Summer can be blessing but also a curse... Currently we are in a heat wave . it means low water , low oxygen levels and often means confining the fishing to the last hour or two of daylight...It also means some different tactics. in the current heat wave the Brown trout seem to have become night shift workers . For the last few weeks virtually all of the rising fish have been smaller grayling. They are great fun though especially as my little stream has some great BWO hatches late on in the evening , small flies though, the evening hatch is often a size 20 affair , Where as earlier in the day BWO hatches are around the size 16 mark. As I have got older and a little wiser about this whole fly fishing malarky I have realised that famous tongue in cheek addage of size isn`t important really doesn`t stack up in fly fishing terms , when I started out on the the never ending fly fishing learning curve I had size 12 and 14 flies in Christ knows how many patterns. These days I have far fewer patterns in Christ knows how many sizes. Years ago a size 16 was a midge now its a size 22 or a 24, its strange but the fishing flies I use seem to have become smaller almost perfectly in line with my decreasing ability to see the buggers. These pictures were from the start of the hot weather. the stream is a fair bit lower now...
Fishing with and teaching a beginner who is also your son is very precious , Just need to get my Daughter going as well.....The first few fish are very important . His casting is coming on a treat...
Anyway back to the point . Hot summer evening fishing for me is arrive at a sensible time and take it easy , The river will tell you when it is time to start fishing , start to early and you will disturb things and probably kill any chance you may have had . one recent evening I got to the river a little early probably around 5 pm . It was still bloody hot and by the time I walked to the bottom of the fishing I was hot and sweaty . So the solution to that tricky fishing problem was easy. bend the knees place rear end at the base of a willow , Straighten out the old legs and enjoy the shade and watch the river for at least half an hour... . Different river but I love this stretch..
Now those high energy types amongst you will be aghast at the approach , but watching the river lets you see what`s hatching and wait for the mood of the river to change my plan was simple . I wanted to wait till I had a couple of hours or so before dark. maybe three at most . The approach was going to be fish the faster runs only, where the oxygen levels were higher for the fish and end up at the top of the stretch and back near the car by dark. As the sun dipped and the shadows lengthened you could feel the heat dropping out of the air. I think you can sense when it is the time to start fishing again. You can start to hear and see the insect life, I think its about being in touch with the river. " bullshit" you may say but honestly I think if you fish enough and settle in to the environment you can sense such things , My simplistic view is if I am starting to feel comfortable then the fish are .
I the summer its a great time to share the river with friends This friend is one who i learn of... but I like to keep out of the way as well... . I dont know about you readers but when the trout season starts I do fish a lot harder . its like I am trying to banish those close season blues so early season I fish hard and often and then as the season runs on and that urgency reduces , usually coinciding with high summer it becomes a good time to share your river with guests , Its a strange thing fishing with guests on small streams , after all small stream fly fishing is essentially a solitary occupation so for me its a case of agree starting and meeting points then head of alone.
