Westover Fishery Beat 1

Westover Fishery Beat 1 sits on the Westover Estate, which holds 2.3 miles of the River Anton — a chalk stream in Hampshire that rises in Andover and flows southwards for approximately eight miles to meet the River Test near Chilbolton. The estate's fishing runs through wide shallow sections and deep narrow cuts passing through old water meadows, and Beat 1 benefits from easy car access. The river here is compact enough that fishing is entirely from the bank, as a moderately competent fly fisher can reach any part of the river.

The Anton at Westover is stocked with brown trout reared locally at the Houghton Club, alongside a good population of wild trout. The river is known for its prolific fly life — lush beds of ranunculus are shaped through the season and support an abundance of fly life, with good hatches visible almost year-round. Mayfly hatches start around 15th May and continue into the first week of June, while from mid-morning through to mid-afternoon small olives trickle off the surface later in the season, with sedge hatches continuing into the evenings. The main season runs from mid-April to the beginning of October, with upstream dry fly only until 30th June.

A single-bank beat fished upstream on a dry fly, Beat 1 suits those new to chalk stream fishing — the open bank and clear, crystal water make it a fine sight-fishery where you can target specific fish. A 9ft rod in a 4- or 5-weight is ideal for the intimate scale of the Anton. A maximum of two rods per beat applies, keeping the water uncrowded. The river joins the Test near Chilbolton, placing this beat firmly in the heart of Hampshire chalk stream country.