Searching for Mayfly

The news being bandied about at Chatsworth Angling Fair of the Irish mayfly season was sad... another dreadful season, folks reported. So it was with trepidation that I boarded the 7am Easyjet flight to Belfast International.

"Yes," said Toddy after he picked me up and drove west, "it has been awful! Two pals fished a fortnight for just three trout, and one of them was foul-hooked!"

But I was very lucky. I fished with three of the geatest Lough Erne anglers and had enough trout to keep me happy. What I did come to realise that those who caught fish were those prepared to put in long hours and travel acoss of a lot of water in search of feeding trout. For instance, we found one tiny bay and has seven lusty trout from it whereas other similar bays seemed devoid of fish.

So those who pottled out for three hours to nearer drifts, returned for an early tea, and then doodled out for an hour at 8pm in the hope of a fall of spent spinner were wasting their time.

And the flies? CDC Mayfly Dun and CDC Spent scored well (we will tie some of these this winter). A few days after my return I was taken as a guest onto a lovely stretch of the Dove, on the Derbyshire/Staffordshire border. What a great day, with Mayfly duns hatching all day, and spinners falling in late afternoon. CDC Dun and CDC Spinner did the trick yet again.

Reports of sea trout in the Ribble. Tomorrow night I'll be on the Hodder!

Malcolm Greenhalgh