Wasps, Mayflies and Caddis

As I wandered along a new stretch of river that looked like it should be stuffed with trout the lack of insect life was startling. With others talking abut clouds of grannom, aphids and beetles falling out of trees and covering the water and even mayfly fluttering about, it made the place look even more desolate. I decided to have a look at he backside trees and maybe give them a shake to see if anything fell out. A bit of natural groundbaiting. There was nothing, apart from a few dead leafs. As I clambered back over the flood debris I managed to disturb a wasp's nest. Two stings and fifty yards later I stopped for a drink and watched the water. Round the corner was the bottom of the beat. I'd been wandering down for over an hour and didn't originally intend to get this far, but I'd seen no fish rising.

 








As I reached the sign making the bottom of the beat I noticed a couple of fish rising, but to what. All that was about were little smuts fluttering about., but the fish didn't appear to be taking them. I put on a size eighteen plume fly, which was steadfastly ignored. I put on a smaller one, then an even smaller one. All of which were ignored as the two fish, about twelve inch or so, swam about feeding on something. The smallest fly I currently carry is a size twenty four IOBO, this was also ignored. I was surprised my constant casting hadn't spooked them. As I sat on the top of the bank watching them feeding on something on or near the surface the wind steadily picked up. The smuts disappeared as did the two trout.

 















Further on I clearly got too close to a dipper's nest, as it was flying round me making a right racket. The next bird I disturbed was a heron, which completely failed to leave any feathers behind. I'm down to my last two. Things then started to look up. First a couple of uprights fluttered past. Then the mayfly appeared... all three of them, struggling in the stiff breeze. I nearly ducked as they headed towards me before hey were caught by a gust an wafted over the bank side trees. Further on a genuine hatch was occurring. Loads of caddis flitting about and not a fish rising anywhere. I sat and waited, tying on an appropriate imitation, which wasn't appropriate enough as it was completely ignored. Eventually the penny dropped, they weren't taking the fly insects. A DHE was then tied on. This result in three takes, one of which i connected with before it came adrift. By now most of the insects had rifted away and the rises slowed, eventually petered out. 



 








In an attempt to avoid a blank I chucked a team of three into some of the riffles as I wandered back to the car, but this didn't achieve the desired effect either. Near the car I had a brief natter with a chap worming. His success rate wasn't much better either. I then noticed his other rod, set up with a small controller float and a deer hare sedge. He too had seen  caddis about and as a shoulder injury prevented him for wielding a fly rod was using this method instead. With out success mind you. He had had a couple of fish earlier in the week using this tactic and missed a lot more. He also confirmed it ha been a pretty slow year for most insect life, apart from the caddis and two mayfly was probably the most I'd see at any one time.