THE PRESERVED SOUTHERN CHALK STREAMS HOLD SOME OF THE LARGEST GRAYLING IN THE COUNTRY BUT HAVING SAID THAT ‘FLY ONLY’ SEEMS TO BE THE MAIN CHOICE BUT MY OPTION IS TO USE THE HUMBLE WORM OR MAGGOT WHERE I CAN. I ALWAYS RETURN ALL FISH CAUGHT TROUT OR GRAYLING AND HAVE ONLY KILLED ONE FISH THAT I CAN REMEMBER, MY FIRST SALMON.

MY GRAYLING FISHING IN THE AUTUMN OF 2002 STARTED ON THE RIVER KENNET TROTTING FOR ROACH AND CHUB. I WAS USING A 15ft6in ROD TO AVOID THE LUSH BANKSIDE VEGETATION, A CLOSE FACE REEL, 3lb DRENNAN FLOAT FISH LINE WITH A STICK FLOAT CARRYING 6 x NO4 SHOT AND A SIZE 14 HOOK WITH 2 MAGGOTS COMPLETED THE OUTFIT. HAVING TROTTED ONE SWIM FROM WHICH I HAVE EXTRACTED, NOT CAUGHT DUE TO THE PROLIFIC WEED GROWTH, MANY GRAYING IN THE PAST, AND NOT HAD A BITE I MOVED DOWNSTREAM SOME 30METRES TO ANOTHER GAP ON THE BANK. THIRD TROT DOWN THROUGH THE FLOWING WEED PRODUCED A SMALL, NO MINUTE, DACE. THEN A GRAYLING AND THEN ANOTHER BOTH ABOUT 12oz. PERSEVERING DID NOT PRODUCE ANY MORE. UPPING THE FREE MAGGOTS, FINALLY THE FLOAT DIPPED AND A HEAVY FISH SHOOK ITS HEAD, A HUGE GRAYLING? NO JUST A CHUB ABOUT 3lb8oz.

NEXT TRIP, A BARBEL MATCH ON THE HAMPSHIRE AVON, I COULDN’T CATCH A BARBEL BUT AGAIN FOUND A COUPLE OF CHUB AT 6lb8oz AND 4lb10oz ON FEEDER FISHED MAGGOT. STUART AND I WERE DUE TO FISH THE RIVER FROME THE FOLLOWING DAY BUT ENVISAGED, AS WE BOTH WERE SOAKED TO THE SKIN AS IT HAD RAINED ALL DAY, THAT IT WOULD BE UP AND COLOURED. THAT WASN’T TRUE – IT WAS 400 METRES WIDE AND GOING LIKE A TRAIN. IN SPITE OF MY BEST INTENTIONS TO TRY CZECH NYMPHING OR FLOAT FISHING I ENDED UP FISHING A SLACK USING MY BLOCKEND FEEDER ROD. A SIZE 16 ANIMAL BARBED HOOK WITH 2 MAGGOTS ON A 3 ft PATERNOSTER TRACE WAVERING ABOUT IN THE CURRENT CAUSED THE TIP TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AS THREE GRAYLING, 12oz, 1lb2oz AND 1lb 4oz RESPECTIVELY FOUND THEIR WAY TO THE NET. THIS METHOD, COMMONLY USED BY MATCH AND COARSE ANGLERS ALIKE, SEEMS TO BE MOSTLY IGNORED BY THE GRAYLING ANGLER BUT IT CAN BE VERY EFFECTIVE ON ITS DAY. OUR NEXT VISIT WAS TO BE THE RIVER TEST BUT RAIN STOPPED PLAY!

