Is this the best grayling session ever?

A COARSE angler has enjoyed what could be the most prolific grayling fishing session on record after banking no fewer than 89 fish over 1lb during a hectic 48-hour window.

Simon Ashton, from County Durham, used stick float tactics on a low and clear Scottish river to amass the remarkable haul, which included 13 fish over 2lb to a best of 2lb 10oz. 

He told us:

“I got to the river on the Friday to find it was three feet lower than usual, so I had to put on the waders, get in the water and find the deeper holes next to the overhanging trees.

“Once I’d found the fish I just couldn’t do anything wrong and I pretty much had a bite a chuck on maggot, corn and worms. 

“At one stage I had 20 grayling in 20 casts, and even had them feeding on maggots in the crease I was creating by standing in the water. It was absolutely mental fishing!”

Simon admitted he caught so many grayling that he stopped weighing them halfway through the session, and even left shoals of feeding fish in his pursuit of a 3lb specimen.

“I’ve never before left a swim that’s rammed with 1lb-plus grayling, but it was necessary in order to try to find a bigger one!” he said.

Simon with the biggest fish of the trip at 2lb 10oz