Middleton Estate – Half Water Beat, River Test
Middleton Estate’s Half Water Beat is a cracking old-style chalkstream stretch near Longparish, with just over a mile of varied River Test water. It’s booked through Fishing Breaks and suits a small group of two or three rods, with brown trout among the named fish.
Run by Middleton Estate · checked 14 Oct 2026
River Test
Middleton Estate – Half Water Beat, River Test
Our river artwork — photos for this stretch are on the way
River level
Measured — Environment Agency
Whitchurch Main gauge
Nearest EA gauge we've matched — it isn't on this stretch, so levels on your peg will differ.
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We don't publish an "ideal level" — nobody can promise one. Flood water is dangerous: if it's up and coloured, stay well back from the edge. Open River Ready
The lowdown
- This is proper varied chalkstream water, with slow sections, quicker runs, deep holding water and hatch pools all mixed into the beat.
- The Half Water is primarily single-bank fishing and runs for just over a mile. Plenty of water to explore without it feeling like a faff.
- Some of the beat opens out through water meadows, while other bits tuck under trees. So you get a nice mix of bright, open swims and shaded cover.
- Dog Leg Hatch is the handy focal point, with the beat’s own fishing hut right by the water. There’s also a parking area next to the hut, which keeps the gear lugging to a minimum.
- The flow varies nicely across the beat. Look for the steadier water, the creases where pace changes, and the deeper holding spots when fish are sitting tight.
- The hatch pools give the stretch a bit of extra character, while the faster water should suit an active fly approach when the fish are looking up.
- It’s described as having a good head of wild fish, with careful stocking used to supplement them. Brown trout are among the named species.
- This is a small-party sort of beat rather than a packed bank. Two or three rods can book it together, and two solo rods may share the Half Water.
- The main fishing period runs from May 1 to September 30. It’s fly fishing on River Test chalkstream water, with the stretch sitting upstream of the better-known middle and lower Test fisheries.
Methods: Fly fishing is the order of the day on this chalkstream beat. Fish the varied pace, hatch pools, creases and deeper holding water, adapting between the quicker runs and quieter sections.
Access & tickets
May 1–12, 2026
Day-ticket fly fishing; price is per rod.
£334 per rod (as listed 14 Oct 2026 — check before you go)
May 13–June 4, 2026
Day-ticket fly fishing; price is per rod.
£451 per rod (as listed 14 Oct 2026 — check before you go)
June 5–July 31, 2026
Day-ticket fly fishing; price is per rod.
£298 per rod (as listed 14 Oct 2026 — check before you go)
Fishing is offered by day ticket through Fishing Breaks. The Half Water Beat is booked through Fishing Breaks, with published 2026 prices charged per rod.
Fish the club names
trout
Key rules
- Fly fishing only.
- Bookings are for two or three rods as a small group.
- Two solo rods may share the Half Water.
- Dogs are allowed.
- The main published fishing period is May 1–September 30.
Coarse fishing on English rivers is closed from 15 March to 15 June inclusive. That's the law for coarse fish on rivers — it's not a club rule, and game-fishing seasons work differently.
GOV.UK — Freshwater rod fishing rules: when and where you can fishWhere it is
Pins mark the access postcode each club gives, not the bank itself. Exact boundary map: see rights holder.
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