April in Eden....2022

April in Eden couldn't have got off to a better start. The 1st was far from an April Fool's day for me! 

The day dawned bright and sunny with a bitterly cold North - North westerly wind and the occasional, brief, cloudy spell. A hatch of Large Dark Olives at 1330 didn't get much of a response, with only two splashy rises and a hatch of March Browns at 1415 didn't elicit much more of a response either. Only two fish rose when the emerging March Browns hit the surface, but it was a case of right place, right time for me. I covered one with my MB emerger, which was ignored, but the fish came up to my second offer. It was obvious that this was a good fish, but I didn't realise how good until it filled the net. I'd managed a rare Eden leviathan which turned to be a new PB for me!

A new Eden PB to a March Brown emerger

The weather remained fine until the 5th before rain brought a lift to our rivers. Hatches of Large Dark Olive and March Brown had been reasonable up to that point and fish had responded relatively well to our offerings, providing sport for most of my clients. One was Bernard, he was over from France, my first none UK client since the Covid pandemic hit us. He was lucky to hit a decent hatch of Large Dark Olives and fish responded positively to his dry offerings.

Bernard with a nice fish on the dries

The lift in levels put paid to any fishing for a few days, but the river was back to a fishable level by the 11th. The weather remained dull and miserable, ideal for our spring flies, and decent hatches brought fish on the feed for my guided days in Eden.

Paul is into a fish during his first taste of Eden

Our daytime hatching sedge - the Grannom - made an appearance on the 16th and the fish were straight onto them! By the 19th the hatches were in full flow and Grannom were migrating upstream in their 1000's.

Grannom in their 1000's brought fish on the feed

Grannom hatched most days in mid to late April 

Grannom and Large Dark Olives continued to hatch on most days and they were joined by Olive Uprights and Iron Blue Duns in the final few days of April. Sport remained good for my clients and most managed some action to a mix of dries, spiders and nymphs.

A PB for David when the Grannom were on

Trevor is into a nice fish!