A big welcome to the Hawthorn, the first turkey-sized fly of the year to appear on the menu. Time to have a good Hawthorn imitation in your trout fly larder.
Jet black and easily recognisable by their slow, clumsy flight and long dangly legs, Hawthorns are land-born. Eggs are laid in the soil, grubs spending six months underground feeding on decaying vegetation. When they pop out as adults in the Spring, they are greeted by stiff April winds that blow them onto the river and into the jaws of empty-bellied overwintered trout.
On water, Hawthorns are not a pretty sight. But not so if you’re a trout. Struggle, yes. But they don’t sink. Neither must your imitation. That big fat body needs to float like balsa. This it does – with the foam-bodied Hi & Dri Hawthorn.
Only a trout can pull it under.
Tie your own
- Vice a #12 Ahrex Sedge hook
- Tie black 8/0 Uni-Thread ¾ down from eye. Here, tie in a narrow strip of black Cell foam, so it only just extends the hook bend – and over the hook eye
- Tie in two black knotted pheasant tail fibres pointing back either side of the hook – extending the hook bend
- Tie in a small bunch of white polypropylene, so it lies across the hook. Secure so they point backwards on either side. Clip to just short of body length
- Tie in a small black cock hackle. Wind to eye. Secure. Clip excess
- Fold foam excess over legs, wings, and hackle. Secure behind the eye
- Whip finish. Varnish
- Clip excess foam to form a small head
Keepers Tip:
In April, when the hawthorn hatch starts, it’s a great idea to focus on areas just off the wind. That’s where the naturals tend to collect and where fish will patrol steadily.
Old River and Middle Cut, both stretches have strong lines of hawthorn trees along the banks, making them prime spots.