Fly Fishing Agent
Aardvark McLeod
5 fisheries and 1 beat to book · guiding on 5 fisheries.
What Aardvark McLeod offers
Tuition & guiding
Access & membership
Packages & stays
Extras
Aardvark McLeod is a fly fishing travel company arranging tailor made trips in the UK and overseas. The UK side of the business centres on the southern chalk streams, with days on the Test at Broadlands, the Wherwell Estate and Testcombe, the Kennet at Barton Court, the Nadder at Compton Chamberlayne, and on the Itchen, Avon, Frome, Dever, Lambourn and Anton. Two waters are let exclusively through them. Testcombe sits on the upper Test and has a Grade II listed fishing hut on a long island in the middle of the stretch. The other is a wild stretch of the Wylye running through the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust reserve at Langford Lakes, where no stocking takes place and the trout and grayling are all wild fish. Compton Chamberlayne is listed at £245 to £335 per rod for the trout season.
Days can be guided or unguided, with tuition and casting masterclasses for beginners upwards, corporate days for groups of two to twenty, and exclusive lake days. Guiding, tackle hire, transfers and accommodation are arranged on request. Grayling fishing runs from 1 November to 28 February, and there are guided salmon and pike days through the winter. Beyond the chalk streams the company books salmon on the Eden in Cumbria and the Tyne in Northumberland, sea trout on the Teifi and Towy in west Wales, and the Arundell Arms water in Devon, alongside a large overseas programme covering Iceland, Norway, Argentina, Chile, the Bahamas, the Seychelles, Mongolia, Alaska and New Zealand. The company holds ATOL licence 12507. Contact them on 01980 847389.
The waters Aardvark McLeod sells
6 watersWaters you can book through Aardvark McLeod
River Test
Broadlands Estates Fishing
Sitting on the lower River Test just downstream from Romsey, Broadlands Estates Fishing offers one of Hampshire's most varied chalk stream experiences. The estate carries 4.5 kilometres of the River Test, divided into six beats — three focused on trout and three on salmon, including Moorcourt, Grove, Rookery & Lord Louis, Tanyard's, Lee Park and Longbridge. This is a wide, fast and open section of river, with lovely pools and long riffles, some broken up by islands, giving each beat a distinct character. The river holds good populations of wild brown trout and grayling alongside stocked trout, and the salmon beats offer well-defined holding pools and taking spots. Trout fishing runs from 3rd April to 15th October, with upstream dry fly and nymph only. The estate is blessed with big mayfly hatches each season, and being lower in the valley, the hatch typically arrives a little earlier — usually from the first weeks of May through to mid to late May. In winter, grayling and pike fly fishing are also available. Day tickets, membership and tuition are on offer, with fishing huts, a lodge, parking and toilet facilities on site. The Nissen Hut, a well-known retreat for Broadlands anglers, is lined with photographs and trophies from decades of notable visits. Ghillying can also be arranged with the riverkeeper.
River Test
Wherwell Estate Fishing
Wherwell Estate Fishing sits on the upper River Test in Hampshire, within northwest Hampshire's rolling chalkland, owned and cared for by the same family for over 100 years. The fishery covers around three miles of river across open water meadows, with beats typically comprising carrier streams alongside tree-lined pools and gravel runs. Seven numbered beats are available — Beats Nine, Ten and Eleven fish the main river, while Beats Three, Four, Five and Seven cover the smaller carriers. Located on the upper Test, the river width is manageable for casting, with the majority of fishing done by overhead cast. The river holds good populations of wild brown trout and grayling alongside stocked fish. Trout fishing runs from the start of May through mid-October, with grayling fishing from mid-October through to mid-March. Day tickets and membership are both available. Each beat has its own fishing hut, suitable for a group to take lunch, and the estate also provides a lakeside fishing hut with a kitchen, catch returns folders, and electronic gates. A secluded lake stocked with rainbow trout accommodates up to six rods per day and is open for year-round booking, offering an alternative for groups or families alongside the river beats.
River Test
Testcombe Beat
Sitting on the River Test between the Mayfly Pub bridge and the village of Chilbolton, Testcombe Beat is a well-established fly fishing fishery in Hampshire offering three named beats — the Upper Beat, the Home Beat, and the Lower Beat. The fishery covers approximately 900 yards of main river and around 1,000 yards of carrier streams, giving anglers a genuine variety of water to work through in a single day. The chalk stream fishing suits all abilities, with the wide main river and more intimate carriers offering deep holes, overhangs, and shallow glides — the kind of mixed character that rewards both methodical dry fly presentation and careful nymph work. Native brown trout are the primary quarry from April through to the end of October, with the annual mayfly hatch drawing particular attention during that period. Day tickets, guided lessons, and equipment hire are all available, making Testcombe a practical choice for first-timers and returning chalk stream anglers alike. The Grade II listed fishing hut, built in 1888, serves as the day's headquarters and also functions as a venue for exclusive private events.
