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 has arrived.
Weather:
We have enjoyed a long-lasting spell of warm weather over the last few weeks. This week has been cooler, with average temperatures of around 20 degrees, overcast and breezy. The forecast for next week is another dry one; bright and sunny skies, with slightly milder average temperatures of 23 degrees and moderate breezes from the East/Northeast. Sunrise: 05:16 GMT Sunset 20:50 GMT, UV: High, Pollution: Low. Pressure: 1025mb.
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:
Excitingly, the Mayfly hatch is here on the Hampshire (especially on the Itchen) and Berkshire rivers though it is still to arrive in Dorset, Wiltshire and elsewhere. It is likely that, wherever you are, you will see anything from a few Mayfly to a full on hatch but whether the trout have switched is only something you will know when it happens. There are regular, huge hatches of tiny olives and midges.
Fly Patterns:
During Mayfly the temptation is to tie on a Mayfly pattern from the get-go; unless the fish are distinctly rising to the hatch, I would probably box clever. During the Mayfly weeks there are pauses. Then a sudden flurry followed by a dearth. I cannot explain it. But for you, the fly fisher, the entomological maths is easy once the hatch is on. However, do remember that even if the Mayfly hatch is not happening, the fish are switched on to feed during this time of year so if they are not interested in the Danica or if there is no hatch, do not flog a dead horse with a Mayfly pattern. Try those other patterns, Adams, Black Gnats, Dark Olives and Wulff’s, to name a few. If it is a beat where nymphs are permitted look no further than the Walkers Mayfly nymph. I guess what I am saying is do not despair in those times when the Mayfly are not immediately visible; fish will look at other flies. Or likewise wait for the hatch. Take it easy until it happens. The best fly fishers are more snipers than machine gunners and we have noted a tendency in recent years for the hatch to come on late in the afternoon. If in doubt the Mayfly of choice for all our guides is the French Partridge.
Our Seasonal tips:
As a general rule, we would expect surface action timings to be determined by the weather on the day, generally warm and sunny with no rain this coming week. However, there has been a persistent N/NE wind for the past week that is set to continue - this is a wind that is never good for hatches. However, there have been large number of Mayfly spinners returning to the water as late as 9pm.
News, events and catch reports:
