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Zeals Trout Fishery
Greenstones
Wolverton
Zeals, Warminster
Wiltshire
Contact: Stewart Canham
Tel: 01747 840573
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Fly Fishing Tips and Techniques
Grayling Fishing |
Although the grayling is regarded as a game fish of the Salmonid family, its
cycle of breeding is closer to that of coarse fish and hence the grayling can be
pursued in the brown trout's close season. The grayling is very different to the
trout and more closely resembles dace (the young fish, known as 'pinks' are very
close to dace in appearance but as they mature they gain their spots and lilac
colouration) , however the grayling's special feature is its huge dorsal fin.
Also the mouth of grayling are smaller and the head more pointed than brown
trout. Grayling are distributed across Northern Europe and the Baltics, and
parts of North America as well as Britain. They require clear, cool un-polluted
water and are found in increasing numbers of streams in England and Wales which
are not too acidic or sparse in food. Often they take residence in the
upper-middle reaches of good quality rivers like the River Dee in North Wales
and other northern trout waters, as well of course as the chalk streams of the
south.
The spawning aspects of grayling are not too dissimilar to trout except that the
female produces larger numbers of eggs which hatch somewhat more quickly. The
size of grayling is also similar to wild river trout with good specimens
weighing say 1 to 2lbs and excellent examples weighing 3 to 4lbs. Records are in
the 6 to 7lb class for grayling in the UK. Grayling are a shoal fish who tend to
cruise mid water in a stream while the larger fish in a shoal will hang that bit
deeper. Generally speaking grayling will lie deeper and can observe food items
in a large cone of vision as well as be able to grab food in the depths or on
the bottom. As a result they rise to surface food at a steep angle and return
back to mid water and will repeat this behaviour if they miss the item. When
they hit the target they generally hook themselves well.
Grayling fishing is not that different from trout fishing and upstream and
downstream methods can be employed successfully. Over the years certain flies
have been favoured for grayling so as well as suitable trout flies, the angler
can use such favorite specials as Red Tag and Bradshaws Fancy. A typical
excursion to the river could utilise a trout rod of 9 feet and a lightish line
(floating or intermediate) fishing two flies such as a Greenwells Glory on the
dropper and a Sawyers killer bug on the point. Perhaps starting with the
upstream method the angler may switch to downstream depending on light and wind
or to suit particular sections of the river fished. As with brown trout if no
surface naturals can be seen and fish are not responding to flies on the top, it
will be necessary to get the fly well down. Given that grayling fishing occurs
in the winter a weighted nymph on the point is a good starting measure.
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