The Home Beat

The Home Beat at Testcombe Fishery offers a varied mix of water on the upper River Test in Hampshire, combining main river fishing on the true left bank with a parallel carrier stream running alongside. In total, the Testcombe fishery covers approximately 900 yards of main river Test and around 1,000 yards of carrier streams — the Home Beat itself is suited to two to three rods. The stretch runs from the iconic Mayfly Pub bridge to the village of Chilbolton, placing it firmly on the upper-middle Test. The variety of water — from fast, shallow and highly oxygenated to deep and slow — makes it an ideal beat for warmer weather fishing.

The beat holds good numbers of brown trout and, for those fishing later into the autumn, grayling. The season runs 31 March to 14 October, with dry fly and nymph both permitted — the clarity of the water means fishing regularly involves sight fishing for individual fish, adding real excitement to every approach. Expect a hawthorn hatch in late April and the mayfly from mid-May to early June — the most sought-after period on the Test. The carrier, with tree cover on one bank and a narrow channel, suits smaller rods and presents a genuine technical challenge. The beat is rated for adventurous anglers; accurate presentation and a careful approach are rewarded.

The focal point of the Home Beat is the Grade II listed fishing hut dating to 1888, situated on a long island in the middle of the stretch — originally a tennis pavilion built for the Disraeli family, now an exceptional base for a day's chalk stream fishing. A standard 8.5 ft, 3–5 wt outfit with a floating line covers most situations, though the narrower carrier rewards a shorter rod. The beat is around one hour fifteen minutes from London Waterloo to Andover by train.