Specimen fishing tips | Target winter grayling with Dai Gribble
ONE species that epitomises winter fishing is the grayling. There is no better fish to target during the short days, and a bonus is that grayling are predominantly found in streamy upland reaches of rivers – so you’ll most likely find yourself surrounded by some great scenery.
Here are seven tips to help you get the most out of a grayling trip.
Floatfish
Trotting tactics allow grayling to fight to their full potential. I generally use a 13ft rod unless I’m fishing a very small river, as the extra length helps control the float. On bigger, open stretches of river a rod up to 15ft long can be useful, especially on windy days.
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Grayling take a bait fairly quickly, so if they are present in a swim they often come out on the first few trots through. If after 30 minutes’ trotting you have not caught anything, moving swims is a better option than persisting in the same swim.
Bulk shot the float
I like to have the bulk of the shot or an Olivette weight about 2ft from the hook, with a No4 shot between the bulk shot and the hook. This makes changing depth really easy, as the shot don’t have to be moved.
Keep the bait down
Changing depth is important, because grayling tend to hold in the current just above the riverbed and it is likely that different swims will be at different depths. Keep increasing the depth of the rig until you are happy that the bait is close to the bottom. If the float gets pulled under due to catching the bottom, just shallow up a little.
Maggots to start
I have found white maggots to be the most consistent bait for grayling, and I favour a double maggot hookbait. It is worth having a few red maggots as a change bait. Sweetcorn can also be effective, and indeed may single out the bigger fish in swims where there are lots of small grayling.
Feed little & often
Grayling will feed in even the coldest weather, but take care not to overfeed them. You want them to take your hookbait before they have eaten enough. Feed around five maggots each cast – the aim is to get the fish searching for food, not to fill them up.
Take your time
Grayling have quite hard mouths, and are notorious for shedding the hook. To minimise the risk of losing fish, ensure your hooks are really sharp – check the points frequently – and take your time when playing fish.
