River Test · Houghton Lodge
Houghton Lodge – Lower Beat
Houghton Lodge – Lower Beat is a fishing beat on the River Test at Houghton Lodge.
How to book
Fishing details
Houghton Lodge – Lower Beat at a glance
- Rods
- 2 – 6
- Difficulty
- Beginner (1/5)
- Length
- 0.17 miles
- Water type
- main river
Fishing methods
Fly methods
Around 300 yards of main river Test at Houghton Lodge, just upstream of the village of Houghton in the Test Valley, Hampshire. The lower beat runs for approximately 350 yards on the main river channel, with fishing from the right-hand bank. The Test here is a classic middle-river chalk stream, crystal-clear, mineral-rich water with a steady flow and cool, stable temperatures, carrying good width and pace through open water meadow.
The water is stocked with brown trout, and this area of the Test is also home to a good head of wild brown trout and good-sized grayling. The beat is rated suitable for beginners, making it a sound introduction to chalk stream technique without the pressure of more technical water. The season runs 1 May to 15 October, covering the full arc of the Test's best hatches: May sees the first mayfly hatch of the year, while June brings an abundance of Blue-Winged Olive and Medium Olives. September sees the return of the Large Dark Olive, with cooler weather and less sunlight improving the fishing. Both upstream dry fly and upstream nymph are permitted. The estate encourages the release of fish caught, and all rods are asked to fish with barbless hooks or with barbs pressed down.
There is a fishing hut on the beat with chairs. Access is via Houghton Lodge Gardens, Houghton, Stockbridge, SO20 6LQ, which is well signposted from the town of Stockbridge. A single 9-ft rod in a 4- or 5-weight is ideal for the width of water here.
Stocking and fish species
Rules and policies
Amenities
Where Houghton Lodge – Lower Beat is
Exact location is hidden at the owner's request. This beat is on the River Test at Houghton Lodge.
River onlyThe fishery and river
River
Rising at Ashe, near Overton, the River Test runs for 40 miles through Hampshire, flowing south through Whitchurch, Longparish, and Wherwell before the Rivers Dever and Anton join the main channel near Chilbolton. For much of its length the Test is not one river but an amalgam of main channel, mill leats, carriers,…
Flies for this beat
Expected in October on the River Test
Typical months from the river’s hatch calendar, which applies along its whole length rather than to this beat. Not a live report.
Caperer
Sedge · #10-12
Kite's Imperial
Dry fly · #14-16
Daddy Long Legs
Terrestrial · #10-12
Sawyer's Killer Bug
Nymph · #12-16
The year ahead
Full calendarEvery hatch on the River Test and the months it usually runs.
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Similar beats on the River Test
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FAQ
Houghton Lodge – Lower Beat FAQs
Practical questions anglers ask before fishing Houghton Lodge – Lower Beat, from tickets to tactics.
