Wild Trout Fishing on the River Frome

Wild trout fishing means no stockie in the net, just fish that hatched and grew in the river: browns and grayling that have earned their spots and their caution. These beats on the River Frome never see a stocking bucket. Expect fewer fish and smaller averages, which is exactly why some anglers prefer it.

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5 beats on the River Frome

£131 today

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Ilsington

Six miles of fly-only chalk stream on the River Frome, the Ilsington beat sits downstream of Dorchester in the heart of Dorset, on the river's course between West Stafford and Bovington — a section where the Frome, at 30 miles long, is considered the major chalk stream of southwest England. Long held as a private syndicate, Ilsington has only recently become available to visiting rods, with close to five miles to discover. The river carries classic chalk stream features: riffles, pools, glides and overhanging trees, with sight fishing in crystal-clear water throughout. Wild brown trout and grayling are the primary quarry. Trout over 3lb are regularly caught, and parties will often land thirty fish or more between them. The fish most closely associated with the Frome is the grayling — the river has previously produced record fish, and specimens approaching the four-pound mark are caught most seasons. Over the years, the Frome has thrice laid claim to the British grayling record, each fish weighing over 4lb. The lower river also sees reasonable runs of salmon and sea trout. The season runs 1 April to 30 November. The Frome is less affected by abstraction than any other chalk stream, so the fishing holds up well throughout: upwinged flies dominate April and early May, mayfly hatches are excellent from mid-May until mid-June, and high summer evenings in July and August can be surprisingly productive with hatches of Pale Wateries, Blue-Winged Olives and sedges extending well into autumn. The beat accepts one to four rods and is rated suitable for beginners, making it a practical choice for a group or a guided day. A 7.5ft rod with a 3–4wt floating line is the recommended trout outfit for dry fly and nymph work; a longer 9ft rod suits the deeper glides and grayling nymphing later in the season. Day ticket prices run from £100 for a grayling day to £131 in summer, rising to £236 during the mayfly. Car parking and a fishing hut are on site. All wild fish are returned.

main river6 miles+3

main river6 milesFly fishing+2

£65 today

Dairy House Home Beat

Dairy House Home Beat sits on the middle reaches of the at West Stafford in , managed by a riverkeeper with more than twenty-five years of hands-on experience of this water. The beat runs for 2 miles of mostly double-bank chalk stream through open water meadows, carrying classic Frome character throughout: crystal-clear water over bright gravel, ranunculus weed beds, hatch pools, and deeper runs that hold fish year-round. Crucially, the main river here has never been stocked, making it one of the few genuinely wild day-ticket beats on any southern chalk stream. The fishing is for entirely wild Brown Trout, Grayling, and the grayling in particular are exceptional, with fish to well over four pounds recorded on the beat. The season opens with grannom and early olives in April, progresses through hawthorn and mayfly, and rounds off with blue-winged olives and sedges into autumn. Fly hatches occur consistently through the year, with a strong mayfly appearance in early June. Dry fly and nymph are both permitted, and the wild fish demand careful presentation and a considered approach. Nomadic grayling move into the beat from elsewhere on the Frome, adding an unpredictable and exciting element to the winter fishing. Day tickets start at £65 for the main trout season, with a dedicated mayfly period priced separately. Grayling and winter season rods are available from £45. A fishing hut is on the beat, and self-catering accommodation at the Dairy House Annexe is available for anglers who want to make a longer stay of it. Wading is permitted, and all fishing is catch and release.

main river1.5 miles+2

main river1.5 milesfly only+1

£40 today

Beat Eight (North Stream)

Beat Eight, known as North Stream, is a narrow carrier forming one of the estate boundaries, on the in . It runs 1 mile, fished from the right-hand bank, with parking shared with Beats Three and Four. This is very much an early-season beat: the stream weeds up as summer goes on, so the best of it comes before the weed takes hold. What it offers is close, careful stalking of wild brown trout and grayling in skinny water, and it's a favourite with anglers who enjoy spotting a fish before they cast to it. In winter, salmon and sea trout use the beat to spawn. The estate maintains a good head of wild brown trout, with light supplementary stocking on the main river, and grayling are plentiful. Fly only is the rule, with careful, accurate presentation counting for more here than on the wider main river. Day tickets start from £40 during the main season. Grayling days are available from £35. Accommodation can be arranged through the estate, and a riverside hamper, lovingly prepared by the estate and full of home-made breads and pastries, can be ordered and delivered to the beat at a time of your choosing.

