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.
Weather:
Last week bucked the trend a little, with blustery conditions and even some heavy rain. Mild winds from the southwest of up to 18mph, but thankfully this week average temperatures are 21 degrees and climbing towards the end of the week, and conditions seem much calmer; overcast, with sunny spells and gentle breezes from the west. The sun officially sets after 9pm. Sunrise: 04:50 GMT. Sunset 21:23 GMT. UV: High, Pollution: Low. Pressure: 1011mb.
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.
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:
