I was eager to do a bit more grayling fishing but this time on a different stretch, I figured it would be harder, not just because the river was much lower but also it was a new section, a streamier narrow stretch which split into several carriers. I arrived late morning and was graced with bright February sun following an overnight frost, it was a good day to be out to catch a few fish and find new swims, there's nothing like exploring a new bit of river.
I walked to the top end of the fishery, by fishery I mean accessible river as this stretch like the one a few weeks back was free fishing in a park, It always seems wrong roving upstream so I headed straight to the top to rove back down, thinking "That looks good" more than a number of times as I passed swims, en route to setting up by a fence that signaled 'None shall pass further'
A fox stared at me from the rushes opposite as I set up, golden red in the sun it looked amazing, it must have been having a drink when I got there, I reached for my camera slowly as we made eye contact before it unsurprisingly continued it's journey just as I started mine.
The bottom of the river was visible everywhere and the first few casts were fruitless until I spotted a lone grayling drifting about, naturally I tried for it and I got the fish feeding only to find the obliging culprits were actually trout, I had two but the grayling I thought I saw proved elusive so on I went downstream questioning my eyesight.
In the next spot I waded out and caught yet another trout before venturing further down and realizing something wasn't right, I'd only left my landing net in the previous spot, I can't remember ever doing that before and here it is standing proud like some totem pole to numptyness, I greeted it like and old friend relieved it was still there.
I had come grayling fishing but was getting 'trouted out' if there is such a term but I settled in a dreamy run that looked like it had been designed by an angler, the water gushed shallow under a bridge and there was the typical far bank eddy running under a tree. My stick float trundled along the crease perfectly, finally the first grayling was caught and I was a happy bunny, I knew it would be hard work today so rewards are relative, then a few casts later there was another grayling and I slipped it back in the sun and everything was just right, just perfect.
With the sun behind me I caught a mix of trout and grayling, some down the bottom and sometimes right under the rod tip in the clear water, they must have been able to see me as my shadow was cast long across the clear water from the low sun behind but it didn't stop them feeding..
A lady then stopped on the bridge above and threw some bread in, she knew her fishing and we had a brief chat after she asked what I had caught, then the surface erupted with small trout taking the bread in spots where there really shouldn't be fish, trout are the punk rockers of the fish world, no wonder I was having trouble getting through them as they surfaced in the sun, however they still carried on taking my single red maggot despite also having a liking for the floating bread.
I then stopped for my own bakery produce in the park on what was now a lazy sunny day as a wagtail bobbed up and down on a fallen tree nearby with much more energy than I had. I took a moment to see what those missed calls were about on my phone, took time to look around, took in some calories and cracked on.
It then clouded up a bit but didn't feel cold as I continued downstream but many of the spots I passed were unfishable due to deep water on the nearside and waterlogged rushes, throw in some low trees and you get the picture. In one area the flow was too fast to bring a fish up with the gear I was using and the only spot I could get to meant an upstream cast, not easy in fast boily water but I managed a couple of fish there. Despite being denied by other overgrown fishy looking spots I must admit I do love that a river that can be too wild and feisty even when running low.
I picked up a few grayling here and there and yet more trout before losing a hook in one of those precarious swims, with the schools about to come out I decided to call it a day early and head back for a glass (or two) of red wine. I stopped on the bridge and looked back one last time.
It was a quite a hard session but my net was wet which is always a good thing even though trout won the day, all the fish were a decent size but nothing over a pound, they all looked like works of art when illuminated in the sun. I finished on 15 trout and 13 grayling in total.
That will be it for the grayling this year although I think I may have said that last time.
