THE DANICA & SULPHUR IN JULY

If you’re lucky you get to experience a Super Hatch. I was lucky to fish one this summer. The Danica and the Sulphur hatches were both peaking during the same days in July last years.

I have fished the same two rivers in July for several years. It’s a place where the hatch is fantastic, and best of all – the mid summer hatches are pretty predictable.  In the two first weeks of July the Danica (Green Drake) is on, an usually the Sulphur is on a week later. This year, however, they were both peaking the same days. From July 11 – July 15 I had the best fly fishing I’ve had in years

Most of all I love fly fishing. But, I do love my Canon and always brings it when I’m at the river.  These are some of the shots of Danica and Sulphur hatches, duns and spinners I did I in July 2015.

No bug attracts the big trout like the Danica. On the day these photos were taken, my son broke his personal best three times in a row. The Ephemera Danica is the queen of the rivers, and the bug that everyone is hoping for. But most places the Danica can be pretty unpredictable. In most rivers she doesn’t turn up every season, and it might go as much as three summers between really good Danica hatches. In my waters  you can expect the Danica to turn up in the two first weeks of July.

The Sulphur is a beautiful mayfly – in her yellow outfit she’s the lady of the stream . It’s interesting to watch the Sulphur emergence. The mayfly is one of the largest (size 10-12) but they seem to be fighting more than the Caenis to break through the film. There is a strange debate among certain anglers whether the Sulphur really triggers the fish. My experience is that if the hatch is good enough the trout will indeed rise to the Sulphur Dun. But be aware – just as often as they take a dry imitation, trout go for an emergent nymph just under the surface.

Fishing great hatches can looks easy, but actually can be quite difficult. Trout are not always going for the obvious choice when the Danica hatch is on. During these days, there were also quite heavy hatches of the Ephemerella Aurivilli and the Ephemerella Ignita. The table was set, in other words. The largest trouts these days were all taken on Danica emergers and spinners, and a few big graylings on Sulphur Dun and the Aurivilli Flymf.