The trout fishing on the rivers has taken off now and those of you who are lucky enough to be able to fish for wild Brownies in the West of Ireland should be on the river at every opportunity. A lot depends on the weather of course, but the next 6 weeks will provide us with the best fishing of the whole year. So what flies are the killers? Let’s take a look at a few of the old reliables which produce the goods every season.
The Wet Flies
The Partridge and Orange
The P&O is a regular on my wet fly cast. It takes fish consistently during April and May when it is probably taken as a nymph rising through the water column and it does well during hatches of olives and stoneflies.
Wickhams Fancy
Good on days when there is a bit of sunshine and the fish are feeding in fast water, the Wickhams catches trout despite looking like nothing in the natural world. I am constantly amazed by the ability of this gaudy creation to catch fish but it does so I don’t complain.
The Connemara Gold
Some of you may not be familiar with the Connemara Gold but it is a really good spider to have in the box for the days when small dark flies are hatching out. A simple black hen hackle with a body of Pearsall’s gold silk covered with gold tinsel and then clear horsehair is all that is required. I fish this in small sizes, sizes 14 to 18.
Claret Partridge
On the days when claret duns are hatching this fly will do the business for you. Claret Duns hatch out in small numbers in the slowest pools so they tend to be overlooked by many fishermen but the trout seem to like them and this fly is a good imitation of the nymph.
Beaded Hare’s Ear
My ‘go to’ tail fly this is a hugely effective pattern. I add a touch of red seal’s fur to the Hare’s Ear body and vary the bead between copper and gold to meet the needs of the day. I guess I use a copper beaded one more often than the gold version.
The Dry Flies
Adams
My favourite dry fly in either the normal tying or klinkhammer (both shown above). This one takes fish right through the whole season so make up plenty in a wide range of sizes. it even takes trout feeding on the mayfly so some size 10’s area good investment.
Gold ribbed Hare’s Ear
A very old pattern, the GRHE still warrants a place in you dry fly box, especially when olives are hatching in the spring. You have probably noticed that I tie my dry flies with synthetic wings. This is so they are stronger and it also gives me the option of changing the wing colour to pink of lime to aid sighting in difficult light conditions. My days of tying double split wings are well and truly over!
Irresistible
When the trout are feeding in fast water keeping your dry fly afloat becomes a nightmare. That is when I turn to the Irresistible. The one in the photo is tied as an Adams but you can turn many patterns into an Irresistible with a little thought. OK, so they are a bit tricky to tie on small hooks but I think the effort is well worthwhile.
Black Bi-visible
Dressed very small (18 – 24) this can be a handy one to have on difficult days. Trout can become preoccupied with tiny dark Diptera and this is the pattern you need for those days. A small Griffiths Gnat also works well in those circumstances.
The fly is only as effective as the fisherman, so stealth, attention to tippet diameter and good water craft are every bit as important as the pattern. Take you time getting into the correct position to allow you covering the water correctly and keep watching out for the clues about what is happening around you. Don’t get too hung up on swapping flies – any of the flies on this post will catch you a trout this spring.
Claretbumbler 