t was mid-January before I finally gave those emergers from the Spring issue a trial, due to a combination of poor weather and the business commitments leading to the closing of the print side. They worked, of course – that's the nymph at the top of my hand in this rainbow's fork, but all of them and despite the #8 hooks – because CNI rivers have remained at Spring levels and frequently, carried colour, El Nino or not; all of which is showing in this rainbow too – a lot thinner than this time last year. Another reason they worked would be the large numbers of dark brown-black-pale underside Stonefly nymphs in the target stream – pull any piece of rotting driftwood out and they will be all over and inside it. Overall, however, I suspect the reason is simply that black items amongst the drift are probably easiest for trout to spot;
