Vicious fighting grayling - Jack Perks
“As anglers we give grayling this whimsical tag the ‘Lady of the Stream’, but they’re more ‘Bruisers of the Brook’!
“In spring, the males will turn quite black and dark and they rut with each other like deer. They don’t have teeth, but they’re really violent – biting and slapping each other for the right to mate with the females. It’s really quite shocking to watch!
“This happens in spring, when anglers aren’t fishing for them, so most people won’t have seen it, but I’ve filmed it in the Peak District in Derbyshire and you’ll see this in all waters that contain grayling.”
Help fund new fish film
Jack is currently crowdfunding to produce a free film called Britain’s Hidden Fishes, narrated by Jeremy Wade. To help get this project off the ground, visit the website here.
Stunning Frome grayling on the float
TROTTING a pair of red maggots 20 yards downstream to a near-bank slack helped put this immaculate 3lb 2oz River Frome grayling on the bank for John-Joe Price.
The Gloucester all-rounder spent 20 minutes baiting the fast water in front of the slack with maggots before casting his float.
“When it reached the slack the float’s orange bristle disappeared, I struck and this huge grayling rolled on the surface,” John-Joe said.
John-Joe Price and his stunning 3lb 2oz grayling
Four-year wait for 3lb-plus grayling ends with two in two days!
A FOUR-year quest for a 3lb-plus grayling finally ended for Steve Ballard when an opportunistic visit to the River Frome produced a pair of fish weighing 3lb and 3lb 8dr.
The Leicestershire gas engineer had a job in Wareham and packed a rod and a few tins of corn in the hope that he’d be able to get some fishing in.
“I managed two afternoon roving sessions and landed the first three-pounder on the last cast of the first day,” Steve told us.
“On the second day I lost the bigger fish before resting the swim and hooking it again!”
Steve Ballard’s brace of grayling weighed 3lb and 3lb 8dr
Rising river no problem for best grayling
THE bold decision to target grayling on a rising and coloured river paid off for Matthew Fernandez when he slipped his net under a grayling pb of 3lb 2oz 8dr.
The Hampshire rod found an area of slack water along the far bank of the River Frome which he baited with maggots before flicking his 7AAA Drennan Loafer over the top.
After losing a big fish on his very first trot through the swim, the 33-year-old’s fortunes took an upward turn on the very next cast when he set his hook into another powerful grayling.
Matt backed up his catch with fish of 2lb 8oz and 2lb 14oz, both of which also fell to double red maggot.
Matthew Fernandez and his 3lb 2oz 8dr Frome grayling
Dream comes true with giant grayling - Matthew Fernandez
“My 25-year-long dream of catching a monster grayling was finally realised. With conditions looking spot-on I headed to the River Frome and began baiting up with maggots.
“My first four trots with the float produced four big trout, so I was worried the swim would now be devoid of fish, but I knew grayling can get pushed back so I decided to persevere.
“I was right, as on the very next trot down the swim my float slid under and all hell broke loose!
“From start to finish I was praying this fish wouldn’t drop off. Thankfully, luck was on my side and this magnificent Lady of the Stream graced my net. Never before in my life have I been in awe of a fish, but this has got to be my favourite capture of all time.”
Matthew Fernandez and his dream 2lb 15oz grayling
Best grayling of the season banked at 3lb 8oz!
THE largest reported grayling of the year so far has been banked in the shape of this fin-perfect 3lb 8oz beauty.
It fell to the rod of environment scientist Adrian Pinder, who caught the impressive fish during an afternoon spent trotting maggots through the fast water of Dorset’s River Frome.
“On netting it after an epic fight, I knew it would go 3lb-plus, but I was absolutely gobsmacked when the scales went all the way round to 3lb 8oz,” said a delighted Adrian.
“Over the last few years I’ve put in lots of effort on the river and have had four grayling of 3lb-plus, but I can’t tell you how made up I am with this new personal best specimen.”
Adrian Pinder – 3lb 8oz grayling
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
Long campaign for a big grayling comes to an end
A FOUR-YEAR quest for a huge grayling finally came to a successful conclusion for Paul Houghton when he slipped his landing net under this 3lb 1oz beauty.
The Lancashire all-rounder banked the specimen when he fished a river in North Wales over two days.