carrier1.26 miles+2

carrier1.26 milesfly only+1

£40 today

Beat Nine (River Win)

Beat Nine sits on the River Win, a tributary of the , in , rather than on the main river itself. It's a narrow stream, best suited to anglers who enjoy fishing a short rod and stalking small wild brown trout in tight, low water. Double bank fishing is available along its 0 mile length, so there's no need to commit to one side before you've had a look. It's intimate, technical water rather than a big-fish beat: short casts, careful wading, and fish that spook easily in the clear flow. Anglers who enjoy the challenge of small-stream fishing, rather than covering distance, will get the most out of it. Fly only is the rule, as across the rest of the estate. Day tickets start from £40 during the main season. Grayling days are available from £35. Accommodation can be arranged through the estate, and a riverside hamper, lovingly prepared by the estate and full of home-made breads and pastries, can be ordered and delivered to the beat at a time of your choosing.

tributary0.48 miles+2

tributary0.48 milesfly only+1

£60 today

Beat Seven (Eel Stream)

Beat Seven, known as the Eel Stream, fishes a carrier of the rather than the main river, in , and don't let that put you off: it covers 0 mile of double-bank water, most comfortably fished from the right-hand bank, with parking close to the river. Some anglers like to wade, but bank fishing is the more usual approach. The beat takes its name from the working eel hatches at its head, which are still in use today. It's often the best fall-back when conditions make the main river difficult, since the carrier is sheltered and holds up well. It fishes particularly well during the mayfly, with plenty of sport to be had on a 7ft rod, and New Zealand-style nymphing works well later in the season for grayling. The estate maintains a good head of wild brown trout, with light supplementary stocking on the main river, and grayling are plentiful, including fish over three pounds. Fly only is the rule here as elsewhere on the estate. The Frome opens in April with strong grannom hatches, followed by hawthorn fly and blue-winged olives, then mayfly from late May into June bringing larger fish to the surface; after mayfly, evening falls of spinners and sedges extend the dry fly fishing, with pale wateries and blue-winged olives producing daytime rises through to the end of the season. Day tickets start from £60 during the main season. Grayling days are available from £35. Accommodation can be arranged through the estate, and a riverside hamper, lovingly prepared by the estate and full of home-made breads and pastries, can be ordered and delivered to the beat at a time of your choosing.

carrier0.37 miles+2

carrier0.37 milesfly only+1

2 fisheries on the River Frome

Example photoExample photo · River Frome£40 today

3 beats

East Burton Estate

East Burton Estate is a family-run sporting estate set on the River Frome, with fishing across two carriers of the river near Wool in . The river carries classic chalk stream features including riffles, pools, glides and overhanging trees, with clear water well suited to sight fishing. The fishery offers 9 beats on the main arm of the Frome and its carriers, all holding a good head of wild trout, with the estate stocking the main river with brown trout from time to time. Grayling are plentiful throughout, and fly fishing for salmon and sea trout is possible in the hatch pools and runs. Expect to encounter . The fishery offers Day tickets, Accommodation, making it a practical base for a multi-day chalk stream trip. Fishing huts are available on the water, and guiding can be arranged for those who want local expertise on the river. A riverside hamper, prepared with home-made breads and pastries, can be delivered to your beat at a time of your choosing. Fly hatches occur consistently through the season, with a strong mayfly appearance in early June. Day tickets start from £40. Winter grayling day tickets are available from £35.

Day ticketsAccommodation

Example photoExample photo · River Frome£65 today

1 beat

Casterbridge Fisheries

Sitting on the middle reaches of the River Frome in the village of West Stafford, Casterbridge Fisheries is run by keeper John Aplin, who has managed this stretch of the Dorset chalk stream for over two decades. The Dairy House Home Beat has never been stocked and holds wild brown trout alongside grayling, for which the Frome is well known. The trout season opens in early April and runs through to the first week of October, with good hatches of mayfly and a range of other insect species throughout. Grayling fishing becomes more focused from October through to mid-March. Grayling on the Frome grow to record proportions, with fish caught in the past to over four pounds. The fishery offers Day tickets, Accommodation, Tuition, and anglers staying over can use the self-catering Dairy House Annexe, just a short walk across the water meadow to the beat. Day tickets start at £65. Winter grayling rods are available from £45. The fishery is located in . Additionally, the fishery also sells day tickets to club and syndicate waters.

Day ticketsAccommodation+1

Day ticketsAccommodationTuition