Weekly River & Hatches Update
Finally, the greatest month in the fly fishing calendar has arrived. The hawthorn is blossoming, the flies are hatching, the trout are rising, and the chaos of Mayfly is only just over the horizon. Welcome to May!
Weather:
We have enjoyed a long-lasting spell of warm weather over the last few weeks, with temperatures reaching 28 degrees by early afternoon on Thursday just gone, the highest of any May 1st since records began. Average temperatures have hovered around 20 degrees, with bright blue skies and sparse cloud cover. The forecast for next week is for another dry week, with slightly cooler average temperatures of 18 degrees and very light breezes from the North East. Sunrise: 05:31 GMT Sunset 20:36 GMT, UV: Med, Pollution: Low. Pressure: 1023mb.
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, the right choice in footwear and a long-handled net will undoubtedly make coaxing your quarry to the river bank a little easier.
Hatches:
This week the star of the show has been the Grannom, an early season sedge, with prolific hatches reported on the middle River Test beats in particular. The Hawthorn flies will also be making up a lion’s share in the diet of a hungry trout. It is not an aquatic insect, so how fish know it to be 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 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:
If you strike gold this week and find a few rising trout, they are most likely slurping up Grannom, Hawthorn or Olives, so the patterns to keep on the front row of the fly box are Adams, Grannom, Hawthorn, Large Dark Olive Iron Blue Dun, and of course the KJ Olive Emerger. When the clouds draw in and the hatches slow up, Nymphs, where permitted, might just unlock that extra fish. I would concentrate on a lightly weighted Mayfly Nymph, Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear and the humble PTN, a Pheasant Tail in 12, 14 and 16.
Our Seasonal tips:
As a general rule, we would expect surface action to be predominately on the days when it warms up around midday. The afternoons are warmest and the resounding sweet spot this week, when fly life has peaked, has been 3pm. 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:
