{{start}}

I like to fish wet flies in the rain. If you are one of those fine weather fishermen you are missing a lot of sport. On sunny days the fish swim near the bottom of the river, lake or stream for a number of reasons. They do not have eye lids and the sun can damage the eyes. More importantly the warmer the water becomes the less oxygen it can hold. Fish find warm water uncomfortable. The colder the water temperature the more oxygen the water can hold. When it rains the disturbance caused on the water surface increases the oxygen content of the upper levels of water because when the water droplets force their way through the water surface air gets trapped behind it. If it is raining it normally means the sky is overcast and therefore the temperature of the water decreases. This cooling effect is also helped by the rain drops which are normally cold and help cool the upper water levels of the lake or river to a more pleasant fish friendly environment.

Fish feel safer as choppy water makes them invisible to birds of prey. Heavy rain will knock airborne and surface insects down and into the water. More fish than normal rise from their bottom feeding location to the surface to feed from this bounty of drowned insects. Heavy rain also washes terrestrial insects like ants, beetles and Hoppers into the water from the land, overhanging trees and shrubs. Summer storms are prime time for subsurface fishing with a wet fly. Further advantages of fishing in heavy rain is that perfect fly presentation is less important. A fish who is stimulated by the abundance of drowned insect food, whilst on the look out for predators, will not have time to consider such things.

When the all the fair-weather fishermen are hiding under trees, in fishing huts or in their cars to keep dry, you will reap the rewards of some exciting fishing if you stay out in the rain. Just cast out your fly and let the rain drown it, just like what is happening to the real insects. Do not add any floatant. It is best to cast frequently as you will cover more water and I have found that the fly is normally taken just after it has broken the water surface. Fishing in heavy rain is an ideal time to try out new patterns . Trout have learned to expect a variety of different foods, not normally available to them,

{{end}}