I am fishing the Wylye in a couple of weeks. Whilst my hope is that the Mayfly will still put in an appearance, I am tying small olive emergers in preparation for their possible absence (or if the fish simply aren't locked onto them). This pattern is care of Paul Procter and has already proven successful for me in recent weeks:



~Dave

Just when you think you are going to find this fish looking up and hard on a spinner hatch, they go and suprise you! The river was perfect yesterday evening but only a few fish showed themselves. Several missed takes to a sedge pattern resulted in me dropping down to a size 20 Parachute Emerger... only to find my 'prize' fish to be a small rainbow:



I found the brownies in the end. Eventually I hooked a good, solid fish, but as it burrowed towards the roots, it straightened my fine wire #20. So, back to find the bigger fish soon.

~D

The fish are starting to show a little more of an interest in the adult mayflies. I'll be back out to see if an evening spinner fall is on the cards. The Imago's dance is always pleasing to watch - and spectacular if there are many together.



A spinner in the grass:


...and dancing:


~Dave

Sedges

I have been taking many of of my fish on small sedge patterns over the last two weeks, and they don't seem to have truly turned onto the mayfly yet. So here are a couple of small pattern to try:



Hook: Varivas 2200BL #16
Thread: 14.0 Sheer, primrose
Butt and rib: Funky Flash, pearl
Body: Mink
Thorax: Hare
Wing: either CDC or Yearling Elk

Note: the sparse Elk wing is perfect for those times where the fish are very picky and often sink the fly first before taking properly. There are enough fibres to keep it afloat, but the sparseness gives a very attractive foortprint - perhaps suggesting a wounded / crippled Sedge.

~Dave

High temperatures and bright sunshine simply isn't conducive to good trout fishing. However, I'm not complaining - it's good to see the sun finally out and you get a real feeling that spring has sprung and that Summer's around the corner... and so will be the Mayfly.



I found the river already low and suprisingly coloured in sections, but with it so bright I felt my chances of success were small. I had decided to give myself an hour of exploring with a promise to make an effort to fish the evenings over the next few weeks.



There were very few fish moving. Having spooked some smaller fish I spotted a rising fish - and it was a good one too. Having tried unsuccessfully to reach it from a downstream position, I had no choice but to creep in above it. I managed a few nice drag-free drifts over the position, but it wasn't to be. They were obviously very timid with the bright conditions. Before I moved though, another fish showed itself withing inches of the other bank. Slow, deep water meant drag was hardly an issue - a CDC & Elk planted just two or three inches off the far bank foliage proved too much a for a pretty brown to trout:


Fly life was pretty slow. There were masses of midges, especially over the faster runs:



A decently sized Stone-clinger would make a perfect picking for a trout:


Oh, and I saw my first, albeit solitary, Mayfly of the year.

~Dave.

The fly in question: Hans Weilenmann's CDC & Elk


Tying the CDC & Elk

All that glitters...

Dry-fly colour is a much debated subject. However, on a bright day, I have found a gold coloured hook can really make a difference. These parachute emerger examples are tied on a Partridge 15G:





Hook: Partridge 15G #18
Thread: Sheer, 14/0 tan
Dubbing: Spectrablend, ginger
Post: Funky Fibre, light green
Hackle: Golden Badger

~Dave

BFFI 2010

I am really pleased to have been invited to the British Fly Fair again this year.

Details of the show, which will be on the 30th and 31st October, can be found here:

British Fly Fair

~Dave

Large Dark Olive - Baetis Rhodani

With plenty of Large Dark Olives hatching in the early part of the season, it is well worth carrying an imitation. A Pheasant Tail Nymph works a treat for the nymph (part of the Agile Darter family) but for the newly emerged dun, I have found a traditionally hackled fly works very well.

Here I have tied an imitation with CDC plumes to suggest the wings:





Hook: Partridge SLD #18
Thread: Sheer, 14/0, tan
Tails: Coq de Leon
Abdomen: Spectrablend, dark olive
Wing: Natural CDC
Hackle: Silver Badger

Worth tying on hooks between #14 and #18.

~Dave

When the 1st of May arrives, whilst it may be while still before we see the Danica appearing, I find the anticipation building.


~D