| These are my recollections of my first | | | | lodge which was equipped with table, chairs, |
| introduction to fly fishing in Hampshire on the | | | | cooker, tea, coffee, milk, sugar, wine, mineral |
| River Test but let me first explain.......... | | | | water, cheese and fruit-luxury fly fishing in |
| I caught my first brown trout in a stream at the | | | | Hampshire! The stretch was about a third of a |
| back of our house known as Crimple Beck in Burn | | | | mile of the main River Test with about four |
| Bridge Nr Harrogate in North Yorkshire with a red | | | | hundred yards of a tributary which almost ran |
| worm at the age of four on a one piece solid | | | | parallel to the main river. The bankside had been |
| fibreglass rod that had belonged to my father. | | | | mown-yes mown. The water was crystal clear |
| When I was seven I caught my first brown trout | | | | despite it having rained with this stretch being |
| whilst fly fishing on the River Coquet at Felton in | | | | mainly slow flowing. The sky was overcast with |
| Northumberland where my grandparents lived and | | | | small hatches of Mayfly and a few brown trout |
| where I spent all my school holidays. I fly fished | | | | rising throughout the day. The weeds which I |
| almost every day in the easter and summer | | | | understand they cut every month were clearly |
| school holidays on this river but also on the River | | | | visible and it was thrilling to watch some specimen |
| Nidd in North Yorkshire. | | | | brown trout swimming in this beautiful stretch. |
| As a teenager my grandparents sent me Trout | | | | I also spent some time fly fishing on the faster |
| and Salmon magazine each month which I read | | | | flowing tributary and caught two brown trout |
| from the front to back cover paying particular | | | | which, having put up a superb fight, I returned to |
| attention to any articles about chalk stream fly | | | | the water. My wife and son John also did some |
| fishing. | | | | fly fishing using my tackle and Anne caught a |
| It was a dream and an ambition of mine to, one | | | | grayling. |
| day, go fly fishing for brown trout on a chalk | | | | I mainly fished using a dry fly but occassionaly |
| stream and at the age of forty nine that dream | | | | used nymphs. |
| came true thanks to the generosity of my wife | | | | In the early evening the clouds broke and the sun |
| Anne and sons John and Adam. | | | | appeared resulting in further hatches of Mayfly on |
| Through Orvis, who are a fishing equipment | | | | this exquisite stretch of the River Test which |
| retailer, they arranged for me to have a day's fly | | | | provided idealic fly fishing in Hampshire. |
| fishing in Hampshire on the world renowned River | | | | The day was most memorable for us all- I have |
| Test on the Timsbury 5 stretch. As if the gift | | | | never experienced fly fishing like it! |
| could not get any better-the date they had | | | | Reluctantly we had to leave but we will be back |
| selected was during the Mayfly season! | | | | fly fishing once again in Hampshire-perhaps next |
| We arrived at the fly fishing beat, to which we | | | | time we will try the River Itchen. |
| had exclusive use, parking the car near the fishing | | | | |