River Itchen
Lower Bishopstoke Fishery
Lower Bishopstoke Fishery is a fishing beat on the River Itchen. Day tickets from £100.
Pricing and season
Indicative prices only. This calendar does not show whether a beat is bookable or already booked out, and other prices may apply. Always confirm availability and the final price with the booking provider before you travel.
Price calendar
How Lower Bishopstoke Fishery compares on the River Itchen
Typical, lowest and highest full-day rod, from 8 beats with published day rates
Day tickets on the River Itchen run from £55 to £246. The typical full-day rate is around £167, peaking in May.
Compare with other riversFishing details
Lower Bishopstoke Fishery at a glance
- Rods
- Up to 2
- Difficulty
- Beginner (1/5)
- Length
- 0.5 miles
- Water type
- main river
Fishing methods
Fly methods
Half a mile of double-bank chalk stream on the lower River Itchen, just south of Bishopstoke in Hampshire, the Lower Bishopstoke Fishery runs through open wildflower meadows with the right bank fished exclusively and the left bank left entirely to nature. That undisturbed margin provides rich invertebrate habitat and juvenile fish cover — a deliberate choice that pays dividends in the quality of the rises you'll find. Sea trout run this lower section of the Itchen below Bishopstoke, and a short section of the old Itchen Navigation adds variety to the water types on offer.
Fly selection on the Itchen revolves around olives, caddis, terrestrials, and a prolific mayfly hatch. April opens with large dark olives, grannom caddis, and hawthorn; the mayfly follows from mid-May to early June; summer brings a variety of caddis, olives, and terrestrials. The beat is stocked regularly with brown trout and is rated beginner-friendly, making it a sound introduction to Itchen chalk stream fishing without sacrificing the chance of a genuine sea trout encounter. Sea trout are targeted after dark using downstream skated and surface patterns, from dusk to midnight. All fishing is catch and release, upstream dry fly and upstream natural nymph during daylight hours, with a maximum of two rods.
The season runs 3 April to 31 October. Day rod prices range from £100 during weed-cut periods to £120 in low season and £175 at peak. A rod of 8½ ft rated 3–5wt with a floating line and fine tippet down to 6x suits the river well. A fishing hut, benches at intervals along the bank, and a private car park are all on site.
Stocking and fish species
Rules and policies
Amenities
Where Lower Bishopstoke Fishery is
The beat's boundary, with parking where we have it.
50.97023, -1.33801
Similar beats on the River Itchen
River Itchen
Qing Ya Xi
Qing Ya Xi (pronounced "king-yah-zee") sits on the lower River Itchen at Brambridge, Hampshire, roughly six miles south of Winchester. The beat offers approximately 1,522 metres of double-bank fly fishing on the Itchen Navigation — a modified channel of the river and former canal running just over ten miles from Winchester to Southampton. The Itchen is classified as both a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC), its clear waters, steady flow, and high levels of dissolved minerals creating a unique ecosystem that sustains an abundance of invertebrates. The beat divides into distinct sections: the top 200 metres of fast water offers what one member of the English Fly Fishing Team described as "possibly the best Grayling fishing in Hampshire"; the first sluice down to the old lock gates provides classic dry fly fishing, and the turning pool below provides gravel spawning grounds with an abundance of smaller trout, grayling, and salmon parr; below this lies a slower-flowing length where the larger fish abound and may still be caught when fish are proving challenging in the top two sections. Target species are brown trout, grayling, and — given the beat's proximity to tidal water — the occasional Atlantic salmon. The Navigation supports a wild population of brown trout together with good numbers of grayling, supplemented by regular and controlled stockings of brown trout sourced from local suppliers. April hatches include the Large Dark Olive, Grannom Caddis, and Hawthorn, with Mayfly from mid-May to early June. Blue-winged olive and sedge are prolific through summer, and September sees the return of the Large Dark Olive to close the season on 30 September. The open-banked calmer sections suit beginners well, with straightforward upstream presentation; the hatch pool and faster carrier will test more experienced rods. Up to three rods fish the beat, priced from £211 in summer, £245 in early season, and £358 during Mayfly. A fishing room with electricity, running water, WC, and car parking are on site. The beat sits within easy reach of Winchester (six miles) and Southampton (eight miles), with M3 junction 12 just 1.5 miles away and mainline trains to London Waterloo from nearby Shawford in around 70 minutes.
River Itchen
Shawford Park
Shawford Park sits on the lower River Itchen in Hampshire, just south of Winchester, where the river heads south through a series of water meadows passing the village of Shawford. The beat covers 0.85 miles of main chalk stream — the Itchen is designated a Special Area of Conservation, renowned for its fast-flowing, clear water and prized for its brown trout and grayling fishing. Below Easton the river carries more commercial fisheries where trout are stocked, and Shawford Park is heavily stocked accordingly. Wading is permitted, which helps anglers work the water thoroughly on this single-bank stretch. The season runs 16 April to 2 October, targeting brown trout and grayling on dry fly and nymph. Dry fly only applies until mid-June — a rule that sharpens the focus during the most productive hatches. The Mayfly period typically begins around 15 May and is known as 'duffers fortnight', though the hatch can be early or late. The Itchen's steady flow and nutrient-rich water support a thriving ecosystem, and hatches of blue-winged olive and sedge are prolific, offering reliable dry fly action through summer and into September. As the season moves into mid-summer and river height drops, fish become noticeably spooky with angler pressure high on most beats. This beat is rated expert — the clarity of the water demands precise presentation and a careful upstream approach. The gin-clear water is a plus for the angler, but your approach needs to be silent and considered: if you can see the trout, they can see you. Up to four rods fish the beat, with day rod prices running from £185 in the late season to £371 during the Mayfly window. Dropping from the standard 9 ft 5-weight to a 10 ft 3-weight can make a significant difference in low summer flows. A fishing hut, WC and car parking are provided on site. Shawford station offers mainline services to London Waterloo, making the beat straightforwardly accessible for visiting anglers travelling without a car.