OVER XMAS I USUALLY VISIT RELATIVES IN NORTHUMBERLAND AND I HAD TENTATIVELY ARRANGED 3 DAYS FISHING ON THE TILL AND TWEED. BOTH WERE HIGH AND COLOURED TO THE EXTREME, HOWEVER I FOUND A TRIBUTARY OF THE TILL THAT WAS FISHABLE AND RUNNING CLEAR AND HAD GRAYLING IN IT. I ARRANGED A DAYS FISHING AND ON ARRIVING FOUND MANY DEAD FISH, SALMON AND SEATROUT, I FEARED POLLUTION BUT SOON REALISED IT WAS JUST NATURAL REGENERATION. I FISHED ON THROUGH TORRENTIAL RAIN AND ONLY HAD ONE BROWNIE ON A FLOATFISHED WORM. ANOTHER FAILURE! A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER I DID HOWEVER MEET LUCY CARROLL WHO HAD DONATED A PRIZE FOR THE AGM. THE SOCIETY NOW HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF AN EXCLUSIVE REDUCED RATE FOR THE GRAYLING FISHING ON THE TILL; THERE IS ALSO A COTTAGE TO RENT. HAVING FISHED THE TILL DURING MOST SEASONS FOR SALMON, SEA TROUT AND GRAYLING I CAN HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. GREAT FISHING IN AWESOME SURROUNDINGS AND SOME SUPERB PUB RESTAURANTS!

NEXT ON THE AGENDA A DAY TO THE UPPER UPPER KENNET, AN OUT AND OUT TROUT FISHERY, STUFFED WITH RAINBOWS UP TO DOUBLE FIGURE WITH THE ODD BROWN TO 6-7lb. THESE CAN CREATE SOME AMUSING SITUATIONS USING MY SPLICED TIP 11ft6in CANAL TYPE ROD TOGETHER WITH A CLOSE FACE REEL LOADED WITH 2.6 DRENNAN FLOAT FISH LINE. TEAM THESE WITH A 16 HOOK CARRYING A COUPLE OF MAGGOTS UNDER A 6 X NO 4 SHOT DOMED STICK FLOAT AND YOU GET THE IDEA – GREAT FUN! UNFORTUNATELY THE GRAYLING SUFFER DUE TO THE TROUT ANGLERS KILLING MANY GOOD FISH. HOWEVER IT STILL PRODUCES 2 POUNDERS BUT USUALLY THE LARGEST ARE ABOUT 11/2LB. THE WEATHER WAS GOOD, IT WASN’T POURING, JUST DRIZZLE. FIRST TROT DOWN AFTER FEEDING A FEW MAGGOTS THE FLOAT DIPPED AND A SOLID WEIGHT FELT. IT SUDDENLY WENT BESERK, CHARGING ABOUT ALL OVER THE PLACE, A TROUT, IN FACT A RAINBOW OF 2 1/2lb. I LOOKED DOWNSTREAM TO WHERE MY COLLEAGUE STUART WAS PLAYING A FISH. I CARRIED ON TROTTING, ANOTHER TROUT THIS TIME ABOUT 2lb. I LOOKED AT STUART AGAIN, ANOTHER GRAYLING SOCIETY MEMBER, ‘STILL PLAYING THAT FISH?’ I SHOUTED. ‘YES. IT’S A HUGE RAINBOW’, BEFORE HE FINISHED HE LOST IT CONTINUING, ‘ABOUT 8 OR 9lb’. DIFFICULT TO MANANGE ON 2lb+ LINE! WE BOTH CARRIED ON WORKING OUR WAY DOWNSTREAM CATCHING GRAYLING TO ABOUT 1lb AND TROUT UP TO 2-3lb. SUDDENLY STUART WAS AGAIN INTO A GOOD FISH THIS TIME HE LANDED IT, A BROWNIE OF 5lb2oz. AS WE CONTINUED TO CATCH, THE GRAYLING VARIED FROM A COUPLE OF INCHES IN LENGTH TO 1lb8oz. IN FACT I MANAGED 8 FISH OF THAT SIZE IN ABOUT 10 TROTS DOWN, EACH ONE FIGHTING DOWN DEEP IN ABOUT 5FT OF STRONGLY FLOWING CURRENT BEFORE SHOWING ITS BACK FIN CUTTING THROUGH THE SURFACE BEFORE THEY CAME TO THE NET. THIS RYTHYM WAS ONLY RUDELY INTERUPTED BY A HUGE RAINBOW MAKING AN ESCAPE FOR THE SEA. EVERYTHING THEN WENT DEAD. IT WAS TIME TO MOVE AGAIN.

