Itchen Dusk: Caddis, Stonefly, Trout
Martyr Worthy, 8:03pm, June 21 — Itchen caddis ignite trout
On midsummer evenings the River Itchen turns. Caddis pupae (sizes 14–18) and stonefly nymphs (sizes 10–14) emerge at dusk. Trout abandon deep weed channels and tack into slicks above ranunculus banks. Action peaks between 19:00 and 21:00 around Winchester.
Evening rhythms
Caddis scramble just below the surface; emergers hang helpless before winging off. Stoneflies blast from gravel beds in clumsy spinners. Brown trout (Salmo trutta) lock onto that drift. The hatch is predictable from late May through September and produces a last-hour-of-light feeding window that concentrates fish on seams.
Where trout lie
Wild Itchen browns, 2–5 lb common, shift from 5–7 ft weed channels into 1–3 ft glides at margins. They hold 2–4 ft deep in slower tailouts at Longparish and below St. Cross millrace. Bigger fish up to 7 lb sit off undercut banks near Sutton Scotney, ready to nail stonefly spinners as they tumble past.
Tackle & tactics
Fish the 18:00–20:30 window. Use 4-weight rods with a 9 ft leader tapered to 6X tippet. Patterns that work: sycamore green sedge (size 16) for emergers and needle-stone nymph (size 12) for burrowed stonefly pulls. Fish tight lies—trout rise 10–20 ft downstream of inflow seams and inside alder overhangs at Martyr Worthy beats.
Conservation note
These dusk windows depend on clear chalkstream water and intact ranunculus beds. Keep wading light and recover flies gently to preserve the fragile weed ecosystem sustaining trophy browns.
Recommended: fine fluorocarbon tippet