Termite Delight

TERMITE DELIGHT!

Termites! I guess the appearance of thousands of flying termites on a warm humid,Spring day strikes fear into the hearts of most Australians. Not physical fear, more that fear of a silent assassin who has briefly shown himself before disappearing to possibly do untold damage to the wooden structure of your home. But for me, and other fly fishermen who have witnessed the affect a termite hatch has on a Trout stream, the feeling is very different and goes one of three ways.

Firstly, you aren`t fishing but when you see those flying termites your imagination goes into overdrive as the desire “to be there” washes over you. Second, and only slightly better, you are “out there” on a Trout stream BUT you don`t have a fly that remotely resembles a termite – and the Trout know it! Nirvana is when you are on the water and the termites appear in their hundreds and thousands, a previously fishless stretch of water comes alive with feeding Trout AND you have a termite pattern or a “near enough” fly that passes close inspection by the occasional fish.

You may think I am overplaying the effect of a termite hatch, but I kid you not – it has to be seen to be believed. It really goes against all the rules of Trout fishing in so many ways. For starters, you can and must fish the dry as you are not searching for clues as to where in the water column the Trout are feeding. A previously barren looking stretch of river immediately becomes interesting as dimples appear in the slower, quieter glides and regular slurps are heard as other fish confidently pluck the termites from the faster riffles. You also know exactly which insect the Trout are taking because, at best, there are thousands of them on the water, flying around you or even on your face and hands. Previously, you could have been using one of a dozen or more patterns to tempt a rise, but now you know precisely what they want!

Best of all, the Trout seem to have thrown caution to the wind and have appeared from nowhere to feed steadily on this Spring bounty, plus they become so locked on to the food source that you can present your fly more times than usual. Even if you do spook  your quarry, it`s usually only a few minutes before greed brings that Trout back on to the feed – but by then you will probably have selected another confident feeder – did I mention Nirvana?

There just has to be a catch in this heaven sent fly fishers dream and that catch is whether or not you have a specific termite pattern, or one you can adapt on the day. If the triggers aren`t there in your fly then you might as well go home. What are the triggers? Well, a quick look at a termite, and they are so easy to catch in your hand, shows a very small, super slim body attached to comparatively huge wings that, on the water, are usually stuck in the surface film at right angles to the body. Then there are the legs! A peek underneath a termite tells you how active they are and I guess those legs would initially be in overdrive when the termite finds itself on the water. Legs are for the purist I think, not usually necessary, but a challenge at the fly tying desk. Colour can sometimes make a difference as Termites definitely vary in shades of body and wing colour from one location to another. However, I believe it is the specific body and wing profile that are the main feeding triggers, so initially aim to copy these and consider colour (and legs) on your later creations. Effective body colours range from cream through to light brown whilst a grizzly or light brown hackle are ideal for the wings.

Personally, I am on termite pattern Mk 6 or 7, but I was astounded at just how effective my specific Mk 1 pattern was in the early days. Put simply, my termite fly is just an adapted para-dun with a white or yellow post for visibility. The body however, is very slim, small and compact whilst the wings are comparatively large. I cut out the forward and rear 90 degrees of the parachute hackle to simulate the wings splayed out at right angles to the body in the surface film of the river. If you find yourself surrounded by termites and without a specific pattern, the secret is not to continue flogging away with the fly you have on. Take a few minutes to adapt an Adams, para-dun or even a conventionally hackled dry fly. Remove the tail, cut out the front and rear sections of the para hackle, or cut off the bottom fibres of a standard hackled fly, and then really trim the body down to a very slim cigar shape. Believe me this is so much better than having to walk away in frustration from a river full of feeding Trout!

Prime time for termite hatches is Mid-October through to Mid-December on those days that are humid and hold a strong possibility of thunderstorms later during the day. Don`t wait too long though as the termites can be hatching throughout the day if the warmth and humidity levels are right. Quite often the hatches can peter out towards the end of the day and the Trout seek refuge with a full stomach. Worse still, it storms and become too lethal to fish with a carbon fibre rod in your hands! The 2011 season actually commenced in Victoria with a very warm and humid day that triggered dense termite hatches from the fallen gum trees that are strewn around the streams and rivers – the earliest termite hatch I have known since commencing fly fishing in 1994. I was unable to fish that day and was doubly frustrated to later hear that my mate Frank had caught 20 Termite feeding Trout from a small Gippsland stream on an adapted Adams pattern!

A few final thoughts for you. Despite my earlier comments, you don`t need to always fish a dry pattern as many crippled termites sink and the trout eat them as well, as you will discover if your dry pattern sinks or you use a small spider pattern wet fly. Also, if the water surface is inundated with naturals the trick is then to force a rise to your imitation! This, on occasions, can be achieved by imparting the slightest of movements to your fly (those kicking legs again!), or observing the feeding station and rhythm of your selected Trout and timing the cast so that the Trout is looking up as your fly lands on the surface. Not always easy, but very satisfying when it actually works.

Termites – I love them, just not in my house!!

Thanks to Glenn Strike for this article. I'm sure it will get our readers inspired to target the termite feeders in the coming months. Time to start working on the MK8 termite fly!