An amazing ten days has just been had by yours truly, on the wild streams of both the Wye and the Usk. The weather has advanced insect activity considerably, and, as I write this, only yesterday, on the lovely Edw, i spotted three Mayfly’s. I use a capital there, not as a grammatical error, but, I feel that as anglers, and particularly wild, river anglers, we pay homage to this natural marvel…. Well, I do anyway.
I’ve spent many a lazy day on the River Arrow, just watching the joyful flight of Danica. As if it were a burden being trapped in its nymphal form, it’s now free. It catches the dappled light from the sun, it dances, excited, vibrant and full of zest !!! It’s early days yet, but it won’t take long for the trout to realise that both the mayfly nymphs and the spent spinners are a rather delicious morsel ………… “Duffers fortnight” they call it down on the manicured chalk streams in the Southern climes of our green and pleasant land.
We have “our” mayfly hatches, but, freestone anglers, on spate rivers, have more to contend with…. Rock, heather, technical water, and of course that presentation of the bigger fly. Drag can, and will, cause unnatural movement of the dry imitation. Lots to think about …. But, we kind of sense what’s required, before the cast goes out.
A splashy rise is seen, a good brownie is nailing mayfly, you cover him, it’s a perfect cast. You wait, was that far enough ???? Bang, up he comes, you strike, he’s on, the battle commences ……… Eventually you subdue the finned leopard, and slip him over the net…. He’s a beauty, quickly admired, then gently slipped back in to his watery lair !!! With a powerful tail kick, he splashes you, and he’s gone……….
Many of the small streams I fish on, are actually getting very low now…. Stealth is a key factor to success, as is patience, and an accurate cast !!! Watching tuned in brown trout the other day sipping aphids that had landed on the river surface . No need to rush, these fish were just mopping up the careless casualties. Fascinating to watch and, dare I say it always difficult fish to target, as generally they are tight under the overhanging branches, particularly sycamore trees, as greenfly love these !!!!
There are several streams I take clients on that hold their water well, being spring fed, and, we are lucky enough to have the River Elan, and Afon Claerwen, both headwaters of large, cold, deep reservoirs, and of course the River Wye, which runs close to the town of Rhayader. A day can be had on a wild stream, some sustinence , in the form of a tasty evening dinner in the town, then I’m more than happy to take folks back out for two or three hours in the evening …. That time can be very productive, especially if it’s been a “sizzling day” ……. After that, and a few fish to the net, we’re normally both ready for a scoop or two at one of the many fantastic pubs in the town. The Triangle, The Eagles, The Castle and The Crown all do a delicious menu, along with a huge armoury of drinks, from proper real ales, to ciders and the fizzy continental largers that are sooooooooooo moreish on a sultry summers evening !!!!!
To be fair, three or four days rain wouldn’t go amiss right now. We had a tea cup, half full of rain last night, although the imminent storm warning for today is in play !!!! The met office doing their very safe risk assessment no doubt !!! It’ll probably transpire into nothing at all, which is normally the case !!! I think after the Michael Fish episode, of yesteryear, that was televised, stating that a storm most certainly isn’t on the way….. and some million or so trees countrywide were blown over the very next morning, they edge very cautiously on weather warnings. A surreptitious approach I think is adopted by all and sundry at the Met Office !!!!
A lot of the streams I wade up just need that freshening up. We call it a dam good flush through, as in the slower water, with the hot days we’ve been experiencing, algae forms on the rocks and gravels. Not pleasant, especially when it dies back … Things get smothered in it, and invertebrates under stones etc etc don’t do well if it’s for a prolonged period. So, when it rains heavy, as you can imagine, it flushes the debris and algae away…. Leaving rocks clean as a whistle !!!!
I may have to eat my words ….. I hear rumbling!!!! Not of distant drums, but of thunder !!!
So, a busy week ahead for this callsign. Escape the mainstream is out and about, not only in glorious Radnorshire, but, up at a private beat near Leominster. The small streams are such fun, do your bit, with stealthy wading, precise casting, and careful positioning of your fly, and sport can be hectic, with the essence of old fashioned fun thrown in the mix too !!!!
A recce of our River Wye, on club water was carried out this morning…. Kick samples, with a fine mesh net held down stream, as you disturb the gravels and rocks with your feet, just to see what insect life resided here, and also to see, from above on the higher ground, fish activity, in the form of “rises”. Slow risers were out and about this morning, no need to put the effort in, fish moving slowly and intercepting emergers at the surface. Nice to see, and I went with an old buddy, Tony, who knows this stretch very well, and lives locally, so it’s only a stones throw for him, quite literally !!!! Local knowledge is the key to success, and, like many of the wild streams that I’ve been fishing for well over twenty five years, some longer, knowing the trouts calendar of events is a good tool to have in one’s box.
With the hot weather we’ve been experiencing, the wild streams have certainly come alive very very early. We’ve had medium olives, large brook duns and hawthorns all on parade, and, with them, comes hungry fish looking up, ready for a meal that’s presented on the surface. As I mentioned earlier, yesterday, I saw a few Mayfly. Tis going to be a fantastic couple of weeks on the streams I feel …… Enjoy your angling guys and gals, enjoy Ephemera Danica, get out there and make the most of it ….. River time is precious time. Cheerio for now, oh, nearly forgot, tight lines !!!!!!!🎣🎣🐟🐟🏴
