I'm Nicolas, thirty, Anglo-German, and a fly fisherman since boyhood on the Enborne, a small stream in north Berkshire where I learned the craft. Chalk streams came later, and they've held my attention ever since. Along the way I kept running into the same wall: scattered information, dead links, no clear picture of what water was actually available or what it cost. FishingBeats is the thing I wanted to exist and didn't. A free directory of England's chalk stream beats, open to anyone, with no booking commission and no agenda beyond filling that gap.
Articles by Nicolas Charlton
Guides
Affordable fishing on the River Test
The Test is the river people picture when they picture expensive chalk stream fishing. At the top end, that picture is fair. But nine beats on the river itself carry a trout-season day rate below £200
Locations
Dog-friendly fishing beats on the River Test
Not every chalk stream beat welcomes dogs. On the River Test, 28+ do - from the upper chalk reaches at Whitchurch to the lower beats at Broadlands. Here's what's available.
Guides
Fishing chalk streams in the heat
After the hottest June day on record and with flows below normal across the south, plenty of anglers are wondering whether to fish at all. A few simple habits cover you when you're not sure.
Locations
Wild-only chalk stream beats for the purist
Locations
Beginner-friendly chalk stream beats to start with
You don't need years behind the rod to fish a chalk stream. These six beats, one on each of the south's best-known rivers, are forgiving places to book a first day.
News
Why I Built FishingBeats
A free, open directory of England's chalk stream fishing beats, and the honest story of why it needed to exist.