Grayling Season Opens !!, An Evening Trip to the Dee - 16th June 2010

I headed towards Corwen for a couple of hours on the Dee this evening.  The day I had been waiting for for some time The 16th June !, the official start of the Grayling season.  Theres something special about the Grayling to me and for many years I have been after this wonderful species of fish.  Its so unpredictable, the river is alive one minute with them and the next .....its as though they never existed. 

They oblige in the coldest of weather, even taking a klinkhammer in Arctic conditions.  When there not on top they can be found in the most awkward of holes and in the depth of winter a good dozen or so are packed together.  I have experienced all during my years after this fish and it never ceases to bring me great pleasure and constant learning to find my prize.  Last season an almighty 3lb personal best !.

This evening was glorious and I was expecting good surface action, a beat on our club water was the order of the evening, and I armed myself only with a box of dry flies.  Bugs,wets,nymphs were all left in the car, now I know what you will be thinking, why?.  Well , I wanted to test myself and it can be all too easy (some days at least!) to stick on some nymphs in likely looking spots and hit into a few Grayling.

Not the best decision!?....as I arrived at the water no sign of surface action, but as the sun began to dip the tell tale signs of Grayling appeared.  Casting to a rising Grayling for me cannot be beaten, the most wildest of all game fish. 

Small Greenwells, Black Gnat, F-Fly, Elk hair caddis, Klinks and even the traditional Red-Tag were used during the evening.  The more traditional patterns which have lost favour somewhat over the years, particularly in my fly box will be now ever present.

Many a Grayling taking the dry with ease, the big lady's of the Dee were not out tonight but I'm sure we will bump into each other over the coming months.  A glorious few hours fishing for the Lady of the Stream on a magical river.

It won't be long before I'm back......

Until Next Time.................................................Tight Lines