Weekly River & Hatches Update
July is the month for the evening rise, probably the most regular mealtime the trout have. Even on apparently perfect fishing days flies may not hatch in the morning or afternoon, but there will usually be a rise of some sort in the evening. You will often be fishing tiny flies that are hard to see, so be prepared to work at following them on the water. The trout have got lazy so you need to be deadly accurate with your casting and unless you can precisely track your fly you won’t know whether it is covering the target fish.
Weather:
Thankfully we are due some rain this weekend, with average temperatures this week of between 23 and 24 degrees. Gentle breezes from the south , with sunny spells. The sun officially sets after 9pm. Sunrise: 05:19 GMT. Sunset 21:05 GMT. UV: High, Pollution: Low. Pressure: 1016mb.
River Flows:
The river flows are still ranging between normal and below normal as rated by the Environment Agency. Thankfully, the riverbanks are dry, 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 again for July 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
Fly Patterns:
Difficult to discern any real pattern in the successful patterns used in the past seven days. The super-fast sinking Duracell nymph was the single most successful subsurface fly. On top the Black Gnat continues its popular run, with midges and the Iron Blue Dun mentioned in dispatches. The White Wulff appears for the first time this season, a fly that remains visible into the evening twilight.
Our Seasonal tips:
If you have a lighter outfit this is most definitely the month to bring it out. Longer, lighter tippets for smaller flies are the order of the day. You will be fishing more small flies which are harder to tie on so don’t forget a torch if you are fishing late.
News, events and catch reports:
