Weekly River & Hatches Update
June is absolutely my favourite month to be on the river amongst the abundantly green English countryside. It may not the easiest month from a fishing perspective as we relearn that fish don’t always throw themselves at a size 8 Mayfly. It is a myth that fish stop feeding post-Mayfly – they just get picky, so the watchword this month is to adapt your tactics and choices accordingly. This will be especially true if we continue with the dry spell that we are having at the moment – river flows are reducing which often makes trout skittish. With sunset around 9.30pm this is often the time of year to stay as late as you can as the fish feed when the sun comes off the water.
Weather:
Ok this weekend it is going to be hot hot hot, but thankfully getting a bit cooler on Sunday with a high of 23 . Mild winds from the southeast of up to 18mph and overcast, with sunny spells and gentle breezes. The sun officially sets after 9pm. Sunrise: 04:51 GMT. Sunset 21:24 GMT. UV: High, Pollution: Low. Pressure: 1024mb.
River Flows:
The river flows currently range between normal and below normal as rated by the Environment Agency. Whilst there has been limited rainfall in the last few weeks, the chalk stream aquifers are still full after a wet winter. Thankfully, the riverbanks are drying out (finally!), so in most cases walking boots will suffice, though a pair of wellies or thigh waders might just help coax your quarry to the water’s edge.
Hatches:
My general rule for mid-late June is to be eclectic in your fly choices and be prepared to change a lot, with everything from a size 10 French Partridge down to a size 18 Greenwell’s Glory with a variety of sedges and unwinged flies in between with no single fly predominating. Where you cannot yet nymph work those deep fish. It is amazing from how far below, once you get the right fly, they will move from.
Fly Patterns:
Over the past few weeks, the trout have gorged themselves on Mayfly sometimes to the point of refusal, so now is generally the time we start to turn to smaller dry fly patterns to outwit our wily quarry. At the front of my fly box this week will be Blue Winged Olive (BWO), Klinkhammer, Grey Wulff and Elk Hair Caddis, with the occasional Daddy.
Our Seasonal tips:
As a general rule, we would expect surface action timings to be determined by the weather on the day, again generally warm and sunny with no rain forecast this coming week. Think harder about lighter tippets, concealment and keeping the sun to your face. Shadows and line flash will give you away in a moment. Be prepared to change your fly often; if your target fish ignores a fly more than twice, change size or fly.
News, events and catch reports:
