Occupational hazards I’m afraid Ian. As to the first, try and find stretches with fewer trout. As to the second, what hook are you using? They have a habit of falling off!
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I like the hooks with the isema design patterns for most of my trotting mate.Curious Richard as to what hooks you use? After using multiple different types of hooks over the years I have always found animal micro barbedand drennan superspades, again micro barbed to be the best hook patterns to keep hold of grayling, and my go to sized hook in them has usually been a 14s. In my previous post I stated that I had been using drennan acolyte super spades before tying on the animals, but I meant to say that I was using 12s acolyte "grippa hooks" the other day
In the right situation and if the fish are of a decent stamp I may go bigger still.....using those actual hooks of course as we know how much different hooks can vary in size.
The other day I was using up to 12 or more maggs on the hooks, but would vay the amount down to two. I only had 5 or 6 mediocour sized grayling but lost a much better one as I reached for the line to get hold of it. I had quite a lot of trout which appeared wether I fed a few maggs or if I lobbed out handfulls of maggs. Line wise, I used 4lb sensor and a 4lb 12ounce prestons bottom for a spell but soon reverted to the sensor straight through. In the years past i've nearly always used 6lb sensor straight through to the hook and the next time I go I will go back to fishing like that. Reasons that I will do that are, theres no need for a swivel to try amd stop the lower diameter line twisting on the retrieve, the fish are most definately not put off by the line, and you never know what you might bump into, so it's a no brainer imo, 6lb sensor straight through to the hook is the way to go for me.
Rod choice for the day was a 14ft spere waggler, which imo was idea for the purpose of targetting grayling on quite a large river.
As others have said, you cant stop the trout... if you go in with the mindset that the trout will get there first it changes your perspective. The one trick you can try to maybe reduce the trout though is if they start hitting your rig every trot through then loose feed a little further upstream past you, and cast a little further downstream to start, that way it does sometimes bring the trout up closer to you and you can sometimes nab a grayling behind them. If it works they soon cotton onto things so its a temporary potential fix. I've found that the grayling are usually below the trout too, so getting your bait down as fast as possible as early as possible can also help.
We went back last week.
On Tuesday, I had a red letter day with twenty one grayling, the best of them going 2lb 5oz.
Wednesday was a red letter day of a different kind. I only managed a single grayling, but it was 3lb.
Thursday was an excellent, slight, comedown. I had seven grayling including fish of 2lb and 2lb 8oz.
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Absolutely brilliant mate, well doneWe went back last week.
On Tuesday, I had a red letter day with twenty one grayling, the best of them going 2lb 5oz.
Wednesday was a red letter day of a different kind. I only managed a single grayling, but it was 3lb.
Thursday was an excellent, slight, comedown. I had seven grayling including fish of 2lb and 2lb 8oz.
You are out of luck. This trip only reinforced just how good the Sphere float rods really are. If they had done more powerful versions (for flood conditions and stillwater lumps), I'd never use anything else.Well now you’ve got the holy grail @Chris Jones you won’t be needing that extra 15’6” Sphere any more
Let’s cut to the chase… I never had a chance, did I?
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