It was a glorious spring morning, I sat in the garden with a cup of tea and decided to go to the lakes later in the day. There would probably be an evening rise when the wind dropped. However, in the afternoon when I arrived at Great Springs, the clouds were darkening and the wind had a chill to it. Just to remind me it was still March. I had the usual cup of tea and a chat while watching the lakes. Great Springs was lifeless but Little Springs looked like a stock pond, trout were rising down the centre of the lake from the dam to the inlet spring. They were exploring a line of debris that had blown off the trees in the strong southerly wind. A new member arrived and with some advice about flies, he went to Little Springs and caught two trout.

Chironomid midges form 80% of a trout’s diet. They hatch all year round, even on a cold winter day. I thought I would fish Great Springs with a buzzer and try to catch a surface feeding trout. Or roach. I cast a Neoprene buzzer to rising roach and had several takes but I was too slow. The new member returned to the lodge, happy with his first day at the lakes. The trout were still rising on Little Springs as he left. I sat on the bench next to the inlet stream and flicked a buzzer out a few yards. Casting into the wind was a bit tricky and the fish moved away from my splashing around.

I went round to the side of the lake and changed my fly to a Neoprene Spider. That fly floats for hours. The first cast produced a savage, splashy take within seconds of the fly landing. I was surprised by the speed of the take and missed the fish. The next cast also enticed a trout which I hooked but it shook itself free after a few seconds. The hook holds are not very secure with the spider, the bulk of the Neoprene tends to mask the point of the hook. I must get the fly-tying vice out and design something more efficient.

The wind got stronger and colder. The fish had disappeared as a result of my efforts. My arm was aching so I called it a day.