The Silver Tail of the River Test
The Silver Tail of the River Test
Legend under moonlight
Along Hampshire's River Test, a 39‑mile chalkstream born near Longparish, local folklore speaks of the Silver Tail: a phantom brown trout (Salmo trutta), the wise Test brownie, its flanks like polished pewter. The tale says the fish haunts secret chalk runs in water from 0.4m to 3m, a flicker of silver guiding night‑walkers and cautious fly anglers to unseen glides when mayfly hatches peak between 13 May and 7 June.
Beats that remember
Stories place first sightings at Wherwell Priory, among Ranunculus beds where grayling and stocked brownies of 2–3 lb show. The spirit is said to avoid fast gravel and deep pools, favouring long glides such as Half Water near Longparish and the intimate carriers by School Farm on the River Dun above Mottisfont. From Broadlands' lower beats past 17th‑century estates to Oakley and Mottisfont Abbey, the Silver Tail threads evening rises where sea trout ghost the flood.
Angling by starlight
Cautious anglers stalk those runs with a 7–8ft #4–5wt setup for brownies, a lighter #3wt for narrow carriers, or a simple fly rod for delicate presentations. At dusk a hackled yellow dun or a spent gnat over slicks about 1.8m deep can draw tentative rises. The lore nods to upstream nymphing traditions of Halford and Skues; predators such as pike of 10–20 lb are said to crash shallows near the Middleton Estate.
Kitchen and campsite
After a night by the stream the tale softens into food: pan‑fry modest 2 lb brownie fillets in butter with watercress gathered from the banks, season with Hampshire water and lemon, and cook in a non-stick pan. The Silver Tail remains partly story, partly promise—a chalk‑stream spirit that keeps anglers looking at night, listening for the gentle rise of tomorrow.
Recommended: hard‑anodised frying pan