Grayling

[Tom Casey]

Hailstone and freezing rain curtailed my session at Happy Valley yesterday , but not before landing a couple of trout and grayling . No real size to the fish , just glad to have had a few in this urban setting .

 

[Wayne Botley]

Hi , Has anyone fished the River Blackwater at Whinwhistle fishery ? Thinking about giving it ago on Sunday (lower itchen fishery fully booked). Two hour drive so I don't want to waste time and money if it's not worth it. Thanks in advance Wayne

 

[Graham Elliott]

Hi , Has anyone fished the River Blackwater at Whinwhistle fishery ? Thinking about giving it ago on Sunday (lower itchen fishery fully booked). Two hour drive so I don't want to waste time and money if it's not worth it. Thanks in advance Wayne

Where are you coming from Wayne?

 

[Wayne Botley]

Kent Graham

 

[Graham Elliott]

Kent Graham

Ah. Too far to Builth Wells or Cardiff then. Better grayling than Itchen.

Are there none about at Ashurst any more,

 

[Wayne Botley]

Not sure Graham, thought that was all club water up there.

 

[Graham Elliott]

Yes. The bit below Lower Itchen is free fishing. But not the prettiest area

 

[Adrian Sadler]

How the heck do you keep them on the hook?

This winter' challenge is; a two pounder and fish from five different rivers. The second part was easy (I've done six now), but I'm struggling to get past 1:15.08 (twice!).

The trouble is the larger (I think) fish keep falling off. I reckon more than 50% recently.

Hook. I thought I'd cracked it with new(ish) Drennan Acolyte Grippers. REALLY sharp, sl. beaked, can't open a #16 with 3.08lb hooklink (but thinner than a Superspade), but after a honeymoon period they now seem no better than anything else.

Rod. Softish, Drennan IM9 & Crystalight

I wondered if the closeness of the Olivette to the hook helps pull the hook out? Does a 6g weight flying about during the fight, 8 to 12" from the hook help loosen a hook hold. When I come across others I get the impression I'm probably fishing heavier floats with Olivette much closer to the hook than most .

Any thoughts please?

 

[Richard Isaacs]

How the heck do you keep them on the hook?

This winter' challenge is; a two pounder and fish from five different rivers. The second part was easy (I've done six now), but I'm struggling to get past 1:15.08 (twice!).

The trouble is the larger (I think) fish keep falling off. I reckon more than 50% recently.

Hook. I thought I'd cracked it with new(ish) Drennan Acolyte Grippers. REALLY sharp, sl. beaked, can't open a #16 with 3.08lb hooklink (but thinner than a Superspade), but after a honeymoon period they now seem no better than anything else.

Rod. Softish, Drennan IM9 & Crystalight

I wondered if the closeness of the Olivette to the hook helps pull the hook out? Does a 6g weight flying about during the fight, 8 to 12" from the hook help loosen a hook hold. When I come across others I get the impression I'm probably fishing heavier floats with Olivette much closer to the hook than most .

Any thoughts please?

Try Kamasan Animals in spade end micro barb.
They tend to have a little more gape width for their actual size and as a result they hang on to a bit more skin. I use them in size 18 for grayling and while like everyone I drop afew it’s a long long way from 50%

 

[Chris Jones]

Any thoughts please?

Don't chase your tail too much on this. As far as I'm concerned, you will always lose a higher percentage of grayling than pretty much any other common UK freshwater fish I can think of. A combination of bony mouths, how they fight, and occasional fussiness, is the inherent problem, not necessarily your set up.

However, despite believing this, I still tinker pretty regularly to see if there's a better rod, line, hook etc. This tinkering usually occurs after a session or two when the losses appear to exceed the norm. A couple of things I have found along the way is that a set up must have a certain synergy when it comes to grayling. Just a change of line can render an otherwise excellent rod to be distinctly sub-optimal for grayling. It's most dramatically obvious if you swap from an old fashioned stretchy mono to a braid.

I very much doubt that your olivette will be causing any of your issues. I feel it would have to be considerably heavier to be a problem.

When it comes to rods, personal taste plays a huge part. I fish Yorkshire Dales rivers where it can be necessary to trot to pretty extreme distances at times. This colours me preference for faster actioned rods (at least when subject to little load). I tend to favour spliced tip rods provided that they aren't the kind that refuse to bend past the top join even if you hook Moby Dick. Unbending pokers are no use to me. Likewise, soft, through actioned rods aren't my bag for grayling. I did try my own Crystalight for grayling once. It's a smashing light rod, but, for me, it's not got enough steel or tip speed to set hooks in the mouths of grayling. I'm not as familiar with the IM9. However, I'd consider it a better bet, despite it being a little more through actioned than I'd prefer.

Hook choices are a bit of a minefield. I find that I make a lot of compromises. Ideally, I'd use the finest gauge wire possible. However, it can't be so fine that it's in any way springy. The points also have to be able to withstand fishing in very rocky environments. For a long time, I've been using Drennan Wide Gape Match for almost all my float fishing with maggots. However, for grayling, I'll occasionally ring the changes with Kamasan B560s, Drennan Acolyte Maggot Plus, Drennan Acolyte Silverfish, Preston Natural N-30, Guru Kuranku, Guru Match Special MSB and Guru Feeder Special LWGF. I've also got a few similar hooks from other brands (Browning, Matrix, VMC, Garbolino etc). I can't really recommend any of the alternatives other than the Kamasan B560s as I've simply not used them enough yet. None of them have been bad yet.

