Weekly River & Hatches Update
April is nearly over, so welcome to May as the trees are getting greener, with the chalkstreams brimming. 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 with the days getting longer, you simply cannot help but turn your face to the sun and take it all in. The wheels of spring are in motion.
Weather:
We have enjoyed mild, dry and partly sunny weather, with the occasion rain over the last week with large parts of the country experiencing bright sunny mornings and daytime temperatures at highs of 15C+. The forecast for next week is mostly sunny with light to moderate breezes from the east/southeast. Sunrise: 05:39 GMT Sunset 20:28 GMT, UV: Med, Pollution: Low. Pressure: 1022mb. However, the only note of caution is morning frosts so it will sometimes take a little while for the chill to come off the day and the hatches begin.
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 week the chalk stream aquifers are still brimming after a wet winter, teeing up for beautifully clean gravels, but possibly some wet riverbanks. As noted above good footwear and a long-handled net will undoubtedly make coaxing your quarry to the river bank a little easier.
Hatches:
By early May it is likely that the Grannom hatch, an early season sedge, may have been and gone so the seasonal hatch to look for will be the Hawthorn fly, a house fly look alike with distinctive long, dangling legs. It is not an aquatic insect, so how fish know it is yummy I’ll never know but when these terrestrials are blown on the water the fish randomly grab for them. Otherwise, unless you are blessed with an unlikely early Mayfly hatch, (some have been seen but ignored by the fish) the prime order of the day will be Dark Olives and, especially when damp and blustery, the Iron blue. As a general rule, as for April, I 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.
Fly Patterns:
Nymphs, where permitted, could be your go-to choice. I would concentrate on lightly weighted Mayfly Nymph, Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear and Pheasant Tail in 12, 14 and 16. Don't be shy about using a long leader and you may require a strike indicator if the river is very turbid. I know some people are a bit adverse to indicators but when you are prospecting it is rather fun and helps you pick up fish you might otherwise miss.
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 do not need to turn up early; if you are shivering in your jacket, you can imagine the insects will feel much the same and do not plan a long lunch away from the river.
News, events and catch reports:
