With the constant rain the UK has been enduring for over a month, the weather forecasts finally seem to be predicting calm weather on the horizon. The science behind these ‘predictions’ is lost on me, as forecasts/predictions/divinations for any more than one day away always seem to be wrong (unless you have a month of rain of course; then it’s easy).

It’s a conspiracy, as I’m positive that the new 3D topographical weather displays that our local/national weather forecasters prance in front of are really shrines to the weather gods of old; their over-animated jumping, flailing, and waving of claw-like/arthritic appendages is in some way a form of appeasing them.

Happy, innocent weather forecaster, or dark priest and appeaser of the evil-weather-gods?

I could be wrong of course, but I’ve digressed slightly.

Continuing on from my last couple of posts, I’ve had to put the small stuff on hold for a little while in order to make room for some ‘special’ patterns more suited to the high/fast water conditions which we are currently enduring as punishment from the weather-gods for our evil and wicked sins.

In fast and/or high waters, I tend to fish the slacker margin-waters first. These tend to bring a few smaller fish to hand, but when the high waters are safe enough to wade, I like to short-line/Czech nymph the main body of water in search of larger fish. If the grayling are there, they are usually hunkered down close to the riverbed where water flows are a little calmer, and this is where the challenge lies; getting your flies down, and getting them down fast.

I’m not a huge fan of fishing a full team of ‘heavy-weights’. Instead, I much prefer to fish one heavy fly on the point, with another two lightly weighted flies on the droppers. In these fast water conditions my point ‘fly’ will usually be a horrendous amalgamation of tungsten; its sole purpose of dragging the rest of the team down fast. If it’s doing its job correctly, I’ll feel the confident tap, tap, tap on the river bed. If the tapping stops, or if the line pauses/moves/acts unnaturally, I’ll strike.

Sacrificial they may be, they are tied to suggest an element of life, and it’s because of this that it’s not uncommon to have one attract the attentions of a respectfully sized grayling.

Because of their primary purpose as depth charges, simplicity is a must, and I only ever tend to use two patterns.

Peeping Caddis

The ‘lighter’ of the two, is a cased caddis pattern which incorporates an SSD split shot towards the hook eye, and two layers of square lead as an underbody. Split shot, although not as dense as tungsten, is heavy in its own right; add to that two layers of lead as an underbody, and you have a very heavy caddis pattern.

The ‘Incredible Hulk’

Add very fast water to the equation, however, and you might find your caddis ‘bomb’ doesn’t hit the bottom as quickly as you’d like; when this happens, I’ll switch to a truly heavy fly.

Consisting of thread, varnish, and five tungsten beads, this basic pattern is for when all else fails; one which will have you ‘touching bottom’ within seconds and one which allow your droppers to fish the differing depths of the water column quickly and efficiently (don’t worry about the SPLOSH as it hits the water, the grayling don’t tend to mind!). This pattern has one catch, however: apply too little attention, and you’ll lose it (and all five of the costly tungsten beads). Constant attention must be paid to both the line tip and to the tapping, and the entire rig must remain tight; if it isn’t, you’ll feel neither the take, nor will you feel your heavy point fly hook into a snag/rock. Once snagged you may be unable to pull your fly free, and as a consequence, you may lose your point fly or, quite possibly, your entire team. Getting deep quickly, it seems, has a price.

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