River Itchen
Abbots Worthy
Sitting on the upper River Itchen just three miles north of Winchester, the Abbots Worthy beat offers around a third of a mile of single and double-bank chalk stream fly fishing on one of Hampshire's most historically significant stretches of water. John Keats walked these very water meadows in 1819, and the Itchen's clear flows and harvest-season landscapes are said to have inspired his ode *To Autumn*. The river here carries a main channel alongside a mill stream, with a chalk bottom, good ranunculus weed beds, and clear water that makes sight fishing the primary approach. Fishing is predominantly from the right bank looking upstream, though parts of the beat can be fished from both banks, and wading is possible in places. The beat holds grayling to over 3 lbs alongside a lightly supplemented wild brown trout population — above Easton, the upper Itchen is managed primarily for wild trout, and this beat reflects that ethos. Most of the River Itchen is managed as an SSSI, and catch and release is encouraged to preserve native brown trout. Fly life is good throughout the season, with reliable hatches of Iron Blue and Large Dark Olive in good numbers, and even the occasional Turkey Brown. May brings the first mayfly of the year, while mayfly hatches on the Itchen are generally lighter than on the Test — olives, sedge, and BWO carry the season through to autumn. The grayling fishing runs to 14 December, priced at £55 per rod. The beat suits one to three rods and is well set up for a day's independent fishing, with a fishing hut on site for lunch breaks and shelter, a feature of many chalk stream beats in this valley. Car parking is available on site. Access is straightforward via the A33, M3, and A34, and Winchester is reachable by train from London Waterloo — making this a practical day-trip destination from the capital as well as a natural base for exploring the wider Itchen valley.
River Itchen
Breach Farm
Breach Farm offers 1 mile of double-bank fly fishing on the River Itchen, in , on the open water meadow section that runs south of Winchester. The Itchen flows westerly through the former water meadow pastures before turning south past the city, and this pastoral stretch has a broad, gliding character with few bankside obstructions to trouble a back cast. Up to three rods share the water comfortably, and wading is permitted for anglers who want to cover fish from mid-river. A fishing hut sits beside the water, and on-site car parking is provided. Sensitive stocking programmes maintain quality dry fly fishing for brown trout and grayling from Winchester downstream, and Breach Farm is fished on that basis: heavily stocked, with the season running from 16 April to 31 December. Dry fly is the primary method, with nymph also permitted. Hatches of blue-winged olive and sedge are prolific throughout the season, offering reliable dry fly action, while the mayfly period typically begins around 15 May and represents the most sought-after weeks on the water. As a general rule, warmer months favour trout fishing and the cooler months grayling. The beat also holds sea trout and salmon in the lower Itchen corridor, making it a genuinely varied proposition across the full season. Traditional chalk stream dry fly patterns still rule the roost on the Itchen: sizes 18 and 20 in Medium Olive, Iron Blue, and Blue-Winged Olive duns, along with size 16 sedge patterns, will cover most situations. A 9 ft rod in a 4 or 5 weight is a practical all-round choice. The beat is rated as explorer level, so some prior chalk stream experience will help, particularly given the clarity of the water and the need for a careful upstream approach. Day tickets start from £165 in the main trout season. Grayling season day tickets are available from £75.
River Itchen
Kanara
Kanara is a well-established beat on the River Itchen, situated below Winchester near Otterbourne, with around 640 yards of double-bank chalk stream running downstream from the bridge on Kiln Lane. It sits roughly ten minutes south of Twyford and is easily reached from the M3 at Junction 12 — making it a practical day-trip from London in under two hours. The water combines a quick-flowing upper section with deeper, slower pools towards the bottom of the beat, and is largely a wading stretch that holds both stocked and wild brown trout alongside a noted winter grayling population. Hatches of blue-winged olive and sedge are prolific on the Itchen, providing reliable dry fly action across the season, while the mayfly — typically peaking in late May and early June — commands the highest day-rod prices here at £225. Summer rods are priced at £194, with grayling days available from £114 through the back end of the season to 30 November. The lower section is best fished over the left shoulder or with side and roll casts, and will test anyone without a solid command of their casting. There are some large-sized browns on the beat, so a strong leader is advisable, though wild browns and grayling are spread throughout and a light rod suits much of the fishing. The beat is rated expert — both the casting and the approach to shy fish in crystal-clear chalk stream water demand real experience. One to two rods fish the beat comfortably. The Itchen is the river where G.E.M. Skues developed the concept of nymph fishing, and that tradition of precise, technical fly fishing remains very much alive at Kanara. A fishing cabin and car parking are provided on site. A valid Environment Agency rod licence is required, and anglers should note that sea trout and salmon are present in the lower Itchen corridor — check beat-specific rules on retained fish and method restrictions before your visit.
A Hampshire chalk stream rising from springs near New Cheriton, the River Itchen runs 28 miles through the Hampshire Downs, collecting the River Alre and Candover Brook just west of Alresford before turning west through the villages of Itchen Abbas, Itchen Stoke, Martyr Worthy and Easton, entering Winchester across…
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FAQ
Lower Bishopstoke Fishery FAQs
Practical questions anglers ask before fishing Lower Bishopstoke Fishery, from tickets to tactics.
