Gilly Bate, southern chalk stream guide and Fly Odyssey UK Director offers her go to flies for the Southern English chalkstream fishing during the quieter period of August and September.
As the end of the season steadily approaches the fishing may become trickier with warm days and low level light making it harder to sight fish that are hidden deep in the water and in cooler areas.
Try to take a longer time when walking the beat to allow for observation of fish and any unusual activity just beneath the surface. Be aware of the sun’s position creating long shadows across pools, a sure give away of fishermen to any wary fish. By this time of the year, the fish have seen it all and stalking and quiet presentation are essential requisites to success.
Try using some shop bought longer length tapered leaders of 12 ft instead of your standard 9ft. The further your fly is from the fish the better and by now the fish have become extremely shy of leaders.
The upwinged flies are becoming smaller with Blue Winged Olives, Sherry spinners, Small Dark Olives and Medium Olives on the water and the occasional Spurwings along with Pale Wateries. Not forgetting the tiny Anglers Curse too although matching the hatch for this fly is always challenging.
Caenis and Medium Olive
Small Dark Olive
Small black midges are around late in the day along with many sedges of different colours and sizes and unlike the upwinged flies and as a general rule, the sedges are getting larger. As we head into September crane fly imitations are also an essential.
Have a good selection of very small flies in the size 18 – 22 range for your upwinged such as BWO’s, sherry spinners, tiny parachute adams, beacon beige, lunns particular, CDC flies Black – size 20, klinkhammers and caenis.
With sedge on the water watch for fish looking or actually trying to take autumn leaves! They often mistake a curled up brown leaf that has just fallen as a Cinnamon or Brown sedge. Try Walkers red sedge, Daveys black and cream sedges,CDC elk wing, Caddis black, Goddards, Sedge High rider. Sizes 10 – 14 but have a few tiny cream sedges for the odd tricky day.
Crane Fly
Cream and Black sedges.