If you haven't fished Ardleigh this season, and you're on not the other side of the world, then I should tell you it's worth a visit. The fish this season are bigger (almost 2 lbs average) and in excellent condition. Fishing's good with top-of-the-water action with buzzers and hawthorn patterns. The buzzers are size 12 and 14 in dark olive and black. The hawthorn are numerous and when we get the perfect hawthorn day, the fishing should be great (although in my experience the perfect hawthorn days are well spread out - in memory I've experienced one - they are sunny and windy (sunny to encourage the hawthorn flies to engage in a bit of aerial sex and windy enough to dump them on the water) with periods of cloudy calmness (to encourage the trout to eat them)).

Good places to fish right now are Noah's Arc car park and the point at the end of the Northern Narrows through to the first sluice, and when the wind's right for it: Connells Bay. Lost? Good. My fishing's safe then.

Expect good dry fly fishing during May around first and last light.

You might find me around last light, but probably not during the mornings as all my time then is taken up training for this Triathlon desire I got into last November. Basically I realised I wasn't as fit as I would like to be, and so gave up the weed and got into fitness. All fitness people need to have a goal. Mine was, and is, to do the Ironman (all eight or so of them) and not having been running for ten years and not owning a cycle and not being able to swim, only made me more determined.

Still the evening rises are pretty good.

Last month I offered you a booby article to read and so not surprisingly the fish have all been close to the surface and the only tactic worth fishing involves floating lines. Therefore this month I offer you no article, partly because I'd only tempt fate and partly because I don't have one handy.

Any questions? Drop me a line...