A decent frost was on the car when I awoke but that was not a concern for my quarry today, nor was the three recent storms which had flooded all the fields and made the rivers I crossed en route look like they were going to break their banks. Just under two hours later I am at a river running clear and perfect doing what chalk streams do best, it's almost like witchcraft how they handle the rains so well.
We have had storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin so now I was hoping for Storm Grayling.
Naturally I set up in the windiest spot as it just started to rain, mind you it seems it's always windy now, it felt bitter but I just couldn't wait knowing that any grayling would be my first for a couple of years. I set up my little 4no4 stick, the same float I seem to use for everything lately (well it works) and run the float through the fast swim, it goes under first cast, I strike and..... a tiny trout is swung to hand.
Just as I was thinking it could be one of those days if the small stuff are on the feed the float goes under second run through and this time I strike into the unmistakable, the bend in the rod was crisp and solid and I could see a long lean grayling twisting and turning in the fast current thumping my rod tip as it went, it was a good one too and not the tiny grayling that usually kicks things off, a dark fish under some dark trees on a dark day. What a bright start.
I had to rove soon after to get out of the wind and fish somewhere more comfortable, the plan was to pick a few fish from each glide as you rarely stay in one swim here. I next stopped at a spot where the first of many bicycles were in the river, mind you there was also a cd rack, a microwave and a shopping trolly. I called this the Numbnut Swim as It clearly had seen some lunacy, it was true urban fishing though and I did manage a couple of grayling amongst all the dumb discarded metal.
With the rain now easing I settled where I could sit on my stool on the mud, a crease swim which was completely slack on the inside. The first handful of feed was attacked on the surface and it didn't take long to catch several grayling here, I even caught some in the still water and it's a strange fight when there's no current that's for sure, not a patch on fishing the fast water but it was interesting to see them twist and turn in front of me.
The grayling were all a decent stamp but naturally a trout got into the act going all RAF on me twice, doing it's crazy runs and getting some decent height on one occasion, the rains had stopped and a patch of blue sky appeared for the only time today, just as the brownie left the water flying through the air, it's spray strafing the river's surface like tracer fire in the sun.
Stopping for lunch soon turns into a fish spotting exercise as I continue to feed the couple of remaining grayling that were only taking just below the surface, decent ones too. Having worked out that they were eating more than I was I tried once more but couldn't get them even with the float set super shallow and my shot slid up. They were seeing the float and the unnatural looking bait below it, they were wise.
As I was in a comfortable spot off came the float and all the shot, placed atop my rucksack for later. With just a no6 for weight I got as close as I dare to the water's edge without falling in and flicked my freelined maggot out among my feed. It did take a few attempts but finally the awesome sight of the largest grayling gliding up in the water to approach my bait was there. The result was more wonderful twists and turns in the clear water and another nice lady in the net.
The float went back on as I carried on my roving and I had to revisit a swim where I had a 5lb trout a few years ago, once again though it was grayling that were spinning in the shallow water just below the surface taking the feed. I should have stayed freelining or put on a matchstick as I remember doing that in this spot with some success last time. When they are feeding that shallow a float isn't the best option but I stuck at it and had just one grayling and a trout. I left the others there having had a good feed, they won that one and fair play to them.
I kept the float on as I wanted to try one last spot, almost the perfect looking swim with a nice crease, it was getting near the stage of packing up even though I had only fished three hours. The wind once more was bitter and I had had my fill but this swim was just too tempting.
This was the perfect run for once last flurry of action, as before it was a bite a chuck and then minnow moved in as is the way in all the spots it seems, I caught in every swim and this was no exception with a mix of grayling off all sizes that were super fun in the current.
I thought I'd pack up at 30 grayling as it's a nice round number but I lost a hook courtesy of a flipping trout in the net - not a 'flipping trout' but a trout that was flipping, I quite like them in a way, so 25 grayling wasn't a bad number to finish on with a decent average size and a few nicely over a pound, I only lost 6 or 7 and I'll take that ratio any day. Both dace and the elusive roach were absent today, half a dozen trout made for some variety and those minnows kept me on the move.
I took a slow drive home way before it got dark, rolling back past many building sites and down duel carriageways covered in litter. My cd playing and Mark Lanegan singing, "Oh the river rise and it's a mile high" as I crossed a muddy looking Thames and flooded meadows that looked like lakes.
Well the old chalk streams can cope and 'Storm Grayling' was in full force.
Just found out Mark Lanegan died the day I was on this trip. RIP Mark Lanegan -Legend
