Leckford Beat 7

Beat 7 on the Leckford Estate offers just under half a mile of double-bank fly fishing on the River Test in Hampshire, combining a small carrier stream with a full main-river section. The beat comprises main river and carrier, with the carrier fished from the right-hand bank and a small pool halfway up worth working carefully for resting fish; the path then leads to the bottom of the main river and the fishing hut.

The main river section is fished from either bank and suits dry fly and nymph on one to two rods. The main river shallows upstream but deepens from the second side bridge down to the pool at the Beat 7 boundary — a fast-water run where a G&H Sedge will often catch in the fast water at the pool. Brown and rainbow trout are the primary quarry, with grayling also present. All fish are hatched and grown on the estate itself, with moderate stocking keeping the water productive without feeling artificial. The season opens with large dark olives, grannom caddis and hawthorn in April, the mayfly arrives in May, and June brings blue-winged olives and medium olives — the BWO in particular can make trout highly selective through summer. The hawthorn hatch falls in late April and the mayfly from mid-May to early June, with a Mayfly Season day rod priced at £320 and the main season at £260.

Rated suitable for beginners, Beat 7 is a forgiving introduction to chalk stream technique without sacrificing the quality of water. The surrounding water meadows form part of the Test Valley SSSI, giving a genuinely special environment in which to cast a dry fly to estate-reared brown and rainbow trout. A fishing hut and toilet facilities are on site, and accommodation is available on the estate for those wanting to extend their visit. A 9-ft 5-weight is the practical choice for the main river; drop to a 3- or 4-weight for the intimate carrier.