I was thinking about last spring and how this year is shaping up to be the same. Last year Spring did not really happen, we had a winter until around the end of April and then we had a long hot summer. The true classic spring just did not happen. Last year it was April the 9th before I got out on the Kelvin and had my first proper session – and caught my first trout of the season on the dry fly. This year we are aiming for 15th March – opening day – to try and catch a trout on the dry. We have two options. Mike, Alex and I have all arranged days off work. The Kelvin will not be an option as the chances are it will not have recovered sufficiently for the trout to be looking up (it is still an option 3 though)
Option 1
The day is cold, it has been raining and it looks like things will not go well. In this case we will head up to one of the Kelvin tributaries where the trout should be suicidal enough to take something off the surface.
At the end of last year we had seen good hatches of Large Dark Olives so we should expect to see some kind of hatch around . The tributory is small so we will be using tiny river tactics which will be fun.
Option 2
We have a spring day with no rain for a couple of days. In this case we will head to our other river where we should expect to see large hatches of Large Dark Olives – with a bit of luck it should be like last year where we had a bit of a bonanza at the start of the season. Mike did well with a nymph as well.
If all goes according to plan we should freeze our rocks off, catch no fish and make Tea in Mikes Kelly Kettle.
Aim low – Â anything else is a bonus.
Talking of dry flies we have been catching a few fish on dries during the last week. Rainbows to 4lbs on size 16 & 18 black F flies!
I’m looking forward to the river season starting though. Too much stillwater fishing makes me feel all silted up! I need a river trip, roll on the new season.
Hey Steve,
Where abouts are you in the Midlands ?
Alistair,
I’m based in Staffordshire, but fishing/guiding throughout the region.