Here in the UK, May/June is when everyone wants to go fly fishing. Depending on where you are in the country, a very special hatch takes place, a fly referred to specifically as, “The Mayfly”. This would be comparable to the Hexagenia hatch in the USA.
Mayfly are big in comparison to most other flies available to trout during the season. This results in abundant hatches lifting many trout to the surface to feed. An epic feast, a dream for dry fly fishing enthusiasts the world over, easy fishing, duffers fortnight they call it!
SO what’s alternative about the above? Nothing, I’m just setting the scene, this is mass perception and it’s wrong!
During the Mayfly hatch period for a water, their maybe a golden period when trout have really started feeding aggressively on them. Duns hatch in abundance and a relatively small number of anglers have fished the many artificial flies suggesting mayflies. This is the easy fishing, it does not last long and it’s random luck if you are there when it happens. So, make the most of it!
Going fly fishing at Mayfly time with the expectations of the above paragraph, sets you up for disappointment. By simply adjusting your perception you will enjoy your fly fishing more and catch more fish with time (Note – if you did not just click the link to associated article, I suggest doing so now, you will get far more out of this).
Another point that has bugged me for a couple of years is why call Mayfly “duffers fortnight”? If it sets people up to have a bad time rather than a good time, they won’t comeback. Any argument that fishing is easy, is a poor one.
Further more, I don’t find the term duffers fortnight particularly inspiring . A bit of a PR disaster at a time when every angling body in the country is attempting to boost participation.
See my point? A more inspiring approach both personally and professionally is to think of the mayfly hatch as the best time to catch the trout your life on a dry fly!
Now that sounds like an exciting, interesting, yet achievable challenge to me. After all, why do we go fly fishing if not to challenge ourselves to some degree? If you just wanted to catch a fish, you would fish bait.
Thanks for reading.
SJY
