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Grayling

A recent trip on the tees yielded 5 grayling over a pound, including this at 1lb 10oz..

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Also had one of 1lb 3oz off the upper swale...

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Love trotting for grayling!
 
I've been reliving my youth for the past couple of weeks chasing grayling on the upper Swale. I've yet to land anything especially large, the best has gone 1lb 4oz.
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I'm enjoying myself immensely and in around eight trips have yet to suffer a blank. There's a lot of fingerling grayling showing up, which bodes really well for the future.
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Today was my best trip so far in terms of numbers. Twenty two grayling and five trout. The best of the grayling being a brace at 15oz.
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The trout stole the show a bit, and trashed the swim each time.
The best went 2lb backed up by fish of 1lb 12oz and 1lb 4oz.
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An Abu gold max? Nice reels, I've been thinking of getting the closed face out. See how the wind is at the weekend...
 
Lovely photos chris, is that an Abu gold max, heavy but balances any rod and better than the old ones.
 
James Hinley said:
An Abu gold max? Nice reels, I've been thinking of getting the closed face out. See how the wind is at the weekend...
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Jon Frisby said:
Lovely photos chris, is that an Abu gold max, heavy but balances any rod and better than the old ones.
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Yes, it's the much maligned Gold Max 507 MK2. I still have two, one standard and the other the dragless Match Edition. Far better reels than they are given credit for by many.;)

Not what I was using today though, the wind wasn't quite nasty enough to need to. The drag on the Twinpower is just too good to ignore unless forced to.;)
 
Only managed eleven grayling and seven trout today. The best grayling were 14 and 15oz.
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The best of the trout was a suspiciously familiar 2 pounder.
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I had a hugely enjoyable day's trotting for Grayling on the River Test on Saturday. It was a delightfully sunny day on a sparkling clear river, conditions were perfect and the Grayling were active and hungry. I lost count, but I reckon I had around fifty grayling to about a pound and a quarter, and perhaps seven or eight trout to three pounds. The three lads I was with all caught well and the best fish of the day was a respectable 1lb 9oz. I'm a newcomer to grayling, but they are a delight to fish for, and with a light rod, they make a good account of themselves in that unique spiral fashion and are just stunning to look at.

The following day we were at Throop on the Stour and the chub were a lot less accommodating :(
 
Had a strange session on the Dee yesterday, could not buy a bite in any of my usual trotting swims but when I switched to a feeder on a light tip rod I was getting savage bites. Back to the float after landing a few grayling and again no bites, even fishing the same line and holding back hard. Switch to the feeder and fish on within minutes, very odd! Ended up with 10 grayling with several over the pound, best 1.05, weird that they wouldn't take a moving bait.
 
Steve Roffey said:
Had a strange session on the Dee yesterday, could not buy a bite in any of my usual trotting swims but when I switched to a feeder on a light tip rod I was getting savage bites. Back to the float after landing a few grayling and again no bites, even fishing the same line and holding back hard. Switch to the feeder and fish on within minutes, very odd! Ended up with 10 grayling with several over the pound, best 1.05, weird that they wouldn't take a moving bait.
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Had exactly the same on a session last week. Simply couldn't buy a bite on the float.

Fortunately, it wasn't an issue today.:)

Another pretty good day on the Swale. After some extended treks in my last few trips, I was feeling a little lazy so opted for a swim I usually avoid, which just happens to be one of the shortest walks possible. Thirteen grayling and eight trout.

The best of the grayling was 1lb 5oz.
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The next best 1lb 1oz.
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Unfortunately, both of these fish had nasty slashes on the other flanks. However, they both fought like demons. Though the slashes were unsightly, they were healing well and the fish didn't seem to be suffering for them.
 
Fished the Itchen (Lower Itchen Fishery) today for the first time. Lovely bit of river, despite its obvious abnormal level. Great thing was I had the whole river to myself. Bad thing was I know why. I struggled (albeit manfully) and only managed a handful with the biggest around 1lb. I also lost an equivalent number. Had no idea there is a free stretch right next to the entrance to LIF and a few chaps were fishing when I arrived and were catching well.

I also had one of those days where literally everything went wrong. Is it just me? But if my hook could attach itself to my jacket, my trousers my bag, a random stone, leaves, general debris then it would-and this was all before casting. And why is it that it can be hard to hit bites sometimes and yet the hook only needs to lightly brush an item of clothing and it's completely embedded and virtually impossible to remove?

Still nice to be out.

Hang on, no it wasn't.
 
Howard Cooke said:
Fished the Itchen (Lower Itchen Fishery) today for the first time. Lovely bit of river, despite its obvious abnormal level. Great thing was I had the whole river to myself. Bad thing was I know why. I struggled (albeit manfully) and only managed a handful with the biggest around 1lb. I also lost an equivalent number. Had no idea there is a free stretch right next to the entrance to LIF and a few chaps were fishing when I arrived and were catching well.

I also had one of those days where literally everything went wrong. Is it just me? But if my hook could attach itself to my jacket, my trousers my bag, a random stone, leaves, general debris then it would-and this was all before casting. And why is it that it can be hard to hit bites sometimes and yet the hook only needs to lightly brush an item of clothing and it's completely embedded and virtually impossible to remove?

Still nice to be out.

Hang on, no it wasn't.
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I am a fellow sufferer on that score Howard. Last year I fished the Royal Berkshire Fishery for the first time, and the hook on my waggler rod was in constant 'find the weirdest thing to latch into' action. The finale was a beaut. I wanted to cast to a near bank spot, so executed a gentle underarm flick, then watched in horror as my rather expensive specs sailed majestically through the air, landing in the lake never to be seen again (or seen through again, come to that :D)

Cheers, Dave.
 
Well, thank heavens it's not just me then Dave. Sorry to hear about the lost glasses but you can at least console yourself with the thought that your loss helps people like me by showing that we are not alone in suffering from this most terrible of afflictions.
 
Howard.

If you go for drennan match silver fish hooks to nylon I have found that losses are reduced.

If you are going again in high water I am happy to suggest couple of good swims.

Graham
 
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