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About the River Itchen
The River Itchen is a beautiful and historic river located in Hampshire, England. Renowned for its clear waters, it flows through picturesque landscapes, supporting a diverse range of wildlife. The river is also celebrated its excellent fishing opportunities, particularly for trout. Its scenic banks and surrounding areas make it a popular destination for and nature enthusiasts alike. Approximately 26 miles long the river rises to the south of New Alresford and meets the sea in the city of Southampton. We manage around a mile of lower river to the south of Bishopstoke.
About the Beats
The Lower Bishopstoke Fishery
This beat is around half a mile of the main River Itchen south of Bishopstoke along with a short section of the old Itchen navigation, the majority of the beat is under double bank ownership however it is exclusively fished from the right bank, the left bank is left to nature providing excellent habitat for invertebrates and juvenile fish. Historically this beat was managed for its salmon fishing however for the last few years the focus has been brown and sea trout. Stocked regularly with brown trout this beat is now offered on a day ticket basis for up to two anglers a day throughout the trout season.
The beat is accessed from the bottom end, parking is is in a private car park by the river. The beat contains a basic fishing hut along with some benches at various points along its length, please note there is no toilet. The beat meanders upstream through wildflower meadows interspersed with some trees, wading is not necessary. You will have exclusive use of the beat and facilities during your day. The primary target is the sea trout and brown trout however you may also encounter Grayling, Rainbow Trout, Chub, Pike, Perch, Roach, and Barbel to name but a few.
Brown Trout Fishing is from 3rd of April until 31st October
Sea Trout Fishing is from 1st May until 31st October
The beat is not let for winter coarse fishing or salmon fishing at this time. Fishing is usually by single upstream dry fly or nymph however the keeper may permit downstream fishing for sea trout depending on the conditions. Trout may be retained for the table in line with the limit set on your permit.
Other Beats
The Lower Bishopstoke fishery is only part of the water we manage, the remainder is currently fully let to season rods. Occasional opportunities to fish this may be advertised on this website.
About the Team
The fisheries are managed by a team of keepers with many years experience between them, currently led by Paul Unsworth who has been involved in the management of these fisheries for the past 14 years. The fishery is managed sympathetically to strike a good balance between providing good access for anglers and providing excellent habitat for fish, invertebrates, and other species which thrive in the SSSI. For maximum biosecurity we source our stocked fish from a farm located upstream on the River Itchen.
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