vegetation.
The beat itself should be waded, and whilst you may find the riverbank is a great vantage point to spot fish, wading is essential for getting your fly in front of them. Only the final 50 yards are fished from the true left bank. The Oakley beat will comfortably accommodate two rods, so you can send one person to the halfway point upstream, or wade upstream as a pair, however you prefer. The Rectory and Dun beats are a 5-minute drive away.
Welcome to the Rectory! This is a beat for one rod, or a pair taking it in turns to spot fish and make the cast. There are plenty of smaller fish in the fast water at the lower part of the beat, but keep your eyes peeled for the larger ones as you work your way upstream.
For the early season fly fisher, the Rectory routinely produces the best grannom hatches anywhere on the fishery. The mayfly is easily as prolific as the Oakley beat, and when the fly hatches are heavy and the fish are gorging at the surface, it is possible to tot up quite an impressive tally and leave your mark in the catch record book. Again, its upstream dry fly and nymph all season so fill your boxes with all the chalkstream classics; gnats, sedge, olives, PTNs, and mayfly when in season.
The river is narrow and intimate in places, with lots of woody debris, inviting pools, and dense marginal cover. The habitat is wild, and quite jungle-like at the lower half of the beat, which makes for some challenging but unique and enthralling fly fishing in a primeval setting.
Our much-loved beat on the River Dun, a famous tributary of the River Test, enjoys some of the most prolific fly life anywhere on the estate. Mayfly is exceptional as you might expect, but what is truly impressive is that post-mayfly period in June when evening hatches of blue winged olive can be biblical when you hit it right.
This beat can be divided into two. The lower half is characteristically slow-moving, with long sweeping glides as the river turns through a beautiful deciduous woodland known as Bitterne Grove. This is typically where the larger fish reside. The upper section, which flows through the meadows is much narrower, with thick marginal vegetation on both sides as it winds through the landscape.
Both sections have relatively high banks, which can provide a great vantage point for spotting your quarry. Whilst much of the beat is wadeable, depths vary significantly, so once you’ve seen your target fish, it’s time to consider whether a cast from the bank is most appropriate or whether it’s possible to get in and wade to find the best angle of approach.
The advice here is to be precise. A lightweight outfit in the 7ft 2-3wt range would be the most fun, but we readily tackle up with an 8’6ft 5wt as a good robust allrounder. The small wild trout can be especially spooky, so wait until you find them rising happily before you attempt a cast.
There is a small fishing hut that offers ample protection from the elements, but otherwise it is best to return to the Oakley beat for lunch and afternoon tea.
Jimmy has been a thoroughbred river keeper for as long as he can remember. Living in a cottage hidden away in his own woodland, this is a man who quite literally lives and breaths the river he works on. He wakes to the call of the cuckoos and sleeps to the hoot of the owls. Nothing happens here without Jimmy knowing. This is the story of life in the Wilderness…
We will send you a full booking confirmation by email, along with any maps, directions, travel arrangements, and arrival instructions required, plus the contact information for your Guide.
Our guides will come equipped with all the tackle, equipment and flies required at no extra cost.
We suggest bringing a picnic or if you prefer, we can take you to the local pub. For something special, our delightful range of riverside hampers are also available to preorder.
The million dollar question! Of course it depends on the season, but generally we suggest a good mix of dry flies and nymphs in the S14 – S16 range. Your fishing guide will come with all the flies required for your day, but if you would like to bring your own, our boxes will always feature a generous pinch of Blue Winged Olives, Parachute Adams’, Sawyers Pheasant Tail Nymphs, and Peeping Caddis.
Your fishing guide will come fully equipped with all the tackle and equipment required, but if you have your heart set on using your own, we suggest a rod in the 3 to 5 weight range, paired with an arbor reel, and a floating fly line. It is also wise to carry a pouch of tapered leaders in the 9ft to 12ft / 4x to 6x range to cover all basis.
Gratuity is not obligatory, but always very much appreciated. As a guideline, 10% to 15% of your guide fee is a good starting point.
Sadly, we cannot cancel or postpone your booking under any circumstances. However, if you are unable to attend your day, please let us know at your earliest convenience and we will endeavour to resell the booking for you. If we are successful, you will be eligible for a credit to the full value of your booking, valid for 24 months, or a refund minus a 25% admin fee.
