The season has started for real

With the sudden (and very welcome) arrival of warm weather the time has come to really begin with fishing. Rivers are still very high and muddy, so I selected one of the small stillwaters around Prague to try out. The unfortunate lake seemed empty of trout, reason for which became apparent by watching the resident pike population getting warmed up in the shallows.

Never the less black midges were hatching at the margins, so I had some fun fishing for roach and dace, who attacked my fly with zeal. Not what I was expecting initially, but it was dry fly fishing and a thus welcome diversion after the long winter.

The tie:
#18 Hanák H130 BL hook
Black UNI 8/0 thread
Pheasant tail dyed black
White Tiemco Aero Dry Wing
Opossum dubbing dyed black

The small black midge is an essential early season fly, about as important to a fly fisherman as the little black dress to a true lady :) I like to use the cross tied ADW for wings better than CDC or grizzly hackle - to me it seems much more visible on the water, an important feature for a size #18 dry fly.