Fly fishing Tuition in the Peak District, Derbyshire & South Yorkshire has been very busy during June, with both Rivers & Still Waters fishing well. July should continue the trend and if the weather stays warm it should encourages the fly life to remain active.
Only the odd May fly is still emerging and the fish aren’t paying much attention. It is normal to get a bit of a lull after the Mayfly period, as the fish are usually full to bursting and starting to get a little more choosey about what they will eat.
Mornings & evenings are usually the better times to be on the water, assuming of course that the weather is warm. Stillwater’s and Rivers can fish well in the middle of the day provided it isn’t too hot & bright.
Sedge Flies should be about in great numbers in the evenings. So make sure you have some sedge patterns and be prepared to offer them in all sizes. I have found CDC Sedge Patterns to be particularly good. It is the one time that the Dry Fly Fisherman will purposely let his Dry Fly “Drag” to simulate the “Skittering” of the natural Sedges over the water. The takes can be savage!
Also the Terrestrial Flies are about in numbers now and we should be looking at the ones that are poor flyers on breezy days, as many of these flies end up on the water as Trout Food. Flying Ant, Daddy Long Legs, & Beatle Patterns are a must. Trout are opportunists and so should you, the Fly fisherman, be. Fish them on the downwind end of still waters and around tree lined banks on rivers.
When giving Fly fishing Lessons I always try to instil into my clients the importance of looking what is happening around them. What are the Flies doing? What are the Fish doing as a result of it? And what should We be doing to take advantage of it?
As always – Tight Lines!
