• You need to be a registered member of Barbel Fishing World to post on these forums. Some of the forums are hidden from non-members. Please refer to the instructions on the ‘Register’ page for details of how to join the new incarnation of BFW...

Winter Grayling mission

R

Roger Pearman

Senior Member
Once again I’m here to consult the oracle that is the BFW community.

I’ve set myself a goal of a winter Grayling caught by trotting this season. It’s never prudent to take satisfaction solely from weight but ideally I’d hope I could wangle a fish of at least 2lb across a few sessions.

I’ve narrowed down my venue choices to two local-ish rivers (the Lower Itchen and Timsbury on the Test) and and one further afield in Wales (the Irfon) and would spend a day on each across the same week.

Given that I will book in advance and can’t predict the weather in early November, are there any other venues that I should be considering that offer a reasonable chance of a specimen sized Grayling?

Also, I assume any decent float rod of suitable length will suffice? I’ll be trying out the centrepin ahead of time but will also have a closed face Daiwa 125M as a backup.

Any general advice is welcome.

Thanks

Roger
 
Roger. I've manged quite a few.

I would fish Builth Wells Wye in preference to the Irfon.
I would also include the Taff in Cardiff. Both have produced 2lb fish for me.

There are lots of grayling in the Test and Itchen, but neither have given me a genuine 2lb fish yet despite 5 Itchen and 25 Test goes.

Your best chance would be the Frome. I've managed up to 2.15 and half but a couple of pals have had 3lb fish.
I've had probably a dozen over 2lb from that river in 6 visits.

I use 14ft rods. Generally 6gr to 8gr Avons, red maggot size 14 to nylon and 3 or 4 red maggots with corn a change bait .
 
Super helpful Graham. Years of experience in one reply!

I’ll definitely research the Frome. I assume these were day tickets?
 
Club tickets. Althogh probably same cost as 2 lower Itchen days! Although higher up I believe some. DTs but don't know size of fish.

Have you looked at the Grayling thread, especially last few years?
 
Roger Pearman said:
Once again I’m here to consult the oracle that is the BFW community.

I’ve set myself a goal of a winter Grayling caught by trotting this season. It’s never prudent to take satisfaction solely from weight but ideally I’d hope I could wangle a fish of at least 2lb across a few sessions.

I’ve narrowed down my venue choices to two local-ish rivers (the Lower Itchen and Timsbury on the Test) and and one further afield in Wales (the Irfon) and would spend a day on each across the same week.

Given that I will book in advance and can’t predict the weather in early November, are there any other venues that I should be considering that offer a reasonable chance of a specimen sized Grayling?

Also, I assume any decent float rod of suitable length will suffice? I’ll be trying out the centrepin ahead of time but will also have a closed face Daiwa 125M as a backup.

Any general advice is welcome.

Thanks

Roger
Click to expand...
The Taff in Cardiff is worth fishing and at a fraction of the price .
 
It’s a shame that Dorchester & District AS stopped issuing their cut price winter tickets in 2023. An attractively priced means of accessing some reasonable stretches of the Frome from October onwards. Sadly, no more.🙄

Dave
 
I had a couple of 2s from timsbury last winter but not the itchen, there are plenty that do get caught though, I’ve just not quite sussed the lower itchen yet, going in a couple of weeks on a club day to try again. My 2s at timsbury have all come later in the day, and also by feeding a bit upstream (which temporarily sends the chaos trout up towards the bait) and casting a bit further downstream than in front of you. Both on a really deep red strawberry flavoured corn which I can’t find anymore

The other ticket that is worth a go is Christchurch angling club, they do a 7 day ticket for £70 which lets you fish any of their waters but specifically grayling the frome at tincleton and waddock farm (the frome is land of the monsters)

Plenty of the stour and the Avon too if you want to make a holiday of it, I’m considering booking the premier inn in Poole and spending a long weekend down there fishing.

There is also the east burton estate on the frome which allows course fishing in winter and also holiday cottages, the tincleton stretch is basically the same place though.

Whatever you do just try to enjoy the (trout) sport that will take up a chunk of the day especially at timsbury, there’s a lot of anglers who swear and moan about them, but also plenty that don’t respect the trout and treat them pretty poorly. I love the sport, they fight like stink and there’s nothing quite like it every trot through, the trout is these rivers lifeblood and I hate it when I see people treat them badly. I’ve had decent seatrout from timsbury too, amazing on a pin as they go airborne, and I’ve almost had my pin stripped by a fairly big salmon on the itchen.

I use a 15ft accy plus, my triton pin and a decent 6-8grm Avon, olivette above the hooklink swivel (a must as they all crocodile roll and twist your line up) and a dropper. A pinch of red maggots, a couple grains of corn and a few pomegranate seeds every trot. The trout are quite abrasive so I tie my own hooklinks and you will lose plenty of grayling as their mouths are very bony + barbless rule. I’m on a syndicate waiting list for the test because I love it so much.
 
Last edited:
a bit further afield but there’s also a decent free stretch of the lambourne in Newbury that’s full of grayling, albeit a little smaller in size.
 
