The feast of Saint Mark commemorates Mark the Evangelist and today is St Mark's Day. A national holiday throughout Italy and a day that is celebrated lightly here - for me, the angler and especially one who is fishing for trout with artificial imitation flies at this time of year I give thanks to St Mark.
I will doff my cap to St Mark the Evangelist, but raise my rod and a libation to St Mark the fly! A little known insect that gives me great pleasure at this time of year - the Hawthorn Fly (Bibio marci), also known as the St Marks Fly.
I have always had likings for it - a friendly sort of insect that usually coincides with my first real trout forays of the season. The large females hatch around now,although the males have been around for quite a few weeks on my local West Dorset Streams and the trout have been enjoying them.
The nippers asked what do they do? Do they bite? The answer is no of course and they are one of the unsung heroes as far as pollinators go.
The deceased example you see on my fly box was not hurt as part of this post - it was found in a web on my fishing shed window. So, if like me, you are fishing today or this evening and using a Hawthorn pattern please give thanks to St Mark as well as the fly of the same name - it's always good to cultivate your luck where fishing is concerned.
3 comments:
Don't know why but I always call it St. David's fly, perhaps it is those Welsh years on the Gower in Sketty and Rotherslide. And didn't know it was imitateed by the Bibio.
But then I was all Viva,. Muddlers and Baby Dolls.
A Black and Peacock spider in the surface film worked a treat when they were about on the reservoir. As long it's windy with a good ripple. fantastic when the trout piled into a barely moving or drifting fly.
John
I think I prefer St Davids as a name for it BB - the Hawthorn is a very spidery pattern TT, sounds good fun! Freezing here today, but did hear a cuckoo call the other day! TTFN Dickie
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