THE EXHILARATION OF MAY TIME
May is perhaps the most exhilarating time of the year for trout fishermen. This year saw a long, slow and cool introduction to Spring with some cold winds. The upland waters especially took a long time to warm up but, with the recent spell of sunny and warm weather, trout fishing is fantastically good on most stillwaters.
Ideal conditions at the moment are a combination of a warm, sunny day with some cloud and just enough south westerly wind to ripple the surface. Even with a ripple it is still quite easy to see fish activity at or just below the surface. This is an excellent time to fish nymphs or a dry fly.
I look for active fish and cast to their likely swim patterns. There is not usually any need for long casting unless other anglers have been wading. Many trout will be feeding near the bank. It is often a good idea to stand some yards away from the water’s edge and make the first few casts so that the fly and leader land in the margins. Cast to left and right as well as directly in front and explore here before standing near the banking and spooking any fish that are feeding in the shallows.
Fishing the Dry Fly
I use a nine foot rod and a five weight double taper or weight forward line. I tie on a 14 foot tapered leader and a three foot tippet down to four pounds (or even three if the water does not contain big fish). For dry fly fishing I use one fly. I like various CDCs , size 14 or 16, that will lie in the surface film and imitate an emerging fly. I also have some neat little parachute flies that seem to blob down onto the surface and leave just a little tuft showing quite clearly to the angler. Rainbows seem to have a voracious appetite for them.
Don’t they take fiercely at this time of year? I’ve had a good number of rainbows that have hit like express trains on these little flies. None of that rolling around the fly to drown it first and then a leisurely slurp.
Buzzers Fishing
Fishing buzzers as a team is always provocative to the fish. I like to put up a bushy dry fly that has been well treated with floatant and then string a couple of buzzers at six foot interval along the leader; the washing line or fishing the bung method. The buzzers are fished just under the surface in the top six inches of water.
If the trout are gorging on buzzers and providing your buzzers are similar to those on the menu, you can expect fireworks. Last week I had a bushy fly on the point, a big black and red affair. Back up the line I had a green buzzer and a black buzzer with some six feet on leader separating them, all fished on a floating line lying about twenty feet from the bank.
A fish swirled around the dry fly but did not take. A second later, I felt a tearing pull from the left followed by an almost simultaneous banging take from the right. Everything went very tight and then relaxed like one of Fred Dibnah’s chimneys. I has been on and then lost contact. Whilst still bewildered at the ferocity of the attack I suddenly realised that the first fish had returned for the dry fly and had taken it gently and was sauntering away with both fly and line.
I netted the two pound rainbow a few minutes later and, on inspection, I saw that both the buzzers had gone! Two little strands of mono wagged forlornly from the main leader. I can only surmise that the buzzers had been taken fiercely at the same time but in opposite directions and the line (or knots) could not resist this shearing force. One on and two away!
Fishing “Daddies”
From May to October the Daddy Longlegs is my favourite fly. For me, it out-catches any other fly. I avoid using it in absolute flat calm conditions but with any kind of ripple it is deadly for rainbows on the northern stillwaters I fish.
I use a size 10 or 12 and apply floatant to the upper body but make sure that the legs do not get any. I want the legs to pierce the surface film and give an appetising profile to the trout looking from underneath. I believe the trout sees the body shape vaguely through the ripple but is instantly alerted by two or more legs slipping through the film. Takes are mostly of the roll around and drown the Daddy before taking the fly in the mouth and turning down and away.
However, I have seen rainbows come like guided missiles from the depths and hit a floating Daddy at full speed. This is exhilarating action when it happens and these fit fish put up a grand fight before coming to the net.
Regular trout fishermen love May’s fabulous fishing and for the newcomers and the occasional anglers this is the best time of the year to be at the water’s edge in pursuit of trout.
Tight Lines!
Eddie Caldwell
