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. As the major mayfly hatches begin to taper off, 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 04:55 Sunset 21:13. Pollen: Moderate UV: Moderate Air Pollution: Low It has been refreshing to welcome the scattered showers and cool breezes this past week, with more rain expected going into the week ahead. Our chalkstreams will certainly benefit! Conditions are expected to remain mixed, with some strong gusts of wind at times and sporadic showers/sunshine. Highs of 20 degrees, dropping to 14 in the evening.
River Flows:
River levels are currently running at normal to below normal conditions. The recent spell of rain was certainly welcome, although a few more showers would still be beneficial – ready to refresh the aquifers and sustain a healthy flow.
Hatches:
Blue Winged Olives, Black Gnats, Medium Olives, Midges and Sedges are the main hatches for June. There may still be the odd Mayfly hatch about too – especially on the Coln.
Fly Patterns:
Sedges: There are over 30 British caddis species, but they are all similar from an angler’s viewpoint. A few different patterns will cover them all. Cinnamon Sedge 10-12 Elk Hair Caddis 14 Caperer 12-14 Elk Hair Caddis Goddard Caddis 12-14 Grey Klinkhammer 12-14 (Emerger). For a Blue Winged Olive emerger imitation try a Parachute Adams 14 or a Blue Winged Olive 14-16 for a Dun. Sherry Spinners also work effectively.
Our Seasonal tips:
June is the month of the summer solstice (June 21) and the longest days of the year with sunrise around 5am and sunset 9pm. Given a choice between starting at daybreak or fishing at dusk, I would always choose the latter. Light tackle is the way forward – tippet to 2lb. Always apply mud or gink to the last six inches of tippet to avoid shine.
News, events and catch reports:
