Techy Thursday - In The Film

Despite this latest flushing, many areas are still in good stead for their renowned autumn mayfly hatches. However, this can prove a tough time for some as fish can feed somewhat ravenously, however refuse all your finest offerings.

Much of the time, these fish are feeding within, or just beneath the surface and not actually on top. Are they bulging / pushing up water or can you see their nebs break the surface? This is an important observation to make. There is so much food available right there that the fish simply lock in. Here are a few tips to help you wet the net this April when faced with ‘choosy risers’...

• Fish subsurface, or film flies as opposed to your upright hackled duns. It’s what they want.
• Don’t add floatant to your emerger at first. The first few drifts, you fly will ride dry but as it absorbs water will sit just beneath the surface, often just where the trout want them. If not, a shake in Loon Top Ride brings them back to the top.
• Keep them slim. It doesn’t matter if it’s a messy tie: emergers are at varying stages of emergence anyway. Legs flail, shucks eject, wings unfold, but invariably, emergers are sparse.
• Go longer and lighter with your tippet to generate slack down at the fly. These fish are in telefocus vision mode. A thin, supple nylon is what you need. Add Snake River Mud to dull that shine.
• Drop your fly closer to the fish to avoid drag. The further upstream you drop it, the more the currents can grab, twist and spin your fly.

Tomorrow, we talk film flies from the Manic Fly Collection.