On Your Marks: Spring Trout Fishing with Paul Procter
As the trout fishing season approaches, there’s no better person to guide you through your preparations than Paul Procter, one of the most respected names in fly fishing. In this blog, Paul shares his expert insights on what to expect as we head into the spring fishing season in Cumbria. From tackle checks to the best fly patterns, his tips will ensure you're fully prepared for a successful start to the season.
The opening weeks of a new trout season rank high in the fly fisher’s calendar, not least because we’ve been holed up all winter, tying flies and dreaming of opening day. With winter finally relinquishing her icy grip, after lying dormant for several dark and chilly months, the countryside literally bursts into life. Granted, our frustration was eased with the occasional winter grayling trip, but nothing compares to that early season buzz which is experienced during the opening weeks. Like many counties, here in Cumbria our wild trout season kicks off on March 15th which is only weeks away. Of course, we all hope for a hatch that will bring dry fly fishing into play, but spring can be a fickle mistress, and sometimes we’ll have to look beneath the surface to feel that first 'tug.'
Check Your Tackle:
Tackle is naturally prepared weeks before the season begins. Rods, reels, and lines are checked and double-checked, while in your mind, you’re already playing the first trout of the new season. Fly boxes are restocked, the result of a winter’s hard work. It may also be time to retire some old gear and upgrade to a new outfit, which, by the way, doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
These days, influenced by European styles, a longer, lighter-rated outfit has replaced the fabled 9ft 5-weight rod that once reigned supreme. Longer rods not only offer extra reach to help hold the line clear of fast currents, but they’re also great for mending line and executing aerial mends, like the reach-mend cast. I’ve long been a fan of a 4-weight outfit. This type of rod provides the finesse needed to land your fly without spooking trout, while still offering enough backbone to handle breezes and those larger trout we’re hoping to encounter.
Whether you’re fishing dry fly, spiders/wets, or nymphs, the Guideline LPX Tactical 994 4-weight covers all bases and won’t break the bank. If, and it’s a big 'if', we experience low, clear water, consider switching to the Guideline LPX Tactical 994 3-weight , which excels at delicate presentation. And for those wanting to treat themselves, the Guideline NT11 range is for you. In terms of performance, the new NT11 994 4-weight is sublime. Of course, if your local stream is surrounded by trees that restrict fly casting, a slightly shorter rod like the Guideline LPX Tactical 904 4-weight or NT11 904 4-weight should be your weapon of choice.
The Fly Line Minefield…
These days, it seems there’s a fly line for every occasion! To be frank, I prefer to keep it simple by selecting one line for all disciplines (Euro-nymphing aside). For river fishing, I’m hard pressed to find a better performer than the GL Presentation Plus WF (weight-forward) No4. It has the desired mass to tackle blustery spring weather yet possesses a refined front taper for delicate presentation where it’s required. My second choice is the GL 4-Cast Plus in a WF profile that delivers where distance is necessary.
Are Gossamer Tippets Necessary?
As a rule, we’ll be faced with decent flows in spring and water that’s often carrying a little colour due to snowmelt, or recent rains. Bear in mind too, our flies will be typically a size 12 to 14 to match the naturals of March Brown and Large Dark Olives, which needn’t be tethered to superfine tippets. You’ll be surprised by what trout will tolerate, especially in spring when they’re eager to regain their condition. Given this, for spiders and dry fly tippets, I tend to operate in the realms of approx. 0.145 - 0.155mm (approx. 4.5lb – 5.5lb). This might just be ‘upped’ to 0.165 when nymphing. Due to their supple nature, my preference is for copolymer type monofilaments; the Guideline Power Strike Plus ticks all the boxes here with 5X being my ‘go to’ diameter.
What Fly Hatches to Expect:
Perhaps the most celebrated hatch of flies in spring will be Large Dark Olives (LDOs). They’re a fairly widespread upwing fly, found on rivers the length and breadth of the UK. We’re fortunate in Cumbria to still experience reasonable hatches of LDOs. Although less common, March Browns will be close on the heels of LDOs. Admittedly, March browns are a little more particular on where they care to live, but again, Cumbria remains a stronghold with the rivers Eden and Eamont producing the goods. Non-biting midges (chironomids) will be evident, though you ideally need a calm afternoon or evening when female midges return to lay their eggs. If blessed with zephyr like winds, then search out those long flat glides and hopefully you’ll find fish dimpling on midges.
Window of Opportunity:
Whilst the perceived window of activity generally occurs from noon until about 3pm, this certainly isn’t chiselled in stone. On brighter days (not necessarily warmer), I’ve clocked LDO and March brown duns coming off as early as 10am with the bulk of any action done by lunchtime. At other times, when a settled warm spell has prevailed, duns have been known to postpone their emergence until evening. Naturally, this phenomenon is rare, however, it does and can occur. I’ve experienced this more than once when those anglers hoping for daytime sport were long gone by 4pm. Equally, as mentioned above, midges are likely to appear come the late afternoon when the breeze drops.
Get the Bugs Out:
As many will acknowledge, spring conditions can be somewhat of a lottery. If icy easterly winds aren’t pegging back temperatures, odds on, high, mucky water will be having its say. In the absence of rising trout, or when faced with a spate, fishing nymphs or bugs are probably the best bet. For longer-range nymphing (high-sticking), I tend to keep it simple with a two-fly rig on a 9-10ft level leader of 0.16mm (approx. 4X), which should suffice. Aim to arrange your nymphs 2ft apart with the heavier pattern knotted to the dropper. This way, both flies get down to the trout’s level, rather than a dropper fishing higher up. A piece of wool/yarn attached some 6 ft above your flies will help with take detection.
