Grayling Flies - River Itchen

[Minty93 4]

Hi all,

 

I have been a maggot drowner for quite some time, I have done a little fly fishing and these days I prefer to stick to lures, with an interest in dabbling with the fly some more. I have a fly rod that's barely been christened and I also have a new reel as a Christmas gift. Does anybody know of any good imitations for Grayling on the lower Itchen? The free stretch in Swaythling, Southampton. I've caught some nice specimens on bait in the past, but it's too easy and I want to challenge my fishing skills. I am also a big fan of fishing light now I'm older so fly and lure fits that really well.

[tomburras 2,729]

I know hardly anything about fly fishing for grayling but while talking to a fly fisherman on the banks of cod beck in Thirsk he said the fly pattern called red tag was superb for grayling and he looked to be catching quite a few.

 

At tom.

[AThomas 32]

Czech nymphing this time of year.Heavy weight nymphs to sink right down, as grayling are bottom feeders and have a down mouth like carp.

Sheimp caddiss imitations, theres some nice worm and maggott flies around too.

I can tie you a few if you like.

 

http://www.czechnymphs.co.uk/Shop/

Edited January 22, 2015 by AThomas

[AThomas 32]

very kind of you Johnny, glad their working.

The Welsh Dee is like a yo yo at the minute.

Edited January 22, 2015 by AThomas

[Minty93 4]

Czech nymphing this time of year.Heavy weight nymphs to sink right down, as grayling are bottom feeders and have a down mouth like carp.

Sheimp caddiss imitations, theres some nice worm and maggott flies around too.

I can tie you a few if you like.

 

http://www.czechnymphs.co.uk/Shop/

That would be brilliant, AThomas. Thank you.

 

Let me know on costs, etc. by PM please (I should have PM's now if I read correctly).

[billybaltic 308]

I used to fish the welsh dee a fair bit, keep meaning to get back at it, anyway i used to do well on spider type pattern's,stick fly's, pheasant tail nymph's and a brown sedge pattern that there was a lot of on the river so i decided to copy it to the best i could, was over the moon with the results of making up my own fly, big brown dubbed body with brown and white mottled wings(female pheasant feather).Great river to fish, i fished the bala angler stretches, i'm sure there is a record in that river, especially in the salmon pools, some good trout fishing aswell,mainly small stuff with the odd surprise.

[bobcullen79 1,495]

Like your self Minty, Ive had some nice grayling out of the stretch you mention trotting maggot. Theres some nice Chubb about there too, 6lb+. As for the flies, Couldnt help you, never even handled a fly rod

[Minty93 4]

They're certainly in there, but they are getting bite shy in their old age.

[hutch6 550]

You won't go far wrong with a Sawyer Bug or anything with a slight pink colouration to it. Seems that grayling have a penchant for pink coloured flies be it a bead head, a bit of dubbing or the stem on a klinkhammer.