FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING OVER £100
FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING OVER £100
April 04, 2019 3 min read
Blog by Dave Southall
This winter I’ve had some amazing dry fly fishing for grayling on the Yorkshire rivers & for rainbows on my local small still water (Wansford Lake). In all cases the fish have been rising to microscopically small midges & I’ve usually had to drop down to size 30 CdC flies to consistently tempt the fish. This has necessitated the use of soft actioned light-line rods (Volition JL 10’ 2 weight & 10’ 6” Zero) teamed up with light lines (1 weight micro thin Jeremy Lucas, micro-nymph or 0 weight) & very light tippet (0.09mm diameter). However things are about to change as we get into March & April.
We are getting into ‘Large Dark Olive time’. On my local rivers LDOs start to emerge from any time in late February & hatches steadily increase up to the end of April. The best days are usually dull & often quite cool. In fact the best ever hatch of LDOs that I’ve seen on my local Yorkshire Derwent was on a dull day in mid-April with the air temperature 4C & flurries of sleet then snow. On bright, warm, windy days any flies that hatch off are soon warmed up & away before the grayling or trout have much of a chance of catching them.
There is no point going to the river early if you want dry fly action as LDOs rarely emerge before mid-day. I aim to arrive about 11am & head for the pool heads below any shallow riffles since these flies generally emerge from relatively shallow, well oxygenated, gravelly/rocky runs, particularly where there is a good growth of Ranunculus. In February & March hatches may be very short-lived, whilst later on they may last well into the afternoon.
Before the hatch starts I often fish a small (size 18) Bead-head Hare’s Ear or Stipped Quill Nymph in the riffles & pool heads, but once I see my first riser on goes a size 18 Shuttlecock emerger or a size 18 CdC IOBO Humpy. I use the same light-line gear that I’ve used when fishing Midges but with the larger flies I increase the tippet size to 0.10mm or 0.13mm diameter. If it is windy & warm & the LDOs are lifting off rapidly I’ve done quite well fishing a Shuttlecock on the point & a size 16 Waterhen Bloa Spider on a dropper about 2’ from the point, with most fish taking the spider. The Shuttlecock helps me to see when drag sets in, helps me judge exactly where my spider is so I can easily see takes & if I don’t see the take to the spider the Shuttlecock acts as an indicator. After the hatch has ceased sometimes the fish will continue to rise to Midges as these tiny morsels are about most days of the year. When the hatch has stopped & if there are no more rises then Stuart Crofts has a useful tactic & that is to fish a sunken Baetis Spinner pattern tied with a 1.5mm tungsten bead. The logic of this tactic is that Baetis Spinners (most of the Olives) crawl under the water to lay their eggs & the spent spinners never break back through the surface film.
Safety
The basics of tackle
Language of casting
Sensory awareness
Fly line weights, lengths & tapers
Rod lengths & weights
Leaders & tippet
Tackle to practise with
How to hold a fly rod
Circles 8's & straights
Remove all slack
Plane of the Cast
Triangle Method
Stance
Overhead Cast
Stop & Drop
Retrieving the Line
High Back Cast
Breaking The Wrist
Shooting the line
Loop Shape
Slipping the Line
Stroke Length
The Forward Delivery
The Shelf
Drift
Drift Versus Breaking the Wrist
Creep
Backslash Forwardslash
Speed Ramp
Body Movement
Intro to the Double Haul
Tackle for the Double Haul
Single Haul
Double Haul
Double Haul Fast Track
Cast Trajectory
Late Haul
Hauling Grip
Double Haul for Accuracy
Line Trays
Offset Alignment Guides
Overhang
The Lift
Pick Up & Lay Down Cast
Roll cast
Energy of a Roll Cast
Intro to Spey Casting
Switch Cast
45 Degree Single Spey
Backhanded Cast
90 Degree Single Spey
90 Degree Snake Roll
45 Degree Snake Roll
90 Degree Double Spey
The Running Mouse
The Silent Spey
45 Degree Double Spey
45 Degree Snap T
90 Degree Snap T
45 Degree Circle Spey
90 Degree Circle Spey
Body Movement
Spey Cast Hauling
Beating Obstructions Spey
Corkscrew Pick Up
Snap Pick Up
Roll Cast Pick Up
Double Spiral Pick Up
Snap Pick Up Variation
Aerial Spey
Cast Stringing