While you may not think this is a great thing as you step into the water before the sun peeps over the horizon, it helps turn on some of the best fishing of the season.
As the weather cools, mayflies stop hatching in the early morning or late evening and the main emergence occurs at the warmest time of day, which is usually in the middle of the afternoon.
This is to the advantage of the fly fisher in not having to get up early and being home in time for tea.
The rivers likely to give this fishing opportunity are the Mataura, Pomahaka, Taieri and even the Clutha.
The Clutha has risen a lot in recent days making some of it less accessible but anywhere there is a gravel beach is worth a look as mayfly nymphs live in gravel and the water is shallower and easier to fish than deeper water.
The selection of flies is very simple: a weighted nymph to fish before trout turn their attention to the surface and an unweighted nymph when trout move into shallower water.
For surface-feeding fish, an emerger and a dun. You may also need a spinner pattern if there is a fall of spinners.
This is more likely to occur in the evening and, if you do not mind missing tea, can give good fishing. Spinners do not fly in the wind and in the evening the wind usually drops off allowing the spinners to return to the water.
The list of rivers above consists of medium and large rivers but mayfly hatches also occur on small lowland waters but there are far fewer fish to target there whereas on the bigger waters one pool is all you need to keep you occupied.
I fished the Pomahaka midweek, starting before the sun came over the hills. It was cool but wading woke me up and I was on the alert for trout.
I fished blind with a weighted nymph but I had covered several ripples before I hooked the first fish.
The sun was well on to the water when I saw a rise beneath a willow and it took the fly straight away.
And that was it for the morning. I only saw two other fish — both of which saw me first.
In the afternoon I moved to favourite section for a mayfly hatch.
At the tail of the pool a fish rose a couple of times and as there were few flies on the water I covered it with the nymph and eventually caught it.
By this time duns were hatching and drifting through the flat water.
At one point there were several fish rising close together.
I put on an emerger and caught two of them but that spooked the others.
But it was a good way to end the day. And I was home in time for tea.
