Our day started in much the same way as last season's most memorable day. I arrived to meet my guest bright and early and again we sat in the truck and again I asked the question: what shall we do today? A couple of fly fishermen with lots of fishing available but with nothing planned and a full day totally untouched...a rare and tantalising prospect.
My companion for the day was flying home to the USA the following morning and I wanted to try to have as memorable a time as possible on his last fishing day in the UK, certainly on this trip and possibly ever!
Having recently been up to the Bourne Rivulet, that most fabulous of quintessential English chalk streams, to provide some fly fishing casting instruction, I asked "have you read ‘Where the Bright Waters Meet’ by Harry Plunket Greene?"
"Yes I have." came the reply, not surprisingly knowing my companion's deep interest and passion for UK and European fly fishing history and literature.
"Have you ever been to the river where Harry fished and been to the church where Harry is buried and his grave is now a regularly visited shrine?"
"No, I have not" came the reply. Enough said.
"How about we drive up to Hurstbourne Priors and take a look around, have some lunch and fish the Avon below Salisbury for the afternoon?"
"Sounds good to me", came the reply.
A plan had hatched and we headed out to the M3 and onto the A34
to go to pay Harry’s grave and the gorgeous Bourne Rivulet a visit.
We arrived and promptly did what most ‘proper’ fisherman do.....we stood looking from the bridge at the wonderful river that flowed below us, and waxed lyrically about the truly stunning wild brown trout that it holds.
Enough of that, there was a churchyard and a grave to be visited. We duly made our way back into the village and headed through the gates of St.Andrew’s church and past the amazing yew tree (one of the oldest in England), and over to Harry’s grave where there was the ever present display of fly boxes and flies. Our historian was happy. An unexpected bonus, something more to show the many American fly fishers who attend his talks and slide-shows back home. Lunch beckoned, and so we headed off, following the Test valley down through Longparish and across to Wherwell and then rolled into Stockbridge for a quick lunch.
The afternoon and evening was spent on my ‘home water’, the Hampshire Avon below Salisbury, where we enjoyed some quite excellent mayfly fishing in some lovely light. It was too good an opportunity to miss, the video camera came out.
Hopefully you will enjoy the short film produced with the sound and images that were captured.
Ian May