The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Clocks back so a day trotting today; a grueller as river lower than hoped. Four hours fishing produced half a dozen brownies I could have done without . But last two casts - 1-15 and 2-2 grayling . So a good start but will wait for the leaves to go before I try again. Trotted dendrobena on a 12' H*****son G*i- and pulled like trains .

Well done. Waiting until it gets a bit colder before I try for the ladies

Now is the time MGs - my fishing partner has had 3 x 3lbers already! Plus a lot of 2s!!

John Aston wrote:Clocks back so a day trotting today; a grueller as river lower than hoped. Four hours fishing produced half a dozen brownies I could have done without . But last two casts - 1-15 and 2-2 grayling . So a good start but will wait for the leaves to go before I try again. Trotted dendrobena on a 12' H*****son G*i- and pulled like trains .

Never fished for them but they do look a pretty fish, do they realy smell of Thyme?

They do smell different - I am not sure if really of thyme but they aren't very fishy in odour. And in the flesh they are quite impossibly beautiful- I think they are our prettiest fish by a handsome margin and they only tend to live in the loveliest places too. Well worth getting one on your CV

A great way to start your winter's fishing John.

I think that everybody should make the effort to catch a grayling or two during their fishing lives if just to gaze upon their colours. They fight differently to anything else in our waters and the smell, well, I can't describe it but grayling and smelt both smell nothing like 'fish'. I've got a couple of trips booked where there will be grayling aplenty but also hope to winkle a few out from my local stretches.

Excellent fish John. The river seems to be doing quite well at the moment.

I find it hard to describe why grayling are so beautiful which is what I think you mean by "quite impossibly beautiful". I thinks it's the combination of shape, the big fin, delicate scales and sometimes the fin colours but I couldn't describe it. One thing for sure most real anglers agree that they are beautiful!

I've come to realise that I'm quite lucky in that I've always had access to grayling fishing and at one time was surprised to meet anglers who have never caught them. I have had the pleasure of helping a few of them catch their first grayling. I totally agree with you and Dave - if you haven't caught one then it is a pleasure you should deliberately seek.

Had a nice session on dries last week. It's always surprising how well they manage to pick out a tiny Griffith's Gnat hidden amongst the rafts of leaves floating downstream.

Rain has stopped play for two months but I found the river in perfect form today - cool, still and ten tenths cloud and the river clear with that lovely grey green winter tinge. 8 grayling - all 12 oz to 1-4 except a big one of exactly 2-8 . Some out of season trout too- one of which ran a good 25 yards- a beautiful wild hen fish of getting on for three pounds. But ...sod it..hooked a very big grayling in a shallow run which I didn't see but I doubt was much less than three- hook pulled...All on 4AA float . size 12 and dendrobena on 0.15 Reflo (ie 5-14 bs). Not a foot print . hardly a sound ....

Excellent John.

Driffield beck is well high with the springs in full flow. A bit too much water in some sections although it seems the grayling do well spawning with good flows.