I CONTINUED MY FISHING UNTIL IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE FLOAT. I RECKONED I HAD CAUGHT ABOUT 40+ GRAYLING OF VARIES SIZES UP TO 1lb8oz, 30+ TROUT UP TO 4lb, AND LOST ABOUT 4 OR 5 GRAYLING AND 20 TROUT WITH ONLY ONE BREAKAGE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. STUART HAD HAD ABOUT THE SAME WITH A BEST GRAYLING OF 1lb12oz.

ANOTHER VISIT A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER AND WE WERE AGAIN CATCHING FISH. THIS TIME HOWEVER THE WATER WAS LOWER AND CLEARER MAKING LIFE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT. THE GRAYLING WERE FEWER IN NUMBER THIS TIME BUT THE TROUT WERE AGAIN PERSISTANT! I ENDED UP FISHING THE SAME SWIM AS LAST TIME WHERE I HAD CAUGHT MY BEST FISH. A FEW GRAYLING THEN A TROUT, A FEW TROUT THEN A GRAYLING! AT LEAST IT WAS CONSISTANT! SUDDENLY I HOOKED A TROUT AGAIN, AT LEAST THAT WAS WHAT I THOUGHT. A HUGE FIN BROKE THE SURFACE, DEFINITELY NOT A TROUT. AT LAST A BIG GRAYLING, ABOUT 2 1/2lb BY MY GUESS. I STARTED TO PLAY THE FISH MORE CAREFULLY AND LO AND BEHOLD THE HOOK FELL OUT! I WAS GUTTED. THE AIR WAS BLUE – AT LEAST INSIDE MY HEAD IT WAS. DISAPPOINTMENT WAS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. I CARRIED ON WITHOUT MUCH ENTHUSIASM.

ANOTHER TRIP TO THE FROME WAS CALLED FOR. THIS RIVER HOLDS FISH OVER 3lb AND ON OCCASIONS OVER 4lb SO MY ANTICIPATION WAS HIGH. ON ARRIVAL STUART AND I FOUND THE RIVER WITHIN ITS BANKS BUT VERY FAST AND CLEAR. WE STARTED TROTTING THE USUAL SWIMS WITH LITTLE EFFECT. STUART CATCHING 2-4 VERY SMALL GRAYLING AND A TROUT. HE CAUGHT UP WITH ME FURTHER DOWNSTREAM WHERE I HAD NOT HAD A BITE! WE CONCLUDED THAT DUE TO THE LOW WATER TEMPERATURE THE GRAYLING WOULD BE IN SLACKER WATER OR A SMOOTH GLIDE. THESE, DUE TO THE SPEED OF THE RIVER, WERE DIFFICULT TO FIND. IT SEEMED TO BOIL EVERYWHERE!

STUART WANDERED OFF DOWNSTREAM SEARCHING EVERY BIT OF WATER WITH EITHER THE FLOAT OR FEEDER. I FOUND A NOVEL WAY OF TROTTING – I JUST FOLLOWED THE FLOAT DOWNSTREAM WALKING ABOUT 15 YARDS BEHIND IT USING MY 15ft6in FLOAT ROD TO AVOID THE NEARSIDE RUSHES. I RECKONED THAT IF THE MAGGOTS PASSED OVER A GRAYLING’S HEAD I HAD HALF A CHANCE. AFTER 150 YARDS OR SO THE FLOAT DIPPED AND STRIKING SHARPLY INSTEAD OF WEED OR THE BOTTOM I HOOKED A GRAYLING. IT WAS A BEAUTY OF 1lb12oz. USING A BAIT APRON HAD HELPED ME TO FEED AS I WALKED BUT I HAD LEFT THE REST OF MY GEAR UPSTREAM. I LEFT THE ROD WHERE I HAD CAUGHT THE FISH. A SHORT INTERLUDE WHILST I RECOVERED MY TACKLE WAS IN ORDER. IT WOULD ALSO GIVE THE REST OF THE SHOAL, (I HOPED THERE WAS ONE!) TIME TO RECOVER. MY ABSENCE FOR A SHORT WHILE WORKED WONDERS AS I CAUGHT ANOTHER 3 FISH, SMALLER THAN THE FIRST BUT ALL OVER A POUND. THEY WERE SITTING IN ABOUT 3ft OF ALMOST STILL WATER ON AN UPWARD SLOPE AT THE DOWNSTREAM END OF A SALMON HOLE AND ALL TOOK THE SAME BAIT, 1 RED AND 1 WHITE MAGGOT FISHED UNDER A LARGE STICK FLOAT SLIGHTLY UNDERSHOTTED.

