14 January 2012

Giving the Game Away

A new venue, another day. First thing to do was purchase  another season  permit. The river was crystal clear but still carrying a wee bit extra water than low levels, which can effect grayling location and make wading difficult in places. We fished a while , but with a few other anglers on the water we decided to move. Virgin water next, at least to us. we made our way to a likely looking pool. whilst fishing away a fish rose on the far bank giving the game away on there location, i never real thought much about it and  decided to head upstream, i fished bits but walked mainly, noticing Brian wasn't moving very far. When i returned he was sorting his flies and a fish rose out in front of him, i asked how he was doing half expecting him to have had a fish, he'd just lost one. So i joined him on the opposite bank. No much was happening apart from the odd sporadic rise from fish to tiny midge , there was the odd olive coming off too. Brian did try a dry but it felt a lottery. I decided to put on a wee size 16 PTN with a black nickel tungsten bead on the point to accompany my heavy bugs a pink shrimp and tan bug , first cast i was in ,  it had taken the wee fly on the point.

  About half an hour later Brian was in , a similar sized grayling on his big pink shrimp.
I then took a quick brace of wee ones both again too the ptn.

.  Brian then lost a fish then it went quiet , so i decided to try a assault from the other bank, which was tricky wading i hadn't left long and Brian was in, then it got off, next cast again he hooked up and landed his second fish of the day.
I then rejoined him on his bank. Fished a while then after feeling the cold we decided to get out a while and go or a short walk .
Warmed up a bit we got in again flogging the water, my indicator went down i struck i thought i'd hooked bottom , but no it was a fish , a nice one too!
 A belter! 2 3/4lb and the fattest humpback grayling I've seen ,at least for a while.
big shoulders
What a fish! A great way to end a great days fishing. Can't wait till next time must get tying some bugs.