Stockbridge dawn: dry‑fly windows on the Test
River Test below Stockbridge: dawn dry‑fly window
Below Stockbridge the first light to about 09:00 is the clearest short window for sight‑fishing brown trout and grayling on the chalkstream. Water usually sits at a steady, moderate flow here; glides, shallows and the smooth heads of deep runs hold the most visible fish.
What is hatching
Early‑summer mornings bring small mayfly duns and then sedges; rises are selective, not desperate. Fish feed on tiny naturals rather than heavy nymphs, so size 14–18 dry patterns are the stock choice and a couple of larger mayfly imitations are useful if a hatch thickens.
Tackle and presentation
A 9 ft #4 or #5 rod gives light control in gentle current; fine tippet in the 5X–6X range wins the day when water is gin‑clear. Fish upstream and across with minimal false casts. On the first cast aim for the margin seam; the first presentation often decides the session.
Beat selection favours main river glides and seam edges over the torrent channel. Low‑flow sight‑fishing pays off where shallow shelves meet deep runs, and morning mayfly patterns will produce visible takes. A grayling finning in the glassy shallows as the light hardens is the usual early‑summer picture on the Test.