Weekly River & Hatches Update
Welcome to the start of a new season! April is here and while the blackthorn blossoms, the chalk streams are brimming, gin clear, and tumbling over clean bright gravels. The riverbanks are still drying out so you will be thankful for a good pair of wellingtons and a long-handled net, but the good news is, that now the clocks have gone forward and with these warm sunny days getting ever longer, you simply can't help but turn your face to the sun and take it all in. The wheels of spring are in motion!
Weather:
We have enjoyed consistently mild weather here in Hampshire for the past three weeks with large parts of the country experiencing bright sunny mornings and daytime temperatures at highs of 17C. The forecast for next week is for more of the same with light breezes from the east/northeast. Sunrise: 06:35 GMT Sunset 19:44GMT, UV: Med, Pollution: High. Pressure: 1020mb.
River Flows:
The river flows currently range between normal and high as rated by the Environment Agency. Whilst there has been little rainfall in the last week the chalk stream aquifers are still brimming after a wet winter, teeing up for beautifully clean gravels, but possibly some wet riverbanks. A good pair of wellingtons or thigh waders and a long-handled net will undoubtedly make coaxing your quarry to the river bank a little easier.
Hatches:
Large dark olive and possibly some early Grannom will predominate hatches this week, as they will for much of April. You can expect the fly life to peak at the warmest parts of the day, mostly either side of lunch, when the sun is at its highest for longest. Those days where it remains cool, breezy and overcast, hatches will inevitably be much slower and is it is damp the Iron Blue is the got to dry fly.
Fly Patterns:
If you strike gold and find some rising fish, they are most likely slurping at large dark olive, best imitated by a JG Emerger or Kite’s Imperial, and Grannom, a small sedge pattern. If the sun hides behind the clouds and a cool breeze pushes them down, a green or pink shrimp, sawyer's killer bug, or indeed the ever-faithful Pheasant Tail Nymph might just perform where a dry cannot. Generally, we recommend a 9ft leader in the 5x range, but refinement can be critical to enticing a take, so try coming down to a 2lb tippet or lighter if required.
Our Seasonal tips:
As a general rule, we would expect surface action to be predominately on the days when it warms up around midday. On that basis you don't need to turn up early; if you are shivering in your jacket, you can imagine the insects will feel much the same and don't plan a long lunch away from the river.
News, events and catch reports:
