fly FISHING IN HAMPSHIRE
Your guide to the top fly fishing venues in Hampshire.
Hampshire is the spiritual home of fly fishing, offering some of the best sport in the world. This is the ultimate guide to the top day ticket fly fishing waters in Hampshire. The directory below lists the best places to get out on the water and have a go. Many offer fly fishing lessons for beginners.
Fly Fishing Waters
The fishing venues covered in the directory range from day ticket stillwaters to world famous rivers. There really is something for everyone, whatever your skill or experience level. If you’re a complete beginner, consider booking a lesson with a certified fly fishing tutor. There’s nothing better than learning from an expert and you’ll pick the technique up much quicker.
There’s something special about fly fishing in Hampshire. Modern fly fishing was born on the banks of our amazing chalk streams and the sense of history is palpable.
Don’t forget – freshwater fly fishing in the UK requires a rod fishing licence. Failure to get one could land you a fine of up to £2500 – it’s just not worth the risk. Luckily you can get a 12 month fishing licence for just £30 and you can even buy it online from your phone in about 5 minutes flat. You are covered immediately – just show the email confirmation to the warden when asked.
A History of Fly Fishing In Hampshire
Hampshire has a long and storied history of fly fishing, beginning in earnest in the late 1800s. While the sport of fly fishing had been around for a long time already, it was innovations made on the banks of Hampshire chalk streams that birthed the dry fly fishing that we know today.
In 1887, influential angler Frederic M. Halford joined the Houghton Fly Fishers angling club on the River Test. It was two years later in Winchester where a chance meeting with George Selwyn Marryat started a partnership that genuinely changed fly fishing forever. On the banks of the river, Halford and Marryat fished and researched for Halford’s first book Floating Flies And How To Dress Them. The book was published in 1886 and was an immediate success, elevating Halford to an angling celebrity. He would later become known as ‘High Priest of the Dry Fly’ for his innovations and writing.
Halford continued to fish the Test and the Itchen for the rest of his life, rarely venturing further afield. His passion for the chalk streams of Hampshire are testament to the world-beating sport they offer.
Beginner carp fishing course
Complete beginner? Don’t know where to start? Our Beginner Carp Fishing Course is the perfect way to get started in carp fishing in just one day. Learn everything from how to tie a simple rig, how to cast, and how to land your first fish! Aimed at true beginners, you don’t need to have any prior knowledge or equipment – everything is provided. Prices start at just £50 and you’ll be catching carp in no time!