Following on from last week’s newsletter, I’m pleased to say we’ve now finished cutting every beat on our stretch of the River Test, and the results speak for themselves. Clean, fast flowing water from top to bottom, well oxygenated and full of life.
It’s always a strange feeling finishing the weed cut, part relief, part quiet pride in the state we leave the river in. The last few beats we tackled this week had some of the heaviest growth we’ve seen in years, so it was slow going, but the keepers tell me the fish have settled back into their new lies faster than usual this season. A few really good browns have already been spotted holding in the freshly opened runs, exactly where you’d expect them to be feeding hardest once the water clears.
With the weed cut behind us, we’re now moving into what many regard as the best few weeks of the chalkstream fly fishing season. Warm evenings, prolific fly hatches and fish feeding confidently in clean, fast water, June and July on the Test and Itchen genuinely do not get much better than this.
Expect strong evening rises over the coming weeks, along with good daytime activity on the classic chalkstream patterns. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to book a day, this is it. Freshly cut beats are fishing exceptionally well right now, and availability across our Hampshire beats is filling up fast for July.
There’s a reason chalkstream anglers plan their whole week around it: the June evening rise on the River Test and Itchen is one of the most reliable and rewarding events in the fly fishing calendar. As the light softens and water temperatures ease from the heat of the day, a series of overlapping fly hatches, sedges, blue winged olives, spinners returning to lay their eggs, brings trout up onto the surface in a way that simply doesn’t happen at midday.
What makes the June rise so significant is the sheer density of activity packed into a short window, often no more than ninety minutes either side of dusk. Fish that have spent the afternoon holding deep and feeding cautiously on nymphs suddenly switch onto the surface, often feeding steadily and predictably enough that even challenging chalkstream trout become catchable on a well placed dry fly. For many anglers, this is peak season fly fishing at its purest, technical, visual, and deeply rewarding when it comes together.
It’s also a fairly forgiving time to fish, in relative terms. Fish are preoccupied, rise forms are easy to read, and a good angler can work out exactly what’s hatching and match it accordingly. If you’re planning a summer visit to the Test or Itchen, an evening session built around the rise is one of the best ways to experience chalkstream fly fishing at its finest.
That’s all from me this week, tight lines and see you on the bank.
Wishing you the very best of luck and the tightest of lines if you’re beside the river in the next few days.
Best wishes,
Jamie Hayes-Pankhurst
Founder & Managing Director
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