May Fly

Mayflies, one of the most exciting flies that the fly angler can fish. Traditionally as the name suggests, they are most prominent in May(ish), & it seems trout throw caution to the wind to attack these ephemerids with what seems total abandonment!

The fly angler, if they were to present an artificial Mayfly correctly, will enjoy sport that is electrifying & almost unequalled to the rest of the season.

Chalk streams are best known for Mayfly hatches, but other moving and still waters also offer ideal habitat. The Mayfly Nymph resides on the bottom of the water after maturing from an egg, attaining a fairly decent size & just before maturing, the Nymph (Emerger) becomes restless and shoots sometimes several times towards the surface, an opportunity for the angler.

Once on the Surface the Mayfly Emerger sheds its skin becoming a Mayfly Dun with a long body, three tails and feathery gills lining the abdomen. The Mayfly Dun will then float on the surface until the Wings are dry enough to fly, this process can take anything from a few seconds to a few minutes, this stage will give great sport.

Next the Mayfly Dun will become airborne & look for safety, sometimes on the underside of leaves in bushes & trees along the bank, they then transform into an adult Mayfly Spinner after shedding its skin.

Now sexually mature, the male Mayfly Spinner will attempt to attract females, normally towards the evening, this is then followed with the female Mayfly returning to the water to deposit her eggs which presents the next opportunity for the trout (and fly fisher) as the water surface, after depositing eggs, will be covered in spent Male & Female Mayfly Spinners! - This can be more intense than the actual hatch for feeding!