Stillwater Essentials for June

We're dipping our toes into stillwaters today ... Over the past few weeks we have mainly concentrated on Mayflies, but this week we've had loads of new Stillwater patterns arrive. We have heavily invested in increasing our range of Stillwater flies, over the last 12 months we have added over 400 different patterns, and now have virtually all of them available on the website

It looks like we're in for some nice weather over the next couple of weeks, so I thought I would include some tips in this email on fishing stillwaters in warmer weather:

• Timing is the key- Either start early. Water temperatures will be the coolest in early mornings so use this to your advantage.
• Find deep water- Fish feel more comfortable in colder water, so on hot days locate the deep water and use appropriate tactics, sinking lines etc to target the fish.
• Find moving water- Look for any water which is moving, aerators or stream entrances. This water will have more oxygen, fish will look for more oxygenated water.
• Avoid the smaller stillwaters- Small stillwaters are generally fairly shallow and so the water will be much warmer, which generally means there is less oxygenated water. This puts fish off feeding and can sometimes stress the fish making them very lethargic.
• Help fish recover after being caught- Please look after the welfare of the fish once you've played it to the net. Try not to take the fish out of the water and make sure it is fully recovered before releasing it.

As the weather starts to warm the water, buzzer patterns will come more into the fore as far as the stillwater angler is concerned - especially adult buzzer imitations:

We've updated our popular Adult Buzzer Selection to include some new imitative patterns for the 'warm weather angler' - these are the patterns which will be more successful as the water starts to warm up:

Buzzer fishing on stillwaters is generally dependent upon the wind:

• When it's Still: Use a floating line, long leader and a team of three buzzers. Cast out and, before the flies start to sink, pull the the line to straighten out the leader. Then pause (keeping in touch with the flies) and wait for the flies to drop, takes usually come with the buzzers on the drop. You should spot a take before you feel it, keep an eye on the fly line and leader for any abnormal movement. If the buzzers hits the bottom, just a few pulls on the fly line should bring them back to the surface, and you can start again by letting them sink.
• When it's Windy: Still use a floating line, but this time use a shorted leader. Check the direction of the wind and cast out across the wind (i.e. the wind is side on to you) - always make sure the wind is to your left shoulder if you are right handed (and the right shoulder if you are left handed). Again, using a team of three buzzers, cast out and allow the buzzers to drift with the wind. You should not need to retrieve your line, as the wind will make sure your leader straightens up. Again, you will usually see the take before you feel it - just remember to strike in the opposite direction to the direction your flies are moving. Once at the end of your drift, lift the flies slowly from the water, it's surprising how many fish take your buzzers as you're about to re-cast!.

Our NEW selection of Adult Buzzers is now available. All of these flies are available individually, but if you buy the selection you can save more than 10%. Our NEW Adult Buzzer Selection (which contains 12 flies) is now available for only £20 - which includes free delivery.

Some Of Our More

Specialist Stillwater Flies

Holo Kingfisher Diawl Booby

The booby patterns get a lot of criticism, but these ones are worth their weight in gold. With a slim body with blue holographic wire around, on a size 14 hook, it is best fished half in and half out of the water using the blue flashes to attract fish - especially on a bright day.

 

Orange FAB

You are guaranteed to catch the fishes attention with this Orange FAB. No one really knows why these work, some posit the idea that this imitates a bloom of daphnea, which the fish love to eat - who know's - but we do know they work extremely well.

Have You Tried The Washing Line?

What's the 'Washing Line' method I hear you ask?

The washing line method is a technique designed to let you fish an emerger/buoyant fly on the point with a team of buzzers/nymphs suspended just below the surface of the water, using a floating fly line - it hangs just as a washing line would - suspended by the floating fly line at one end and the buoyant point fly at the other. Normally when fishing with buzzers or nymphs, they would descent down through the water column slowly (which is a good way of searching to find the depth the fish are feeding at). However, the 'Washing Line' method allows you to keep all of your flies just below the surface where the trout are most likely to feed.

Using this method requires you to use a much longer leader (in excess of 10'). As a general rule, use a leader of around 12' to 14' (this also makes it much easier to net the fish once you have caught it, as you will not end up with any of your flies hanging in the top ring of your rod). A good initial setup when starting out is to space your flies on short droppers (about 12" long) each one 3 feet apart - this makes it easier to cast. If you're having problems casting it, just use a buoyant point fly (like our Stillwater Dinkhamer) and two droppers.

I like the sound of that, when should I use it?

Always use this method when the fish are high in the water and sipping buzzers or taking the insects as they emerge. Check out the rise form of the fish, look for a 'head and tail' rise - think of the way a dolphin breaks the water surface, first you see the head, then the dorsal fin, followed by the tail. This will be the first indication they are taking buzzers.

Stillwater Hatch Chart

Here's a handy Stillwater hatch chart for you if you can get to a local stillwater this coming month:

f you've a thing for stillwater fishing - be it reservoirs, lakes or small tarns - stay tuned to your emails next week as we've a pretty big product announcement to bring you, but more of that next week ... In the meantime ...

Get out there and have fun!