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Chalkstreams in Hampshire, United Kingdom 馃嚞馃嚙
The Ultimate Fly Fishing Dream
Hampshire, often called the birthplace of fly fishing, is a cultural mecca for anglers. The legendary rivers Test and Itchen remain a lifelong pilgrimage for devoted fly fishers, where English heritage and fishing history converge.
Izaak Walton, buried in Winchester Cathedral, cemented his legacy with The Compleat Angler (1653), a work still revered today. In the late 1800s, Frederick Halford pioneered modern dry fly fishing on the River Test, while George Skues, just 15 miles away on the Itchen, developed the art of nymphing.
Nestled in the Test Valley, the village of Stockbridge is frozen in time, steeped in fly-fishing lore. Its quaint buildings and misty autumn mornings cast an irresistible spell, drawing anglers to the water鈥檚 edge.
River Test
The Test is the quintessential chalkstream, carving a 39-mile arc through Hampshire鈥檚 countryside. Originating near Ashe, it merges with the Bourne, Dever, and Anton, weaving through water meadows, murmuring carriers, and mill leats. At times, multiple parallel streams blur the line between main channel and tributary. Below Stockbridge, the river widens, joined by the Wallop Brook and Dun, before merging into a single channel near Romsey.
River Itchen
Like the Test, the Itchen boasts a storied reputation among fly anglers. Fed by the Alre, Tichborne, and Candover Brook, it rivals the Test as a world-class chalkstream.
Rising south of New Alresford, the Itchen flows 26 miles to Southampton Water. Though its 17th-century navigation system lies abandoned, the river remains a fly-fishing paradise, ideal for dry flies or nymphing. Its pristine waters, filtered by chalk aquifers, have long supplied drinking water.
For seven idyllic miles, it meanders past ancient water meadows toward Winchester, skirting the cathedral and college before reaching Southampton. At Woodmill, its waters turn brackish, merging with the Test鈥檚 estuary.
More About Chalkstream Fly Fishing
To delve deeper into these legendary waters鈥攖heir ecology, fish, and flies鈥攅xplore [this article] or watch [this video].
Species Spotlight
While other fish may thrive here, this guide highlights:
- Brown Trout
- Grayling
Fly Fishing Doesn鈥檛 Get More Romantic Than This!
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