Mayfly Over

mattcullen · 30-05-2012 2:22pm #1

Hoping to get a bit of advice. Myself and a friend fished on Lough Corrib last weekend and blanked. (The bright sunshine probably didn't help my limited experience of fly fishing). We tried dry flies (rose two-missed them both) wets, trolling and trolling a team of flies behind the boat but no joy. The guide was telling us the mayfly is more or less over with just a few small hatches. Just wondering would this be the same on other Loughs? I'm based in Dublin and was thinking of giving Sheelin a go.
Thanks

ironbluedun · 30-05-2012 2:30pm

mattcullen wrote: »

Hoping to get a bit of advice. Myself and a friend fished on Lough Corrib last weekend and blanked. (The bright sunshine probably didn't help my limited experience of fly fishing). We tried dry flies (rose two-missed them both) wets, trolling and trolling a team of flies behind the boat but no joy. The guide was telling us the mayfly is more or less over with just a few small hatches. Just wondering would this be the same on other Loughs? I'm based in Dublin and was thinking of giving Sheelin a go.
Thanks

Any where where the mayfly hatched early they will be tapering off now. To catch trout on Sheelin at this time in the season you do need to be fairly good at fly-fishing especially dry fly fishing with spent gnat and sedge in the evening, sounds easy but its not.

mattcullen · 30-05-2012 5:57pm

ironbluedun wrote: »

Any where where the mayfly hatched early they will be tapering off now. To catch trout on Sheelin at this time in the season you do need to be fairly good at fly-fishing especially dry fly fishing with spent gnat and sedge in the evening, sounds easy but its not.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Straight answer..much appreciated.

Zzippy · 30-05-2012 8:33pm

Lough Conn tends to be later for mayfly hatches, might be worth a go...

Octopus · 30-05-2012 9:02pm

ironbluedun wrote: »

Any where where the mayfly hatched early they will be tapering off now. To catch trout on Sheelin at this time in the season you do need to be fairly good at fly-fishing especially dry fly fishing with spent gnat and sedge in the evening, sounds easy but its not.

There's always a chance, the right fly to the right fish.
If you rose two fish to dry fly on Corrib there's no reason why you can't do the same on any other water.

Give it a go, it'll be a good experience regardless of the result and you'll always learn something for your next trip.

mattcullen · 30-05-2012 9:16pm

Cheers lads what would be a good dry fly to use to imitate the spent mayfly? Might try and get out and give it a go
Also, as a matter of interest whats a good time of year/hatch for novices on the loughs? Presume wet fly would be easier?

Caribs · 30-05-2012 10:25pm

There are quite a few different spent Mayfly patterns - look at www.irishtroutflies.ie for a few ideas but the grey wulff is a spent mayfly imitator I've used to good effect.

The big hatches and the beginning of "duffers fortnight" varies each year but on Corrib the first two weeks of May tend to be a fairly safe bet.

As Octopus said the right fish to the right fly can happen at any stage and last year for example I know there were fish caught to natural mayfly being dapped throughout the summer when there were small localised hatches.

As with all fishing keep the faith and tight lines..!!

Octopus · 30-05-2012 11:46pm

I've had good results on the spent to a Jimmy Tyrrell pattern that was in a magazine a few years back.

Similar to the one in the picture but the wing is black cdc tied standard not loopwing. Can't find it online.

Haven't fished the loopwing one shown on the link but it gives you the idea.
http://irishflycraft.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/spent-gnat-cdc-loopwing.html

After the next few weeks the next thing is the evening sedge fishing. Fishing from evening right into darkness. All of the lakes from Sheelin, Ennell Owel Corrib will have some form of sedge. Usually from mid July onwards.

stylie · 31-05-2012 10:48am

Over the last ten years I have had trout through out the month of June on Mayfly patterns. You could be out on the lake and a little hatch can come up so there is no hard and fast rule stating when they stop and start. I have seen decent hatches in August.
When I fly fish in June its ceanis in the mornings and sedge into the night however during the day you can get Mayfly coming off. If the weather is right its always worth a go. In the evenings you can get a big of gnat fishing if they have come up during the day. I have fished a sedge and a gnat dry fly team and caught trout on both

mattcullen · 31-05-2012 2:10pm

I like the sound of duffers fortnight! Hopefully I'll get a chance to get out so. When's a good time of year for traditional wetflys on lakes? I'm guessing that that's easier than dry fly.

viper123 · 01-06-2012 12:50am

Was on the corrib today trolling for ferox, very few mayfly to be seen and didn't see a single fish rise all day.

mattcullen · 07-06-2012 9:12pm

Well lads, myself and a mate gave Sheelin a go. Didn't manage to get any trout on the fly. Was fun trying to cast to the rising fish and was great to see all the spent mayfly. Never seen them before.
I did get a trout trolling a little tazzie. It was about 2 lb. Thing I noticed was how silver it was in colour. really lovely looking fish. Then I was wondering are the wild ones more silver or could it still have been a stockie?
Anyhow I don't reckon my castings quite up to standard for the dry fly on calm water like that but enjoyed the experience and wil try again next year maybe. Cheers lads

Octopus · 08-06-2012 1:55am

Haven't been there but it seems the trout are being difficult on sheelin this year.
I'd say you weren't the only one that was turned down by the fish.

Aiways next time.

Mayfly Over

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