6 Successful trout flies for April with a Welsh Dee focus

April on the Welsh Dee can be a challenging month for trout fishing due to the unpredictable weather, which can range from winter-like conditions to a sudden burst of summer. However, with these six tried and tested trout flies for April, you’ll have a higher chance of success during this unpredictable yet exciting time of the year.

Trout flies for April – key selection variables:

Over the years, significant weather fluctuation stood out in my fly fishing records for April. Surprisingly, its influence on fly selection only occurred when it was colder than the seasonal average.

Furthermore, water clarity and river level influenced the fly fishing method (nymphing, wet or dry fly fishing) that produced the best results.

However, it was clear the presence or absence of a fly hatch was the overriding factor controlling the fly selection for trout fishing in April.

Hungry, overwintered trout cannot resist….

“feasting on insects when they are most vulnerable”

 The following are the main flies that typically hatch during April on the Dee:

• Large Dark Olive
• March Brown
• Large Brook Dun
• Grannom
• Hawthorn fly

My top 3 trout flies for April:

This selection proved easy because 75% of the Welsh Dee brown trout I’ve caught in April were on two wet flies and a dry fly. Because they are good general imitations of the aforementioned natural flies and overwintered brown trout are rarely fussy at this time of year.  

• 30% on Pearl Ribbed March Brown Spider
• 27% on Black Hopper
• 18 % on CDC Olive  Cul De Canon

Top wet trout flies for April:

PR March Brown Spider

• Kamasan B170 (size 14)
• Thread – brown UNI-thread 8/0
• Body – Hare’s Ear dubbing
• Rib – Uni Pearl Mylar #14 (1/32)
• Hackle – Brown partridge neck feather  

Tying Instructions

Black Hopper

• Kamasan B170 (size 14)
• Black UNI-thread 8/0
• Body – black seal fur substitute
• Rib – Uni Pearl Mylar #14 (1/32)
• Legs – Knotted black pheasant tail fibres
• Black hen hackle

Tying Instructions

Top dry trout flies for April:

For the last few years, my preferred dry fly has been a CDC olive pattern, which I use in sizes ranging from 16 to 12. This fly pattern is based on the one developed by Gwilym Hughes, which won him honours at the 1998 River International fly fishing competition on the River Tweed.

CDC Olive

• Kamasan B100 (sizes: 16 or to suit the hatch)
• UNI-Thread 8/0, medium or dark olive
• Thorax – First part 3 turns of Uni Pearl Mylar (1/32”), then rabbit or mole fur    
• Underwing – 6 to 10 fibres of dear hair tips
• Overwing – 4 natural CDC plumbs

Tying Instructions

April’s Fly fishing approach:

a) When the river is running clear and below 0.7m (Manley Hall gauge)

On mild days during April when the river is running clear, you will often be confronted with flies hatching between 11 am to 3 pm.

During an April fly hatch, I have found that fishing a team of wet flies just under the surface catches more trout than fishing a dry fly. I think this is due to a combination of using 3 wet flies vs a single dry fly and often trout are taking the flies near the surface.

More often than not, I will start fishing with the following team of trout flies for April (point: size 12, pheasant tail nymph; middle dropper: size 14, black hopper; top dropper: size 14, pearl ribbed March brown spider) spaced 3ft apart on a 3lb copolymer tippet.

Pheasant Tail nymph

• HENDS BL354 (#12 & 15)
• Orange UNI-thread 8/0
• Tail – pheasant tail fibre tips
• Body – pheasant tail fibres
• Rib – fine copper wire
• Thorax – Hare’s Ear dubbing
• Legs – brown partridge neck tip
• Wing case – natural nymph skin

PTN Tying Instructions

If it’s cold (< 5^oC), then I would start by using the following team spaced 3ft apart on 4lb fluorocarbon (point: size 12, TB black Pennell, middle dropper: size 14, pheasant tail nymph; top dropper size 14, black hopper).

TB Black Pennell

• Kamasan KB175 (size 12)
• 3mm tungsten bead
• Black UNI-thread 8/0
• Tail – Golden Pheasant tippet
• Rib – fine silver wire
• Body – black Uni-floss
• Hackle – Black Hen

Black Pennell tying instructions

Equipment-wise for wet fly and spider fishing, I use a 9ft 5# rod, a floating line, and a 9ft 5X copolymer leader, which has been cut back to 5ft from the butt end. At the end of the leader, I tie on two 3ft lengths of 3lb copolymer to form 2 droppers.

b) When the river is carrying some colour:

On the days when the Welsh Dee is carrying some colour and there are no signs of rising fish then I generally find euro nymphing produces the best results.

In this situation, I find that the Euro/Czech nymph selection covered in March’s fly-tips is a good starting point.

The nymph that fishes well during April is the following TB Hare’s Ear, which is fished above a heavy point fly.

TB Hare’s Ear

• Kamasan B100 size 14
• Bead – 2.5 tungsten (copper or gold)
• Brown UNI-Thread 8/0
• Tail – Coq De Leon
• Body – Hare’s ear dubbing
• Rib – Fine gold wire

For more on fly fishing during April, I’ve added links to more posts, which you should find interesting…

• April fishing report from the banks of the amazing Welsh Dee
• Helping a friend catch his first April fish

Also if you are interested in fishing in North Wales there are some excellent day ticket options on the Welsh Dee.

Finally, I hope you’ve found this post interesting and useful. Also, it would be great if you could share any of your favourite trout flies for April.