Common Cockchafer
Melolontha melolontha — May Bug, June Beetle
During evening flights, heavy beetles fall onto water and become high-value mouthfuls for surface-feeding fish.
Terrestrials — Terrestrial
Scarabaeidae
Body 20–30 mm / Hook size 8–12
Evening
Rivers and lakes near trees, meadows, and farmland
Lifecycle
Larvae develop in soil for several years. Adults emerge in spring and fly at dusk, often colliding with vegetation and falling onto rivers and lakes.
Peak months
Cockchafers are clumsy fliers and frequently end up on the water. Fish that ignore tiny naturals may move decisively to take these large terrestrials.
Fishing tips
Dusk Terrestrial Window
Fish a foam or deerhair beetle close to overhanging trees and grassy banks. Let it drift naturally, adding occasional subtle twitches.
Fly patterns
Other hatches
TerrestrialsBlack Gnat
Bibio johannisA ubiquitous summer terrestrial — the Black Gnat is available to fish on virtually every European river when other hatches are quiet.
MayfliesBlue Winged Olive
Serratella ignitaThe most important small olive on British and European chalk streams — reliable, widespread, and technically demanding.
Midges & DipteraBuzzer / Midge
Chironomidae sp.The most important insect of all on stillwaters — year-round, in every month, on every productive lake and reservoir in Europe.