Edition: Friday 19 June 2026

Weekly River & Hatches Update

June heralds the arrival of the summer solstice, with longer days and evenings providing the perfect opportunity to enjoy time on the water. Think the evening rise and magical sunsets. Matching the hatch can become a little more challenging. The fish might be slightly more particular in their fly choice, so be prepared to change your fly often. If your target fish ignores a fly more than twice, change size or fly.

Weather:

Sunrise: 04:52 Sunset:9:30pm UV: High Pollen: High It is warming up again! Going into next week, we will see average day time temperatures creeping up to 30 - 32 degrees, so do take care out on the water. Remember to pack your sunscreen! The summer solstice is on Sunday - so make the most of it and enjoy an extended evening rise.

River Flows:

River flows are averaging at normal level (as rated by the EA) with the River Kennet slightly below normal. It will remain fine and dry across England with long spells of sunshine for most over the coming week, which will likely spur on some exciting morning and late evening hatches.

Hatches:

Blue Winged Olives, Black Gnats, Medium Olives, Midges and Sedges are the main hatches for June. If fish are being particularly tricky, you can always try a classic pheasant tail nymph or hare's ear should your beat permit nymphing.

Fly Patterns:

Here are our top picks for June: Blue Winged Olive, CDC Hare's Ear Shuttlecock Emerger, Elk Hair Caddis , Grey Adams, Klinkhammer, Parachute Adams and a Sherry Spinner. The smaller the fly, the better.

Our Seasonal tips:

Light tippet to 2lb. A choice of your favourite flies in a variety of sizes. Apply mud or gink on the final six inches of tippet to remove the shine. Higher water temperatures can be challenging for fish, so please handle them with care and keep them out of the water for as little time as possible. Keep hydrated and cool!

News, events and catch reports:

  • Cottons Fishing Temple "Having wanted to fish the Temple beat for some time, it more than lived up to expectations, and I caught several small, wild brownies in perfect condition."

  • Middleton Estate: "At just over a mile long, the sheer diversity of the water meant we could never rely on a single tactic for long. Thanks to extensive restorations, the beat offered a bit of everything, forcing us to constantly adapt. 2 Wild Browns (both released) 1 on the Elk Hair Caddis (Size 12 Hook) and another on the Parachute Adams (Size 16)"

  • Compton Chamberlayne: "The surroundings were idyllic, I caught and released one 4lb brown trout - probably, in the absence of an accurate weighing device, my best even brown."
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