Angling For Grayling Part Three.

 It's been a while since my last post, with work very busy at the moment time is hard to come by but over the last week I have been planning a trip out for Grayling with Brian, so with the weather looking good last night we made the plans final and set off at 0540 and hit the M3 with Grayling firmly in our minds, the journey down went by in a flash as we spoke all things fishy and talked up our chances. When we arrived the river looked in fantastic condition and could not wait to get fishing.

 Initially I had rigged my 11ft trotting rod with a 3SSG chubber float and aim to find the slightly deeper runs where the fish maybe laying up, my usual baits that I've used on the Test didn't work for the opening couple of hours so a change of tactics and bait started to prove pivotal as bites came more frequently. One of the biggest aims of the day was for Brian to catch a PB Grayling and after an hour or so this was accomplished with a lovely specimen, to view tap here - (Details) and his day got even better.

Mint condition Rainbow.

Average on the day of 10oz roughly.

Another hard fighting pristine Grayling.

 My day was rather slow in comparison and a pound plus Grayling decided to hop-off early doors which set the tone but as the day wore on and a few Grayling were banked I felt confident a larger one would be found, although we were enjoying our trip out immensely the conditions, the river were all perfect, by around 2oclock I had caught 6 rainbow trout, as many as 15 sea trout and a lot more brownies, these were accompanied by 9 Grayling to 1lb when just the fish I was looking for popped up on a deep gravel bed, my 4 maggots fished straight in front of it, the float buried itself immediately and that was all I needed, the fight was great in the pacy water and I played it as carefully as I dared without allowing any slack, with the net waiting I guided her in. Happy days!.

A new PB of 1.9. Fantastic.

 When they approach 2lb they change totally from a young fish and get noticeably darker and the colours on them are absolutely brilliant, after that fish was returned I had a couple more to 1.1 and as dusk approached I turned my attentions to Roach. The Roach are known in this stretch to grow over 2lbs, with that knowledge and an uncanny knack for catching good Roach I set about targeting one or two, within twenty minutes of fishing I had this beautiful Redfin in perfect winter condition, something that I'd never tire of, especially when they look like this.

An immaculate 1lb 11oz chalk-stream Roach.

Ready to fight another day.

1lb 2oz.

 It wasn't my only one either as I managed another at 12ozs in great nick too. After I had caught the 1.11 Roach I had located the shoal that I wanted to find and the shoal consisted of as many as 10 fish over 2lb with a couple in the high 2's with a very healthy number of sub 2lber's aswell, but sadly after catching two of them time ran out. My day went from strength to strength, new PB Grayling and a Roach approaching 2lb in one trip is a great return. With that said a nice jack pike also took a liking to a hard-body lure of mine which coincidentally was in great condition just like everything we caught, as night settled in we decided to call it a day and we had thoroughly enjoyed ourselves in a great place in probably the most pristine fishery I've had the pleasure of fishing.

Toothy critter at 6lb.