FOLLOWING THIS I CARRIED ON DOWNSTREAM LOOKING FOR A SIMILAR SWIM AND CAUGHT UP WITH STUART. HE HAD HAD A CONFRONTATION WITH A SALMON, AND LOST! HE LOST HIS LINE FLOAT ETC AFTER A 50-YARD DASH! HE SET UP AGAIN AND CARRIED ON BLANKING. I FOUND A SLOW GLIDE BUT COULD SEE THE BOTTOM IN ABOUT 2ft OF WATER. I THREW HALF A DOZEN MAGGOTS IN FOLLOWED BY MY FLOAT. AFTER MOVING ABOUT 6ft THE FLOAT SUNK AND I HOOKED A GRAYLING OF 1lb8oz. TOO EASY! I SPOKE TOO SOON. I PRICKED ANOTHER 3 FISH AND LANDED 2 BOTH ABOUT 1lb4oz.BEFORE I CALLED IT A DAY!

THE FOLLOWING FRIDAY SAW ME DRIVE THE 100-MILES TO THE FROME AGAIN. ON ARRIVAL THE RIVER WAS WITHIN ITS BANKS AND LOOKED PERFECT IN SPITE OF RAIN THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. SO APART FROM THE WIND I HOPED FOR THE BEST. HOWEVER THIS WAS NOT TO BE! THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WORSENED AND BECAME ATROCIOUS. I PERSEVERED THROUGH GALES, HAILSTONES AND TORRENTIAL RAIN AND I LOST MY HAT INTO THE RIVER! ALL FOR 1GRAYLING ABOUT 12oz.! THAT’S FISHING!

THIS SEASONS WINTER GRAYLING FISHING, DUE TO THE FLOODS, WAS NOT VERY SUCCESSFUL, HOPEFULLY IT WILL NOT BE THE SAME THIS COMING YEAR. I WOULD RATHER HAVE FROSTS AND LOW WATER AS CHALK STREAMS USUALLY MAINTAIN A CONSTANT TEMPERATURE IN SPITE OF THE COLD WHICH ALLOWS FISHING EVEN IN THE SEVEREST WEATHER CONDITIONS.

SEVERAL ANGLING CLUBS HAVE STRETCHES ON THE TEST, ITCHEN AND FROME MOSTLY EASTLEIGH A.C., TEST VALLEY A.C. AND CHRISTCHURCH A.C. SEASONS TICKET PRICES ARE UP TO ABOUT £100.00 AND ALL THREE CLUBS GRAYLING RECORDS ARE OVER 3lb. DAY TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR BARTON COURT ON THE KENNET. DAY TICKETS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FOR THE TILL IN NORTHUMBERLAND FROM THE FORD AND ETAL ESTATES, LAMBTON ESTATE AND SOMEONE WHO MADE A DONATION TO THE SOCIETY, LUCY CARROLL AT TIPTOE FARM. APART FROM TIPTOE FARM THE PRICE INCLUDES SALMON AND SEA TROUT FISHING AND IS USUALLY ABOUT £15 PER DAY.