European fly fishing

Insect Hatches

A guide to the aquatic and terrestrial insects that drive fly fishing in European rivers and lakes.

Mayflies

Green Drake

Ephemera danica

The iconic mayfly of British chalk streams — its annual emergence signals the most celebrated fortnight in fly fishing.

May

June

Mayflies

Blue Winged Olive

Serratella ignita

The most important small olive on British and European chalk streams — reliable, widespread, and technically demanding.

March Brown

Rhithrogena germanica

The first major hatch of the European fly fishing season — a welcome sight on cold, rocky rivers in early spring.

March

April

Mayflies

Iron Blue Dun

Nigrobaetis niger

The fly fisher's dark secret — a small, near-black mayfly that hatches prolifically in cold, blustery conditions when nothing else is on the water.

Caenis / Angler's Curse

Caenis horaria

The infuriatingly tiny mayfly that hatches in such vast numbers that fish refuse to look at anything larger — the tying and presentation challenge of a lifetime.

Grannom

Brachycentrus subnubilis

The first major caddis of the year — appearing in huge April swarms, the Grannom kick-starts the surface fly fishing season on chalk streams.

April

Caddisflies

Great Red Sedge

Phryganea grandis

The largest caddisfly in the British Isles — powerful summer evening hatches provoke aggressive takes from the biggest trout and sea trout after dark.

Cinnamon Sedge

Limnephilus lunatus

A common summer evening caddis found across Europe — its reliable evening hatches from June to August provide consistent dry fly fishing.

Large Stonefly

Perla bipunctata

A formidable aquatic predator nymph and one of the largest insects in fast, rocky European rivers — its emergence signals exciting fishing on upland streams.

Yellow Sally

Isoperla grammatica

A bright, cheerful little stonefly — the Yellow Sally's summer hatches on chalk streams and river riffles reliably bring trout and grayling to the dry fly.

May

June

July