A Numpty Amongst The Grayling

[comanche 3,024]

On Christmas Eve I was lucky to be invited by a friend to go with him on a trip to a chalk stream famous for its trout and salmon. Obviously due to the trout closed season and the fact neither of us are millionaire oil shieks or plumbers we were not to be in pursuit of such noble Game.

My friend had high hopes of contacting some of the big roach the river holds and I quite fancied catching a grayling .

As it was my mate failed to find his roach . He was plagued by nuisance trout though that found his mashed-bread groundbait irresistable.

Following his instructions I'd tackled-up with a fairly heavy chubber-type float that carried a lot of shot and trotting in eight-feet of water,with a couple of red maggots, hit a grayling first cast.

It was not a monster but filled with hope I recast and caught a second fish which turned out to be even less of a monster.

Bites came almost to the cast and I managed to actually connect with a few of them . None of the fish were bigger than my first though so I decided to try a few different swims.

Ignoring my friend's advice I re-tackled with the sort of gear I'm happier using; a lighter float carrying only a couple of BBs. Whether it was the change of swim or more delicate approach I don't know but I started hitting better fish straight -away. None of the grayling were massive with the biggest being perhaps a tad over a pound but there were plenty of them. I lost- count in the mid-thirties and that was well before lunch-time.

Unlike my mate I managed to aviod being besieged by hordes of naughty out-of-season trout but still caught a couple of browns and a sea-trout as well as a wayward parr that clearly had no respect for the Salmon and Freshwater Fish Act.

Its weird to think that I really did regard them as nuisance fish!

My friend is desperate to have another crack at the mystical and elusive big roach but I had such a good day that I'm not sure that I would like to go again in case it proved an anti-climax .

Edited December 28, 2016 by comanche

[green lurchers 16,665]

well done all on the pin id be well happy with 30 grayling great fish thy are

[mackem 26,527]

Love catching grayling,sounds like a red letter day.

[Flacko 1,746]

Big roach as good as any fish this time of year

[darbo 4,776]

i love trotting for grayling my favourite fish, Cracking write up and well done

[mackem 26,527]

Wasnt one of those £500 a day beats on the test was it?

[Lenmcharristar 9,788]

Brilliant days fishing, don't think there's any grayling over here but I'd be happy with just that sea trout

[tomburras 2,730]

Bloody brilliant - pics like that using the centrepin really get you exited! Very nice indeed.

[comanche 3,024]

Wasnt one of those £500 a day beats on the test was it?

No.You really do have to be self-employed plumber to fish those places .

. Are you thinking of Timsbury?

I've fished there. A course fish ticket was thrice what you would pay at a normal fishery but when I first went the place exuded exclusiveness with a lovely atmosphere and some great fish .It was the sort of place you would go as a special treat or for a birthday present.

Sadly the last couple of visits weren't so good and I vowed not to return . The fish are still there but the atmosphere had gone down-market. I watched a bailiff chucking out bread and trawling swims with a lure ,one suspects hoping to relieve his boredom with an out-of-season trout. There also seemed to be a lucrative trade in guided pike -fishing which also saw angler and professional mentor disturbing swim after swim with their marching to-n-fro and constant casting of lures. Add to that the litter ,anglers now being allowed to use multiple rods as if they were on a carp-lake , a bailiff who couldn't tell a very obvious hybrid from a big roach and the bending of rules by those who claimed that "It was Ok because they know the owner." and the place just ceased to appeal.

Edited December 29, 2016 by comanche

[mackem 26,527]

No mate,not timsbury,i was thinking some of the hallowed beats near stockbridge,they ooze exclutivity,i have fished their a number of times always had a great session,must rush off now,i have to unblock a U-bend and install a shower unit.

[kenj 131]

I got treated to a day at Timsbury ten years ago. The small feeder stream that exits the pool near the office was full of 8oz to a pound roach. Had about 20, then switched to the main river catching grayling, all on stick float with red maggot. This was October and the sea trout were jumping all over the river, landing four and losing a couple more. Best landed 5lb. The guy who invited me was not a float angler and caught very few fish and never invited me again.

 

The place to go these days is Wherwell Estate on the Test. Just off the A303, it's £43 a day, 11th October to 14th March.

 

I fish a public bit of the river Lambourne. I had a terrific session flyfishing on the nymph. This was my blog: http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/grayling-see-red-in-urban-river/

[Billybigfish 57]

Some nice fishing there, good day out

[neil cooney 10,416]

Brilliant days fishing, don't think there's any grayling over here but I'd be happy with just that sea trout

Even if we had Grayling the fisheries would ensure we couldn't fish for them because of the risk of hooking a precious Brown Trout.

[kenj 131]

Many years ago I got invited to fish on the lower Test near Broadlands. The chairman of our club had salmon, trout and sea trout fishing there and once a year we had a winter match on it. All the coarse fish had to be tipped into a small hatch stream, while all the grayling caught were killed. These days these game rivers expect to be paid for this out of season fishing and all grayling returned. I must say they were very tasty grayling. Best I had was about 2lb.

 

I had a Salisbury and District Avon game ticket for about 10 years, where we could take two trout and two grayling a visit. Also were allowed to flyfish for grayling til new year. Caught plenty of fat grayling and thin trout. Grayling have to be one of the best looking and sweetest smelling fish in the river.

[C.green 3,231]

I got treated to a day at Timsbury ten years ago. The small feeder stream that exits the pool near the office was full of 8oz to a pound roach. Had about 20, then switched to the main river catching grayling, all on stick float with red maggot. This was October and the sea trout were jumping all over the river, landing four and losing a couple more. Best landed 5lb. The guy who invited me was not a float angler and caught very few fish and never invited me again.

 

The place to go these days is Wherwell Estate on the Test. Just off the A303, it's £43 a day, 11th October to 14th March.

 

I fish a public bit of the river Lambourne. I had a terrific session flyfishing on the nymph. This was my blog: http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/grayling-see-red-in-urban-river/

The bridge in the picture of the lambourn is not far from me at all. Cracking little stream can't beat a frosty morning on the grayling. Edited January 23, 2017 by C.green