Weekly River & Hatches Update
Mayfly madness. Duffer’s fortnight. Call it what you will but May is one of the most spectacular months of the year to visit the chalkstreams when the Mayfly hatches drift across the river like gun smoke. This is classic dry-fly fishing at its finest.
Weather:
Expect changeable weather conditions in the coming week, with periods of rain or showers, cloud and some drier intervals in-between. Temperatures should stay pleasantly mild, which should make excellent hatch activity with cloud cover keeping trout confidently feeding on the surface. Pollen: Low to Moderate UV: Moderate Pollution: Low Sunrise 05:29 Sunset 20:37
River Flows:
It’s been a very dry week across England, with less than 1mm of rain falling in all regions. River levels have dropped again at almost all sites since last week, with most rivers now running at normal or below-normal levels.
Hatches:
Mayfly season is finally here! One of the true highlights of the year and a magical time to be on the river. Early hatches have already been spotted on both the Upper Test and Itchen over the past few days, bringing exciting surface activity. Make sure you’ve got a few Mayfly patterns at the front of your box- there’s every chance of tempting a beautiful brown trout from beneath the reeds. Alongside the dance of the mayfly, keep an eye out for consistent hatches of Iron Blue, Hawthorn (observe the beautiful hawthorn blossom on the riverbanks), and Black Gnats.
Fly Patterns:
Match the hatch! These are the four main groups of Mayfly to be found on the chalkstreams during May. The mayfly life cycle is key to understanding how to fish it. Nymph: Walkers Mayfly size 12 Dun: Thomas’s Mayfly 8-10, French Partridge 10-12, Grey Wulff 8-10 Spinner : Spent Mayfly 10
Our Seasonal tips:
Mayfly patterns are heavy, bulky and wind resistant. Getting them to ‘turn over’, especially in wind can be difficult so use a 5lb tippet as a very minimum. Take you time: Walk quietly down the river and spend time observing the river and insect life before you select your fly. Try to be stealthy in your approach.
News, events and catch reports:
