Hatches May 09

As expected rivers are just hitting their stride during the last 10 days in terms of more consistent hatch activity. With a multitude of stone flies, olives of one species or another and many other tiny upwing flies and midges bursting forth, matching size, approximate colour and perhaps more importantly behavior beats exact match the hatch imitation and a long string of latin names!

Stillwaters are bursting with buzzers, the largest I've seen so would match a size 8 hook perfectly though most have been around a size 12 with colouration varying from water to water, it pays to sample your lakes and any trout retained. Main colorations have been black with an orange tint and a sooty dark olive with prominent silver banding. I mentioned last month sees a very early hawthorn, well the lakes at Loynton are now seeing large numbers, many hitting the water during recent blustery conditions.

I've also seen the odd early crane fly on several lakes and the Wye, numbers of these will only increase as spring moves on and trout will start to take notice of them particularly during windy conditions.

Looking to May, olive hatches will build strength on lake and river, while at some point during this month Mayfly will start to hatch, dates varying from water to water. Be sure to catch our Mayfly Madness newsletter out at the beginning of May for further details of the Mayfly and fishing opportunities.

May brings more than Mayfly though with fish snacking on tiny upwing species, gnats and midges both between mayfly hatches and at times in preference to Mayflies. Be sure not to see what you want to see, instead watch feeding trout carefully before deciding what to throw at them.

Tight Lines

Steve