Mayfly Time

It is during the Mayfly period that Lough Arrow has earned its reputation as one of Irelands top quality trout lakes It offers a variety of fishing at this time. The Mayfly (E. danica) hatch begins about the l8th-20th May, depending on weather conditions and ends about 7th June.

The hatch is prolific and it comes up all over the lough. The trout  respond to wetfly tactics for about a week and thereafter only on wet, windy days. Usefull patterns include the Lough Arrow Mayfly, Goulden’s Favourite and various other Mayfly patterns, Golden Olive Bumble, Green Peter, Yellow Gosling. Grey Gosling and lnvicta.

After the first week, the real quality dry fly fishing begins. Trout will still take the newly hatched duns during the day and favourite patterns are the Yellow Wulff, Fan \ Mayfly and Mosely Mayf1y.

The Spent Gnat fishing occurs all over the lake, depending on the weather conditions, especially wind direction. On a dill day, trout begin feeding from noon and on a bright day from about 5.00 p.m. The rise normally ends about 9.00 pm. During the day, spent patterns are often fished on the 'blind', but, on calm evenings, the really large trout will come up to feed and these are most often caught when stalked and covered as they take the natural, spent fly. Many anglers regard this as the cream of trout fishing in Ireland.[ Favorite Spent Gnat patterns include Grey Wulff, Royal Wulff, Red Humpy, Spent Gnat, Copydex Spent and all kinds of variations on the spent gnat theme.

Coinciding with the Mayfly fishing is the evening Buzzer (Chironomid Spp.) fishing. It begins about 10.00 p.m. and goes on till well after midnight except on very dark nights. It occurs in the same areas as mentioned for the Duckfly. The same small wet flies and pupa patterns are used. The end of the buzzer hatch usually coincides with the end of the Mayfly. There is a small hatch of Murrough at the end of May/beginning of June. Trout start feeding about 11.00 p.m. and continue till after midnight. Anglers fish a large dry Murrough in the areas listed for sedge fishing.

The remainder of June and the first half of July is a quiet period for angling on the lough. At this time, the evening and night rime fishing offer the best chance for good trout. There is an enormous hatch of Caenis (anglers curse) from mid to late June and, on calm evenings, huge rises of trout occur. The rise is characterised by tiny sipping noises which suggest small fish feeding but, make no mistake, good trout will feed enthusiastically on these tiny flies. However, they are extremely difficult to catch at this time and grey dusters or poly-wing imitations (size 18 — 20), fished on very fine leaders, offer the best chance.

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