Grayling Fishing.

Over the last month I have been all over the Wye catchments looking for Grayling (Thymalus Thymalus); sometimes with great success but, alas, sometimes not.

The main reason for the days of little success is the appallingly low water levels we have experienced. I mean, most of the rivers up until now, 19th Nov., have been at or below summer levels. The effect this has had on the fish is that they are still all over the river and not shoaled up as you would expect for the time of year. The fish have been spread around in the slower and shallower water. However, unlike the low water conditions of the spring, the fish are hard on the feed due to the coming winter months.

For the last month I have found the most success full method of fly fishing has been to use this fly combo. A tungsten bead peeping caddis on the point with a gold headed caddis pupa on the middle dropper and a small black spider on the top dropper. The spider is especially important if the fish are rising to Small Dark Olives.

The great advantage of this set up with the weight on the point is it gives more versatility to the fly fishing techniques that can be use with out changing the leader or flies. You can use it for upstream nymphing or wet fly or for Czech nypmhing. Basically it can be fished with a long or short line.

One of the best days fishing I had was on a beat of the Irfon, a major tributary of the River Wye.

This beat is available through the Wye and Usk Foundation booking office beats.

I also went along to the Gwent Angling Society's Grayling Day, again on the River Wye, near to Builth Wells. There were about twenty of us and we had a great day out. Everyone managed a fish or two, some more but I won't name names!

The aim of the day was to have fun and that was certainly achieved. Most of us were fly fishing for Grayling and a few trotted worms or maggots.

I did notice a small crowd of fly anglers were never far down stream from the centerpin guys.

Ha Ha! and who can blame them?

Tight lines

Frank

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