One thing I have learned when grayling fishing is rather counter intuitive. When fish prove finicky and hookups poor, most of us will drop a hook size or two. I've learned that moving to a larger hook can sometimes be a better option. It's not unusual for me to fish a single maggot on a 14 hook, provided the maggot is fresh and large, the hook is buried in the maggot rather than nicked, and the hook pattern is rather wide gaped.

 

[Graham Elliott]

Size 14 red maggot Drennan to nylon

I have caught a lot of 2lb plus grayling. This is the best hook. Don't be afraid to to use 2 to 4 maggots

 

[Richard Isaacs]

Most spliced tip rods are more than ideal especially if you use one of an older type before they started putting them into more powerful rods that don’t bend as easily.
The tricast alertons spring to mind as a spliced rod that I would personally find too powerful for grayling.
If you can find one a normark microlite or Titan 2000 would be probably perfect provided that 13ft is long enough as they have very fast tips and excellent actions suited to hard fighting grayling.
An acolyte ultra would also be absolutely ideal and I’ve heard great things about cadence rods in the very lighter end of the scale being great for grayling.
Personally I don’t think you have a rod problem at all as it is very much the nature of the beast with grayling that we all drop afew. I do think increasing the gape size on your hook will help. I actually used to use drennan reds and super spades alot and I do find I keep afew more grayling on with wider gapes like the animals and the drennan wide gapes. They are good hooks also

 

[Neil Maidment]

Yes, it is what it is. It happens and it's grayling fishing. Agree with Graham, #14 Drennan Red Maggot or Red Carp.

I fish the Dorset Frome, Itchen and occasionally Test and Kennet. I've also tried micro swivels and pole elastic "shock absorbers" and never really noticed any difference. Good days and bad days, I just accept it nowadays.

Interestingly, when fly fishing for them, which is rapidly something I'm doing more of, I've still "dropped" a few too many better fish.

Last week I fished the Test and had dozens of fine grayling with quite a few 2lbs+ fish (just the one weighed at 2:07). Only dropped a couple and was very pleased with how my Acolyte 15ft Plus handled them but I'm sure there will be future trips with overall different results!

 

[Adrian Sadler]

After a trip today to a largeish river in South Wales ( which local said was in terrible condition and only had two bites) I again had as many fish fall off as I landed (7)...getting bites doesn't seem to be my problem.

Thanks for your replies.

I quite like the "buy a packet of Kamasans"

I'm not sure of the "splash £4 or 500 on a pair of short and long Acolytes" ;-)

Overall I like Chris Jones's response best...I summarise it as "get over yerself and get on with it"!

Thanks all

 

[Alan Rose]

Almost a year on from the last post in this thread, so thought I’d revive it

Who’s been out grayling fishing? I know @Chris Jones has! Anyone got a new rod to try for grayling this season? I’m using my 13’ 6” Browning Sphere and trying to persuade myself to take my 15’ Acolyte Ultra out to play!!

Hoping to get out tomorrow on the Wharfe, but my son has a bit of a temperature tonight so will have to see what the morning brings

Al

 

[Ian Woods]

Almost a year on from the last post in this thread, so thought I’d revive it

Who’s been out grayling fishing? I know @Chris Jones has! Anyone got a new rod to try for grayling this season? I’m using my 13’ 6” Browning Sphere and trying to persuade myself to take my 15’ Acolyte Ultra out to play!!

Hoping to get out tomorrow on the Wharfe, but my son has a bit of a temperature tonight so will have to see what the morning brings

Al

Hey Alan, I think you would be better off with the accy plus than the ultra for grayling....jmo of course.
The 13 6 sphere will be ideal though, good luck if you do manage to get out .

 

[Richard Isaacs]

I’d probably go with Alan and say ultra for grayling personally. I’m looking forward to giving the 11fter more of a bash on the narrow becks for them soon.

Although if 13ft is an ideal length then for me titan2000 every time no question.
Its my preferred favorite by quite some margin
I find the plus and avenger just a little on the stiff side for my tastes with grayling. I’d chose them for a days chubbing.

 

[Ian Woods]

I’d probably go with Alan and say ultra for grayling personally. I’m looking forward to giving the 11fter more of a bash on the narrow becks for them soon.

Although if 13ft is an ideal length then for me titan2000 every time no question.
Its my preferred favorite by quite some margin
I find the plus and avenger just a little on the stiff side for my tastes with grayling. I’d chose them for a days chubbing.

I once used a normark microlite whilst trotting for grayling in a large powerful river. I lost the first few fish I hooked. I realised that by the way the grayling were fighting they could somehow bounce the hook out against the soft rod. From then on I just wound the fish in hard and didn't loose another one. Previous to that day i'd always used an avenger and hardly lost a fish. The last time I visited that river I used a 14ft sphere, I only had eleven grayling but lost none.

 

[Graham Elliott]

My first trip for grayling is this Saturday in the land of 20mph driving..saying that had about 30 during my October Test fish.

I'll use my Hardy 14ft as trotting 40 yards or so with a 6gr Avon with a very soft tip rod doesn't really hook the fish well enough IMO despite the fact the bites can be enough to prick them.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

I once used a normark microlite whilst trotting for grayling in a large powerful river. I lost the first few fish I hooked. I realised that by the way the grayling were fighting they could somehow bounce the hook out against the soft rod. From then on I just wound the fish in hard and didn't loose another one. Previous to that day i'd always used an avenger and hardly lost a fish. The last time I visited that river I used a 14ft sphere, I only had eleven grayling but lost none.

I’m not loosing them on the rods I like to use Ian.