River Test Tight-line Basics
River Test Tight-line Starter Rig
River Test, Hampshire: a 9 ft 4-weight rod with a 9–10 ft tapered leader is the chalkstream benchmark for tight-line nymphing trout and grayling.
Leader, sighter and tippet
Keep it simple. Start with a 9 ft tapered leader and shorten to 7–8 ft for a tighter feel. Add a 20–30 cm brightly coloured sighter or a short greased mono section ahead of the tippet to show takes. Use fluorocarbon tippet in 4X–6X; 5X is a safe all-round choice on the Test. Typical tippet length sits around 24–30 in, adjusted so the point fly runs just below the seam.
Fly rigging and spacing matter. Fish a heavier point nymph—small beadhead Pheasant Tail or tungsten French nymph—then a lighter dropper about 20–25 cm up. For spooky grayling shorten the top dropper and go a touch finer in tippet, near 6X when water is glassy.
Reading seams: target the soft edge where faster flow meets slack water, along gravel lips, grass margins and shallow shelves. Fish sit off the push to intercept food; present steadily with minimal lift and keep the line tight so the sighter reads every twitch.
Knots and handling: use a reliable uni for tippet to leader, double surgeon for joining, and a micro ring if fitting a sighter-style indicator. A light strike is enough; often the rod tip and bright sighter reveal a clean, quick pull as a grayling slips up from the seam.
Recommended: 5X fluorocarbon tippet