Gaston Bridge Beat

Three-quarters of a mile of single-rod chalk stream on the River Frome, the Gaston Bridge Beat sits within the Wrackleford Estate just north of Dorchester in Dorset. The River Frome is the most westerly of the famous English chalk streams, with the Estate waters on the finest stretches of the river. The beat runs from a ford downstream through farmland to the garden boundary of Wrackleford House, with the lower section fished from the left bank and the upper section accessed via a short walk through the farmyard. Two weirs punctuate the water — one near the fishing hut, one at the start of the garden section — both creating reliable fish-holding pools and broken water worth working carefully. The deep pool beside the hut deserves particular attention, and caution. The beat is well tended and regularly stocked, making it a good choice for less experienced fly fishers getting to grips with chalk stream technique. The Frome is less affected by abstraction than any other chalk stream, and as a result the fishing is good throughout the season. The season opens with a grannom hatch, followed by hawthorn, mayfly and blue-winged olives as the season progresses, with sedges rounding off the year. Mayfly hatches are excellent from mid-May until mid-June, and the high summer fishing can be surprisingly good in the evenings in July and August, with hatches of pale wateries, blue-winged olives and sedges extending well into autumn. The season runs from 1 April to 31 January, with day ticket prices ranging from £80 in April to £140 during the mayfly peak. A light rod — a 7.5 ft, 3–4 weight with floating line and tippet to 6x — suits the intimate nature of this water. A fishing hut is on site for shelter. Day tickets run from dawn till dusk.