It's been a long winter! The season opened up on the Welsh Dee a month ago, but conditions and a lack of time delayed the start to my season. So it was with real anticipation that I went to a favourite early April haunt of mine yesterday where March Browns erupt from the water at this time of year between 12 o'clock and 2 pm. I waited until the first duns took off (about 1 o'clock) and fished my nymph and wet fly patterns underneath the hatch. Nothing! Not even a touch.

I tried PTNs, Hexagenia nymphs,  Hen Blackie, Waterhen Bloa, Black Spiders. Finally in frustration, I tied on a Partridge and Orange, that old favourite stand by. And Bingo! Two beautiful brown trout within a minute.

I had always associated Partridge and Orange with warmer water, say May and June. So that evening I looked into my book collection and found a pattern called No. 5 March Brown Nymph in a book by William H Lawrie called "The book of the rough stream nymph" written in 1947. The pattern is dressed with dark partridge and orange tying silk, very close to a Partridge and Orange but with a darker head.