Casting upstream should be the order of the day, as not only will you flies sink deeper, but they also behave more naturally too. And in really fast currents, throwing a little slack line helps get them down that bit sooner. As with many river situations, keep a relatively short working line of say, no more than three rods’ lengths. Bear in mind that leader length and the actual line held in the rod rings will give you casts of nearly 50ft from where you’re stood. Any further than this makes controlling drifts and detecting takes increasingly difficult. As your flies progress back downstream towards you, stay in touch by retrieving line with your hands at first, followed by slightly elevating the rod.
Give Spiders a Whirl:
Blessed with more satisfactory river levels, I usually arrive well before the first dun is even anticipated. If in a restless mood, I find that searching known pools before any hatch gets underway can be productive. For me there is no better way than using a team of spiders/wets. In its truest sense, this involves presenting three sparse flies upstream. This is all well and good where rising fish are encountered, however, when fishing blind the work rate to water covered just doesn’t add up. Instead, adopting the salmon fishers’ philosophy of “across and down” is profitable as pools are scoured more effectively. Better still, a weighted nymph on the point steadies lightweight spiders and helps probe deeper pockets of water, particularly when an upstream mend is added.
Without question a Waterhen Bloa is my “go to” pattern and it’s not uncommon for me to fish these to the exclusion of all else. That said, my fly box contains its share of Greenwell’s spiders Snipe & Purples tied on size 14 hooks as well as a handful of size 12 Partridge & Orange spiders, so I’m covered if March browns show up. The leader set-up is a 3ft taper (cropped out of the centre of a Guideline 9ft tapered leader) with a tippet ring attached. Knotted to this are three flies spaced 3ft apart on 5X mono to give an overall leader of 12ft. Be sure to degrease the whole leader, so no wakes occur when a tensioned line is realised.
When Trout are Rising:
It might not happen on opening day, or your initial outing, but, sooner or later you’re bound to connect with a hatch and rising trout. For pure dry fly fishing, in my book, the best results will always be achieved using a single fly. Although long leaders are in my bag, unpredictable spring weather often calls for a compromise. I’m comfortable with something round the 14ft mark, though gusty conditions will see this revised to perhaps 12ft.
With its low riding profile and conspicuous wing post you won’t go far wrong with a parachute pattern. Bear in mind that the only visible part of the fly to us will be the wing, so use this to your advantage. Although they look the part, selecting a dressing with a natural grey wing can be difficult to spot on dull days, so choose a fly with a more striking shade. White shows up well on inky, dark pools whereas orange and even pink are a must in foam lines. At other times, (for reasons best known to themselves) trout prefer a fly sat on the surface rather than in it. In which case, patterns incorporating a conventional shoulder hackle will be required. Buoyant and robust, a CDC dressing is usually my first choice. Clipping a small ‘V’ into the underside of the hackle ensures the fly sits partially proud of the surface. Mistakenly cutting the hackle flush merely achieves the same low riding result as a paradun. For keeping flies afloat, my initial treatment is with Guideline High N Dry Gel and when it comes to revamping swamped dry flies then look no further than Guideline High N Dry Powdered floatant with brush.
Are long leaders necessary?
Granted, long leaders are my thing and whilst one of around 16ft is my ‘go to’ length, blustery spring weather is no place for such long leaders. Often a 12ft tapered leader will be more than ample for delivering dry flies on target. The Guideline 12ft Power Strike Plus tapers terminating in 5X should suffice. Faced with extreme breezes then you might need to consider even shorter leaders of say 9ft to conclude in a 5X tippet. If blessed with calm weather then longer leaders might give you an edge where complex currents occur, or on silky smooth glides. Here, I simply knot a tippet ring on to the tapered leader and add a length (let’s say 4ft) of Guideline 5X copolymer. Some might be alarmed by such a long tippet that collapses on delivery. My sentiments are that slack in your tippet affords your fly freedom of movement, and I urge you to give this a whirl.
Rely on a wading staff:
Finally, those familiar with a section of river (including me) seldom require a wading staff as they recognise all the deep areas and safe crossing points. However, raging winter floods frequently shift the riverbed around, souring out deeper holes where shallow areas once existed. It's worth getting in the habit of carrying a folding wading staff that collapses into its own holster, which is mounted on a belt. This can easily be tucked away when not required, yet is there to provide safety when crossing unknown water.
Explore some essential flies to start the season here!
Paul Procter's Recommendations:
Dries:
- Procter’s Pearly Butt Olive Emerger #14
- Procter’s Cul d Canon #14
- Olive Paradun #14
- Olive Klinkhamer #14
Spiders:
- Procter’s Pearly Bloa #14
- Procter’s Pearly Greenwell’s #14
- Snipe & Purple #14
- Orange & Partridge #12
Nymphs:
- Copper/Black Bead PTN #12-14
- Copper/Black Bead Hares’ Ear Nymph #12-14
- Peeping Caddis #10-12
- Croston Cased Caddis Jig #12
As the spring trout fishing season draws near, preparation is key to ensuring a successful start. By checking your tackle, selecting the right fly patterns, and familiarising yourself with the expected hatches, you’ll be ready for whatever conditions spring throws your way. Remember, whether you're nymphing, fishing spiders, or waiting for that elusive dry fly hatch, having the right gear and flies will make all the difference.
For those looking to gear up, you can explore a wide selection of tackle, flies, and fly fishing essentials both in-store and online at John Norris. With expert advice and top-notch products, John Norris is your go-to destination to ensure you're ready for the first cast of the season.
