The Itchen and start of Malcolm’s 3 day excursion. The river looks stunning in the throws of Autumn.

I get Malcolm to work his way up into ‘Richards Pool’… turbulence and food abound.

Tactics move from klink & dink to deep water nymphing and the application of favourite shot patterns to get down to the bottom huggers.

Wasting little if any time at all, this glimmer of silver falls to a #20 RNPTN from deep within.

Scouring the water throughout the day, poking flies between rugs of abundant weed.

Collecting some stunning fish along the way… plenty of grayling willing to play.

And the odd unfortunate brownie who should have had its mind on other things.

Released & relaxed.

The peach of the day, all fish coming today to size #20 flies… no hideously sized bugs here!

Depth was key today and playing with shot patterns gave the opportunity to alter depth without that of changing a winning fly.

An awesome day one. Day two tomorrow on the Test and the hope for something similar… I know it’s fishing well at the moment and conditions should see us certainly equal or better todays sublime fishing.

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I’m grateful for a number of rivers within easy reach able to survive the most dismal of weather and thus provide some exceptional fishing amongst the free fall that is Autumn, one such river is the Test. After yesterdays biblical downpour I was pretty confident that although a little more height would be expected, clarity and abundance of fish could be as much assured as I would dare to wish. 

Meeting up with trio, Nick, Matt and Gareth who’d fished rivers on only but as few occasions, oh! how we were not to be disappointed. In a warming sun and with little or no wind to be of concern we were greeted with some incredible hatches of BWO’s, I needed to look no further than a cdc emerger imitation from my good friend Tony Riley for top ‘o’ the water stuff, and…

… Warren McCarthy’s Copperhead Olive Quill nymph.

Given their casting prowess the guys were into fish almost immediately, carnage ensued.

At times they just didn’t know where to cast for rises and scurrying fish.

From top to bottom, there was not a jot of disappointment

Targeting visible fish where possible in only but the slightest of tinged water

We hit upon some stunning fish, those in season and very welcome…

…and those perhaps not so.

How contort can a man be to grab a fish… Nick finds out.

Gareth in the lower reaches putting the residents under yet more pressure.

A sequence of events, we stand and watch just prior to lunch.

Cast at the fishy type shape on a gravel lie…

The shape moves and nails your fly…

Take control of said fishy shape…

Bag said shape and grin like the proverbial…

Realise this fishy shape was not what you were otherwise after… but be no less disappointed.

Lunch… loads to talk about, the biggest, the strongest, the heaviest and the smallest – who’s?

Afterwards and although with temperatures dropping… the carnage continued.

Looking out upon what was just an incredible session of fishing, personal bests in one way or another set by each. Guys it was an absolute blast, days like these could only be bettered if I’d actually had a rod in my hand. Terrific fun – look forward to the next.

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