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. Count on the Mayfly hatch in the last two weeks in May and the first week in June!
Weather:
Sunrise 05:06 Sunset 21:01. Pollen: High UV: High Conditions Well, after a somewhat surprisingly cool and blustery few days here in Hampshire, the weather is starting to pick up with sunnier conditions on the way – so don’t forget to pack the suncream. Highs of 30 degrees, with the wind easing off to around 5mph.
River Flows:
River levels are currently running at normal conditions. The recent spell of rain was certainly welcome, although a few more showers would still be beneficial.
Hatches:
Excitingly, we’ve had some great reports of the Mayfly hatching on the Hampshire and Wiltshire chalkstreams, with terrific hatches of our common Mayfly, reported throughout the Test and Itchen valleys. Whatever the weather, there are still frequent hatches of tiny olives and midges, so do come prepared with a fly for every occasion.
Fly Patterns:
’Tis the season for Mayfly! And with the warmer weather arriving, the hatch is well and truly underway. The classic Mayfly French Partridge, Mohican, Grey Wullf and Green Drake have been strong contenders in the last week, as well as emerger patterns. It is important to understand the mayfly life cycle so you can adapt your fly accordingly – from nymph to dun, to spinner.
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. Try to avoid drag wherever possible, long tippets can help this. With more sunshine expected, be aware of your shadow on the water and seek shaded areas to keep cool. It might also be worth experimenting with other patterns too, including Adams, Black Gnats, Dark Olives and Wulff’s, to name a few.
News, events and catch reports:
