I was told the other day that one in three households possesses a copy of the bestseller 50 Shades of Grey. Impressive though that sort of market penetration might sound, I would hazard a guess that fly inventor Lee Wulff has done better. I would wager big money that ninety nine out of one hundred fishermen have a Gray Wulff in their fly box. If you are one of those 99% get the size 10 version out now. The Mayfly is on!
Wednesday (15/May) was the first time I had reports of anything that might be termed a hatch. News from the Itchen was of a brief flurry whilst on the Upper Test one of our Guides, Alan Middleton raised the victory flag with the first fish of the season on a Mayfly at around four thirty.
Alan tells me that they started to come off in little groups of two and three at a time. It took a while for the trout to wise up but soon they were glooping down a Mayfly every thirty seconds or so. Alan had his angler go through the roster of Mayfly patterns (Thomas, Drake, Procter .....) until at the fifth change a Gray Wulff did the job.
Two weeks or so late, but it has finally started .... hurrah.
MAYFLY DATES STILL LEFT
I have just taken a glance through the diaries for this coming week and the week beyond; there are some good choices left on just about every day for beats that get good Mayfly hatches. And you don't absolutely have to pay a fortune. Mayfly are no respecters of wealth and hatch equally freely on £50 beats as they do £500 ones!
Rather that list everything for every day, let me point you in the direction of the on-line calendars which may be checked via the Check a Date button.
BULLINGTON CROSS WIND TURBINES - ACT NOW!
I am not a great one for campaigns or joining pressure groups, but I offer up this news of the proposed wind turbines for the Test valley because the issue is so very close to the heart of people who I care about.
The application by EDF is to build fourteen wind turbines at Bullington Cross, close to Bullington Manor on the River Dever, one of the primary tributaries of the River Test. Without giving you chapter and verse here is the nub of the proposal:
"The proposed power station would consist of 14 wind turbines, scarring a beautiful landscape for many miles around Bullington Cross. At 126 metres high (413ft) each turbine would be taller than the cooling towers at Didcot Power Station (99m, 326ft). Standing on high ground, they would be visible across a large part of Hampshire and as far afield as Salisbury, Alton, Winchester and even Southampton. This would be one of the largest inland wind power stations in the south of England."
The closing date to register your views in May 24th. You may do this via www.keephampshiregreen.org which also has more background on the wind farm proposals.
RIVER TEST ONE FLY VIDEOS
