River Lambourn – Chalkstream Fly fishing

Chalkstream fly fishing on the River Lambourn offers some of the clearest, and coldest, water of all the southern chalkstreams. The Kennet catchment stretches from the upper reaches of the Winterbournes above Avebury (west of Marlborough in Wiltshire) to Reading in Berkshire where the Kennet flows into the Thames. Both the Kennet and Lambourn are the main fly fishing rivers in the catchment offering wonderful dry fly fishing for both trout and grayling.

Classic chalkstream dry fly fishing

The Kennet catchment is defined by the chalk uplands of the Marlborough and Berkshire Downs to the north and the Hampshire Downs to the south. Much of the area falls within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Many small tributaries feed the Kennet but only the Dun and Lambourn can be considered as trout fisheries.

Like the Test, we have to thank the water engineers of the eighteenth century who created miles of fishable water. The River Lambourn is powered entirely from chalk springs, this results in the hard to believe gin clear nature of the water and its year round stable temperatures. The water is nutrient rich and provides a healthy environment for wild brown trout and grayling to grow to large sizes. In the clear water it is not always easy to tempt these wily fish but the rewards are well worth the effort.

 EASY REACH OF LONDON

Fly fishing on the River Lambourn is in easy reach of London and many other main towns in the south of England. Whether you drive, fly or get the train it will not take long to reach the fishing.

For those looking for longer stays in the area, we can combine the River Lambourn with other chalkstream fly fishing options in the area. There are numerous accommodation options suitable for all types of stay, from small B&Bs to full Country House Hotels.