Mayfly fishing for trout on the beautiful River Derwent

After a grayling fishing trip to the River Derwent, Tim invited me back to try my hand at mayfly fishing for trout on a Cromford Fly Fishers guest ticket.

The rivers I fish have sporadic hatches of Ephemera Danica (commonly known as a Green Drake), but surprisingly, I’ve never caught a trout fishing a Danica mayfly imitation or witnessed a brown trout taking one. Therefore, I was hoping this trip would resolve both of those facts.

So, on the 31^st of May, I met Tim in the car park at the top of the beat, armed with the Dancia dry fly patterns I tied in preparation for this fishing trip.

Loop wing Danica dry fly

• Hook – size 14 Partridge 15BN
• Thread – 8/0 tan
• Tail – cream Antron yarn singed at the end
• Body – Light olive SLF dubbing
• Rib – brown copper wire
• Wing – 2 loops of cream Antron yarm
• Hackle – light Dun cock

Para wing Danica mayfly

• Hook – size 14 Partridge 15BN
• Thread – 8/0 tan
• Tail – cream Antron yarn singed at the end
• Body – Light olive SLF dubbing
• Rib – brown copper wire
• Wing – deer hair
• Thorax – dark olive seals fur

Mayfly fishing on the River Derwent at Cromford

Tim explained there had been a few good mayfly hatches, and he’d caught several trout fishing a Danica pattern last week. However, the recent dip in temperature was likely to limit any hatches to mid-afternoon.

On the walk downriver, Tim showed me where he’d been catching trout on the dry fly, but we didn’t see any trout rising or flies hatching.

So while I waited for a hatch to materialise, I started fishing a team of two nymphs (point: #14 latex caddis grub 4mm TB, dropper: #16 yellow quill nymph 3mm TB) spaced 18″ apart on a 4lbs fluorocarbon leader using my 11ft 3wt Vision Nymphmaniac fly rod.

I decided to nymph through the long pool below the railway bridge while Tim headed further downriver. Starting where the current slowed, I fished my way methodically towards the fast water at the head of the pool.

After catching a few small trout, I hooked a larger trout that dashed around the pool until it threw the hook.

Further upriver, the line darted sideways, and I bent the rod into another trout. Carefully, I managed to gain the upper hand and net it safely. This beautiful Derwent brown trout had taken the caddis grub.

Dry fly fishing with an Iron Blue Dun

In a slack pocket of water close to the far bank, I spotted a trout feeding small dry flies as they hatched. I wasn’t sure what the flies were being taken, so I opted to fish a size 14 Iron Blue Dun on a 12ft 6X tapered leader using my 9ft 5# Reddington fly rod.

After two false casts, I placed the dry fly a couple of feet above the rising trout. The trout immediately took the fly, my rod bent around, and after a short tussle, it was netted.

Its beauty made up for its lack of size, and I was pleased to land my first fish of the day on the dry fly.

While I was releasing the trout, Tim arrived from fishing the pools below to report that he’d caught a couple of lovely brown trout on a hatching mayfly pattern.

So, it was time to switch to the main event…

Mayfly fishing.

Tim took me downriver to where he’d seen a few trout taking Danica flies.

I replaced the iron blue dun with one of the looped-wing Danica dry flies I’d tied and sat on the bank watching for candidate rising trout to target.

It was long before I spotted my first target under an overhanging tree close to the far bank. A trout that was confidently taking Danica as they drifted downriver, drying their wings.

Carefully, I got into position and placed the dry fly above the rising fish. The trout ignored the fly as it drifted past, but it took the fly on the second drift, and I tightened into the trout that tried to dart towards a patch of weed on the far bank.

After a few tense moments, I got it under control and netted my first brown trout, fooled by the Dancia loop-wing mayfly pattern.

There was a loud splash downriver while I was returning the brown trout, so I moved down to investigate. Alongside a submerged log, I spotted large trout intercepting emerging mayflies as they drifted past. I covered the trout with the looped-winged Danica several times, but it just ignored my offering.

It was time for a different fly, so I replaced the loop-winged Danica with a para-wing version because its body fishes partly submerged. That did the trick because the…

trout darted out from its lie and gobbled the fly.

When I tightened into the trout, it went berserk.

However, I eventually gained the upper hand and netted another beautiful brown trout.

The commotion had spooked the other rising fish, so I went to see how Tim was getting on. After he’d caught a couple of nice trout, the fishing had gone quiet. Therefore, we moved upriver to fish the pool above the railway bridge.

Tim spotted a couple of trout rising in the tail by the bridge. So, while he fished there, I moved upriver.

Near the head of the pool, I saw a trout lying alongside a patch of weed under an overhanging tree. I watched it drift back and forth in line with the weed but it didn’t seem interested in the flies that floated past.

Carefully, I waded out until I could cover it with the para-wing Dancia. Surprisingly, as the fly drifted past, the fish turned downriver and smashed the fly. Hooked, it screened off downriver, using the pace of the water to its advantage.

After a few dicey moments, I netted the brown trout. It had a deformed back, but that didn’t stop it from giving a good fight.

Fishing the remainder of the pool didn’t produce any more takes. So, I moved upriver to fish the pool below the road bridge as the evening started to close in.

Starting at the tail, I prospected my way up through the pool with the dry fly because I couldn’t see any fish rise. This approach proved to be a good move because on the edge of the fast water at the top of the pool…

a trout surfaced and snatched the para-winged Dainca.

After a few dicey moments, I guided the final Derbyshire brown trout of the day to the net.

Summary of my River Derwent Mayfly fishing trip

Overall I had a great day fishing Cromford Fly Fishes beat on a guest ticket with Tim. After catching a trout euro-nymphing, I landed my first brown trout Mayfly fishing using a loop-wing Danica dry fly. Then four more Derwent brownies, which fell for a para-wing Dainca dry fly pattern.