How now brown trout

FISHING seasons, unlike shooting seasons, are not the same everywhere, they vary from catchment to catchment, writes Dick Warner.

However, the legal open season for brown trout fishing on most rivers and lakes begins some time in March. There are one or two catchments with a February opening date, but most trout fly fishermen start to emerge from hibernation this month.

The reason for this is trout spawn in mid- winter and this is a very debilitating process which leaves them thin and out of condition. It takes them until early spring to recover and in many waters they won’t be back in peak condition until some time in May.