Test below Stockbridge: dawn caddis brief
River Test below Stockbridge — early‑June dawn caddis brief
River Test below Stockbridge, at first light in early June, often shows the first steady caddis pulses that trigger trout to leave lies and come into view. Chalkstream clarity makes rises readable; the brown trout take cautiously but visibly along seams and over chalky gravel.
Flows are characteristically low and clear this month on the lower Test; springs keep a steady feed so fish sit long in tails and glides rather than blasting through riffles. Short casts upstream with a subtle presentation win here—no long, deep drifts.
Where to fish and what to do
Best short‑line dry‑fly beats are the glide above the Stockbridge bridge, the marginal lily beds at Mottisfont, and the shallow tails below small riffles near Whitchurch. Fish the seam, the head of the run and soft margins where caddis land and drag into the flow.
Tactics: use a 9ft leader with a flouro tippet around 4–6X, fish floating line and match the caddis profile with small, buggy dries. Watch for early dimples at dawn and pace the drift; frequent small adjustments beat brute force. The scene at sunrise—silvery water, settling caddis and a trout sipping in a shaft of light—stays with anglers long after the rod is back in the bag.
Recommended: 9ft tapered leader