~Storm clouds gather over volcano Eyjafjallajökull~

(Note the two twisters in the distance)

Strange weather around Volcano Eyjafjallajökull:

I'm just back from a jaunt on the river Minnivallalaekur in Iceland, close to volcano Eyjafjallajökull which erupted in April. Interestingly the weather trend here was strange, perhaps influenced by the volcano's recent activity? What I can report is we experienced stormy weather on most days and that included three twisters rattling up the valley. On the fishing side of things, our arrival coincided with some pretty fierce winds that aren't really conducive to good dry fly fishing-not in my book anyway! This restricted our early efforts to nymphs and streamer fishing as we prayed for a calmer conditions.

Paul~

~Two pots of gold......~

~Breezy conditions ruffle the Minni's surface~

~Old wading boots and trousers put to the test~

Try Wet Wading:

I was lucky enough to spend 3 weeks in NZ early this year where Wet Wading is considered the norm. Admittedly, my initial wettings were tentative affairs, but in no time at all, I took to it like a duck to water! The advantages are obvious in hot weather, or when covering a lot ground. So, following our current heatwave, it was time to give it ago here in the UK. Water temperatures on the river Wharfe topped 17 degrees C, which were very comfortable. In fact, at this temperature wet wading was surprisingly enjoyable. On my home river the Bela, temps came in a little lower at 13 degrees C. And although a little more refreshing, everything was still fine, as I didn't feel any chill at all. Understandably, it's not recommended if you aim to spend long periods up to your waist in water, But, if like me, you're forever popping from pool to pool, it rids you from the shackles of chest waders. Why not give it a try, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Paul~

~A pair of neoprene socks between boots and feet definitely help~

~Easy does it-one step at a time......!~

~Andrew Gibson taking advantage in low water~

Low and Clear:

Despite a splash of welcome rainfall, many of our streams remain unaffected. Low, clear water coupled with bright overhead conditions have made for tough fishing. Good friend Andrew Gibson too advantage though by creeping around the margins. Pitching dry flies to sighted fish, Andrew managed to bag a handful of welcome trout. Although pleased with his haul, he did have a little moan about aching knees later.

Paul~

~A beauty from under the trees~

~Spinners fill the air on a calm evening~

Evening Action:

All this warm weather has seen trout switch their attentions to evening feeding. Blue Winged Olives seem to be exciting trout and with spinner falls lasting until nearly midnight it's been a case of burning the candle at both ends. Those venturing out during the day faced low water conditions when trout were best described as shy, if not elusive! However, Sue and Andrew Gibson spent a day on the Wharfe with me recently at Bolton Abbey were we found trout stacked up in shallow riffles. Although many weren't rising they could be summons up by a large Klinkhamer drifted down the foam lanes. With no sight in end of this prolonged dry spell, our rivers have reached an all time, fingers crossed we'll get a spike of fresh water soon.

Paul~

~Sue Gibson leans into a decent Wharfe trout~

~Phew......safely in the net~

~A large red spinner found resting close to the river~

Spinners Galore:

Bosnian rivers are famed for their fly hatches and we were fortunate enough to experience these in their full glory. Mating spinners filled the air from early afternoon and come evening time, egg-laying females returned to the water. These were fairly impressive creatures, best imitated on size 10 hook. Obviously, I wasn't armed with such a pattern though ace fly tier and Bosnian International fly fisher Alex Djukic came well prepared with his vice and some unusally materials. Tying flies by the stream to suggest what you've just seen really encapsulates what fly fishing is all about. I'm happy to report, Alex's flies worked a treat as darkness fell.

Paul~

~Alex Djukic weaving his magic on the banks of the Pliva~

~As darkness descended trout could be found rising along the Pliva margins~

~Mark & Doug ready to fish the Ribnik in Bosnia~

Bosnia finally comes good:

Arriving in Bosnia, we were greeted by high water and unsettled weather. Our guide Alex Djukic mentioned spectacular spinner falls following dense hatches of large upwinged flies. Although warm afternoon sun encouraged flies onto the wing, our first evening was thwarted by persistent rain. Yet, despite this we managed to get our string pulled by modest Ribnik brown trout and a handful of grayling.

Paul~

~Spinners gather over the Ribnik before returning to egg lay~

~Tony Riley discussing the finer points of casting~

Cumbria Fishing Festival a Success:

With the weather behaving itself the Cumbria Fishing Festival has been an outstanding success over the last week as many events were fully booked. Tony Riley and myself ran a couple of well attended stillwater courses, ending our week at Farleton View fishery yesterday. Baking temperatures made for some tough fishing but all in all the day was excellent as thousands of damselfly decided to emerger. This proved a tremendous help when discussing the life cycle of such insects to keen fishermen.

Paul~

~Damsel shucks were evident on nearly every reed stem~

~Olive Upright Dun, a close relation of the March Brown~

Bonny Scotland:

Be it the Clyde, Deveron, Don or Tweed, all these Scottish rivers play host to some of our most important upwinged flies-Olive Uprights and their close cousin the March Brown. We're now in the prime period for Olive Upright activity and a recent trip to Scotland didn't disappoint. In fact, it seems I'm spending more time north of the Border than in my home county just now. That said, with bumper hatches of fly, who could blame me! The good thing about Olive Uprights is that hatches are generally sustained, lasting up to several hours for a time. With excellent dry fly sport in the offing, we managed to winkle out some prized trout.

Paul~

~Richard Tong displays a fine Scottish trout taken on a CdC olive~

~Spots the size of pennies, what more could you ask for?~

~A March Brown dun pictured only days ago~

March Browns in May?

A visit to the north of Scotland this week saw flurries of March Browns. Amazing stuff really, as you'd generally experience hatches of this wonderful upwinged species during March and early April. One can only surmise that harsh winter weather delayed hatches by some weeks. In fact the branches of many trees up there are still looking bare with buds only just on the cusp of bursting open. Southern Scotland is currently enjoying bumper hatches of Grannom. And again these early season sedges can usually be seen in the third to fourth week of April. You won't hear me complain though, as such activity seems to have brought up some quality trout!

Paul~

~Grannom find their way onto an angler's waders during egg laying~

~Grannom littering the surface brought up the trout~

~An Olive Upright all tangled up~

Olive Uprights Put On a Good Show:

Whilst spring hatches of Large Dark Olives brought up a few fish, at best these could be described as sparse. Even the March Brown hatches were short lived, albeit intense. Thankfully, Olive Uprights have just begun to show in the North and so far we've been treated to sustained hatches lasting from late morning and well into the afternoon. With these encouraging trout onto the fin for several hours the dry fly fishing has been second to none. Better still, Iron Blue Duns have joined in too, making for lengthy spells of activity. These small dark coloured upwinged flies are instantly recognisable by their inky black livery. Let's hope such hatches last for a couple of weeks yet. Though in honesty, these chilly Nor'easterly winds aren't helping matters. When will those westerly air flows return?

Paul~

~This bruiser was sipping down Upright duns at the head of a pool~

~In Scotland, large stoneflies continue to emerge~