Tim Penn said:
a bit further afield but there’s also a decent free stretch of the lambourne in Newbury that’s full of grayling, albeit a little smaller in size.
Click to expand...

ebay.us

Pescaviva Flavoured Sweetcorn PAY 1 POSTAGE | eBay UK

PESCAVIVA FLAVOURED SWEETCORN. Each tin contains sweetcorn grains, water, sugar, salt, colouring E124, artificial flavours. Net weight 340g. BUY NOW ONLY £2.99. BE SURE TO ADD US TO YOUR FAVOURITES LIST!
ebay.us
 
Graham Elliott said:
ebay.us

Pescaviva Flavoured Sweetcorn PAY 1 POSTAGE | eBay UK

PESCAVIVA FLAVOURED SWEETCORN. Each tin contains sweetcorn grains, water, sugar, salt, colouring E124, artificial flavours. Net weight 340g. BUY NOW ONLY £2.99. BE SURE TO ADD US TO YOUR FAVOURITES LIST!
ebay.us
Click to expand...
Hi Graham, that’s the stuff I have now, the one I used before was from a company called fresh baits, they no longer exist unfortunately from what I can find. Their red corn was almost the same colour as a pomegranate seed, much deeper and darker. Whether it made any difference who knows. Wish it was still about.
 
Tim Penn said:
Hi Graham, that’s the stuff I have now, the one I used before was from a company called fresh baits, they no longer exist unfortunately from what I can find. Their red corn was almost the same colour as a pomegranate seed, much deeper and darker. Whether it made any difference who knows. Wish it was still about.
Click to expand...
Tim. This may be OK. Ignore the message but click on it.

 
The Lower Itchen Fishery and the Test at Timsbury are good mixed fisheries (but too many coarse fish and trout including seatrout, browns wild & stocked, and rainbows - particularly Timsbury). They can be "fun" but severely restrict your ability to search out the big grayling (2lbs+). Over the decades of fishing the Itchen and Test, I've had 3lbers from both, but not for several years!

I'm heavily biased as the Dorset Frome, particularly the Upper Frome, is my local river. I'm a member of CAC and have, in the recent past, been an occasional volunteer maintaining both Tincleton and Waddock. Both have the potential to produce truly big grayling. Other than (huge) minnows and the odd escapee from local lakes and ponds, coarse fish are rare. Stocked and wild browns are present but typically not to extent of the Test or Itchen.

2lbs+ is a big grayling and, despite regular reports, are fairly hard to come by. In my opinion the Upper Frome gives you a more than decent opportunity to meet such a fish. 3lbers are obviously that much rarer but they (and larger) do exist and are absolutely beautiful beasts (see the image below - fly caught - not properly weighed - I was wading - but nearer 4lbs than 3lbs).

I've had 3lbers, on float and fly, in each of the past couple of years and previously after retiring back to Dorset 10 years ago. But, depending on conditions, which last year seemed almost continually in flood, I fish it a lot.

As has been said, CAC don't offer Day Tickets but do offer short term memberships which include the two venues. Be prepared for a small, very pacey river! Opens up for grayling 15th October.

grayling2a.jpg


20231022_173407.jpg
 
Neil Maidment said:
The Lower Itchen Fishery and the Test at Timsbury are good mixed fisheries (but too many coarse fish and trout including seatrout, browns wild & stocked, and rainbows - particularly Timsbury). They can be "fun" but severely restrict your ability to search out the big grayling (2lbs+). Over the decades of fishing the Itchen and Test, I've had 3lbers from both, but not for several years!

I'm heavily biased as the Dorset Frome, particularly the Upper Frome, is my local river. I'm a member of CAC and have, in the recent past, been an occasional volunteer maintaining both Tincleton and Waddock. Both have the potential to produce truly big grayling. Other than (huge) minnows and the odd escapee from local lakes and ponds, coarse fish are rare. Stocked and wild browns are present but typically not to extent of the Test or Itchen.

2lbs+ is a big grayling and, despite regular reports, are fairly hard to come by. In my opinion the Upper Frome gives you a more than decent opportunity to meet such a fish. 3lbers are obviously that much rarer but they (and larger) do exist and are absolutely beautiful beasts (see the image below - fly caught - not properly weighed - I was wading - but nearer 4lbs than 3lbs).

I've had 3lbers, on float and fly, in each of the past couple of years and previously after retiring back to Dorset 10 years ago. But, depending on conditions, which last year seemed almost continually in flood, I fish it a lot.

As has been said, CAC don't offer Day Tickets but do offer short term memberships which include the two venues. Be prepared for a small, very pacey river! Opens up for grayling 15th October.

View attachment 36333

View attachment 36334
Click to expand...
Thanks Neil. I do like the look of the Frome.

Although the 7 day ticket is now £90, if you can get even a couple of sessions in then it’s near enough to the day ticket costs elsewhere on the Itchen, Test etc

I’m under no illusion of it being full of 2lb’ers, I just want more variety to my fishing rather than an unhealthy obsession with Barbel that often ends in frustration.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top