The 42-year-old spent the first day of the trip familiarising himself with the stretch, during which time he managed to locate a potential holding spot for big grayling.
He told Angling Times:
“By the end of day one I’d caught a number of fish to 2lb 3oz from this shallow, fast swim with an area of broken water, so I planned to fish it first thing on the second day.
“Within a few casts I hooked into what I thought was the bottom, but then this big, dark grayling jumped clear of the water!
“Panic set in immediately so I applied as much pressure as a I dared and quickly scooped it into the net.”
Paul’s 3lb 1oz grayling was a new personal best by 4oz and fell to a single redworm trotted under a float with no loosefeed.
Paul Houghton and his 3lb 1oz grayling
"This was a grayling I didn't want to lose" - Jamie Cartwright
“I was roving along a southern river when a fish rolled on the surface in a swim. I flicked in a few grains of corn before following them with a matching hookbait fished under a five-swan loafer.
The bite finally came further down the swim to where I saw the fish roll, and on setting the hook I knew it was a better fish than the 2lb 2oz grayling I’d caught earlier, as I couldn’t draw it upstream!
After what seemed like ages, I got the fish up to the surface where I got a good look at it, and knew it was definitely a grayling I didn’t want to lose.
Luckily the gear I was using was up to the job and I bundled this absolutely flawless 2lb 14oz grayling into my net. It beat my previous best by 13oz.”
Anglers get winter grayling bug
Anglers love fishing for grayling over the winter period. Here are some of the best examples of the species caught recently…
Michael Pardoe 3lb 8z Grayling and Harry Pardoe 2lb 7oz Grayling
A 60th birthday trip to a southern chalk stream proved to be the perfect gift for Michael Pardoe, after banking this immense 3lb 8oz grayling.
Arriving at the river with his son Harry, they found it running well above normal level, but the water remained clear.
“We were full of anticipation,” Harry said, “but initially we were pestered with trout.”
“After moving swim my dad was into another fish that we both presumed to be a trout due to its size, but when I was about to net it, we realised what it was.
“I shouted: ‘it’s a massive grayling!’, or words to that effect.
“A quick weigh revealed the fish to be 3lb 8oz – truly a dream fish.”
Not to be outdone by his dad, Harry also got amongst the grayling, landing multiple fish over the 2lb mark topped by a 2lb 7oz fish.
Trevor Stroud 3lb 1oz Grayling
Trevor Stroud also got in on the grayling action, stalking this 3lb 1oz specimen using a nymph and 7ft fly rod.
Arriving at a local ‘Wessex’ river for the first time in six weeks, Trevor made the most of a three-hour session.
“Starting at the bottom of the beat I covered several hundred yards without any luck,” Trevor explained, “but just as I was considering a break, I spotted a ghostly shape on the end of a gravel run.
“On my second cast, the large grayling grabbing my nymph after an induced take.
“A long and dogged fight ensued, and I had to jump in the river to net the fish. What a start to 2020!”
Magic number three for Adam
THREE really was the magic number for Adam Fisher who struck into this perfect 3lb 2oz grayling during his third cast on the third day in pursuit of a river specimen.
Overnight rain and a gloomy morning start had initially dampened the spirits of the Angling Dreams Fishery owner but after visiting three Welsh rivers he eventually settled on a stretch with a tinge of colour and ideal pace.
He told Angling Times: “It was my third swim of the day and on my third trot through the float slid away.
“When the grayling went 3lb on the scales it was clear that three really was going to be the number of the trip!
“It was also my third grayling over 3lb! Nuts hey?”
As you probably guessed it, Adam’s hookbait included three white maggots nicked onto a size 16 Drennan red maggot hook.
Long trek for giant grayling
AFTER trekking 14 miles along a Scottish river Richard Wilby finally struck into the grayling of his dreams in the shape of this 50cm-long, 3lb 2oz specimen.
The Norfolk-based specimen ace drove through the night to reach the Highland location and was duly rewarded with no fewer than 40 grayling – which included a 2lb 11oz fish alongside the three pounder.
Richard said:
“I’d spent six months planning and preparing for this trip and researched where to go and what to do.
“I knew the rivers down here were in poor condition, so I took my chance and headed to Scotland where it looked prime.”
All of Rich’s fish fell to trotted maggots under a heavy loafer float, with 4lb mainline and a size 16 hook.