England

FishingGirl

Trout Yakker
Forum Supporter
Hey all. I am headed to London and will have a week free to fish. I will be there in early July. I am still a bit confused about the program over there though. It seems to me that guides are hired to help you learn how to fish, not necessarily like guiding is here. I know that most of the access to streams and lakes are controlled by the outfits/guides.

My question is- how do I figure out where to fish on my own? I understand that I’d have to pay for the access but I don’t need a guide.

I have guide recommendations from friends but I’m not sure if that is the only way to gain access. Any help would be appreciated.
 
I used to fish Halliford Mere in Shepperton, 4 pond venue with a lot of large trout. Just pay and go fish by the half or whole day. I knew Brian Evans well but he may have moved on since then, it's been a while.

District line to Richmond, then grab the train, it's not far. If I remember you can also just grab the train at Waterloo and go all the way out. Halliford Mere is 10 mins walk from the station, all easy to do.

 
Aren't the "beats" not only controlled but leased and stocked by clubs and guides?
Depends on the river and beat. Some are owned by individuals who then lease beats to guides or public and clubs. The particular river I want to fish has beats the guide service I referenced will rent you at a day rate, guide optional and extra. That river has native browns, not stocked.
 
It will depend on where you plan to fish. Although the country itself isn’t very large physically, there are US states larger, it isn’t as easy to move about. South Devon has the historic rivers which are primarily private but can be accessed through licensed guiding operations. Best bet is to make contact with outfitters across the pond after deciding where and when you would like to fish. Emailing, or actually ringing them up directly will probably solicit a quick response. Be mindful there is probably a 7 or 8 hour time difference from your zip code. Their operations for Flyfishing are like ours, utilizing access via paid contracts. I’ve always wanted to fish North Yorkshire with their traditional wet flies or “spiders” as I think they were originally called. Some family roots are there which I’ve always wanted to pursue, along with some trout obviously. Have fun, embrace the culture and enjoy the surroundings.
 
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