Start with Booby (8-10) on a fast strip on floating line or static on sinking. Evening can produce explosive surface takes — try a foam beetle or booby on a long leader. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. When no hatch is visible, a buzzer team — black stripped quill on the point, attractor or pearl-rib on the top dropper — is the default starting point on any UK stillwater.

Fish early and late, try deeper during the heat of the day with a fast-sinking line.

Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.

Bank fishing near inflows, dam walls, and weed beds. Move to find feeding fish.