River Kennet
Barton Court Estate
Designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Barton Court Estate on the River Kennet at Kintbury has a fishing history stretching back to the Victorian era. The estate covers over three miles of bank across the main river, carriers, and side streams, with no two sections the same as they criss-cross and interlock through classic Berkshire water meadows. Six named beats — Upper Park, Parsons Ditch, Old River, Dog Kennels, Middle Cut, and Park Stream — give anglers a range of conditions to explore, from stalking a trout in a narrow carrier under overhanging sedge to casting to a steady rise in the main river. The estate is now purely a fly-fishing venue, with an excellent head of wild brown trout, including the rare Kennet greenback. Barton Court offers one of the best mayfly hatches on the southern chalkstreams, with the peak often arriving comparatively late — typically in the first weeks of June. Day tickets are available for individual rods, with guided fishing and tackle hire on hand for those new to chalk stream fishing. The estate caters for day rods from a newly renovated shepherd's hut, or offers exclusive-use days to groups from a well-appointed riverside fishing hut. Catering can be arranged through local chefs, either on the riverbank or prepared in advance. Kintbury station sits just 64 metres from the fishery entrance, with parking also available on Station Road and near the Dundas Arms. Bookings for Barton Court give you access to all six beats.
River Nadder
Compton Chamberlayne
Sitting within the Compton Chamberlayne Estate just west of Salisbury, Compton Chamberlayne offers 7 beats of fly fishing on the River Nadder in . The Nadder is classed as a mixed-geology chalk stream: it flows over chalk where the main fishing takes place but rises in greensand and clay beyond the chalk. Deeply incised into the valley floor, the river runs through a series of serpentine bends that slow the current and create sequences of riffles and deep pools. The beats vary considerably, with slower stretches suited to mayfly hatches and shallower riffles that fish well through the summer months on smaller olives. Each beat is sold for two rods, and the banks are mown for easy access without being overly manicured. Upstream dry fly is the rule until 1 July, after which upstream nymph fishing with a maximum size 12 hook is permitted. The river holds both wild fish and stocked brown trout. The season opens well with grannom hatches, and the mayfly that follows can be spectacularly good even after heavy rain and in poor visibility conditions. The fishery offers Day tickets, and each beat is equipped with a fishing hut complete with table and chairs. Catch returns are submitted to the river keeper at the end of the day.
Hampshire Avon
Heale House
Situated on the Heale Estate roughly three miles north of Salisbury, the Heale House beat occupies a single bank of the Hampshire Avon in the Woodford Valley, Wiltshire. The river here was restored by the addition of in-stream islands that created diverse flows, ranging from fast, narrow channels to deeper, wider sections. It is bank-only fishing throughout, with no wading permitted, and the character of the water rewards careful observation and precise presentation rather than distance casting. The beat sits in one of the better areas for mayfly hatches in the valley, and while lightly stocked with locally reared Avon brown trout, it holds a reasonable head of wild fish. The Avon's mayfly (Greendrake) hatch, once started, can continue for many weeks, and the Avon and Wylye can carry mayfly hatching well into July. Earlier in the season, grannom and large dark olives (LDO) are the first significant hatches, with olives, caddis and terrestrials carrying the fishing through summer. The beat is rated for more experienced anglers: fish here are selective, and working out what a rising fish is taking, then matching it precisely, is half the battle, as trout can lock onto a single species and refuse everything else. The season runs 15 April to 30 September, fly only, with dry fly and upstream nymph the permitted methods. Hooks should be de-barbed, and one brace may be retained per rod with others returned. A rod of between 8.5 and 9 feet rated for a 4 or 5 weight line suits the width of the Avon well, with a leader of at least nine feet to keep the tippet clear of the current seams this beat produces. The Hampshire Avon is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and the Heale Estate stretch reflects that status in the quality of its riverine habitat and insect life.
FishingBeats is an independent guide with no affiliation to the fisheries we list. Listings are editorial and unpaid, and are not supplied or approved by the fishery. See our listings policy. Listing details are compiled by FishingBeats and may change or contain mistakes. Some services, such as tuition, ghillies, or accommodation, may only apply to certain packages and not to standard day tickets. Always confirm pricing, fishing details, and what is included directly with the beat before you book. Spotted something wrong? Email hello@fishingbeats.com and we will correct it.
