I WAS NEXT INVITED TO TRY THE DELIGHTS OF A SOUTHERN CHALKSTREAM. STUART, MY CONSTANT ‘GRAYLING COMPANION’ AND I ARRIVED AT A ‘GENTLEMANLY HOUR’, 11O’CLOCK, WE SAW THE RIVER WAS CLEAR, WEEDY AND ‘OH SO NICELY MANAGED’. WE STARTED FISHING. I WAS TROTTING TWO MAGGOTS, ONE RED AND ONE WHITE UNDER AN AVON FLOAT WITH 3LB LINE LOADED ONTO A CLOSE FACED ABU REEL. WE STARTED TO CATCH. STEADILY I CONTACTED WITH FISH IN EVERY DIP OF THE RIVER BED 8oz, 1lb, 12oz AND THEN 1lb 8oz. THINGS WERE LOOKING UP. I LANDED A FISH OF

1lb12oz AS STUART LANDED AND THEN WEIGHED A 2lb FISH. SUDDENLY WE BOTH REALISED THAT WE WERE IN ‘GRAYLING HEAVEN’. WELL - THAT’S CERTAINLY HOW IT SEEMED FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS. GRAYLING WERE COMING SO THICK AND FAST THAT I STOPPED USING THE LANDING NET UNLESS THEY WERE OVER THE 1lb, OR WAS THAT 1lb4oz! ANYWAY AS DUSK CAME ALONG AND WE STARTED TO PACK UP STUART CONCLUDED THAT HE HAD CAUGHT ABOUT 60LB OF GRAYLING AND TWO STRAY CHUB. BEST TWO GRAYLING, 2lb AND 2lb 2oz. I RECKONED THAT I HAD HAD 50lb OF GRAYLING, BEST 2lb2oz. AT LAST A GREAT START! ALL I WANTED NOW WAS A RETURN INVITE ASAP!

MY WIFE’S BIRTHDAY IS THE 24TH OCTOBER, I THINK, SO OFF TO NORTHUMBERLAND TO CELEBRATE WITH THE REST OF THE FAMILY, SISTER AND MOTHER IN MORPETH, DAUGHTER COMING, WITH FOOTBALL FANATIC BOYFRIEND IN TOW, FROM LANCASTER.

DEFINITELY TIME TO GO FISHING ON THE SATURDAY FOLLOWING OUR CELEBRATORY CHINESE MEAL! THE ‘GIRLS’ WERE GOING SHOPPING AND THE ‘BOYS’ TO FOOTBALL. I AGAIN CHOSE THE RIVER TILL AND AGAIN LUCY CARROLL’S HOSPITALITY AT TIPTOE WAS CALLED UPON. AS I TRAVELLED UP THE A1 TOWARDS SCOTLAND I PASSED HOLY ISLAND ON MY RIGHT AND THE LIGHTHOUSE 4 MILES AWAY GLEAMED WHITE IN THE BRILLIANT SUNLIGHT. AS I TURNED TOWARDS WEST TOWARDS THE HILLS, THE CHEVIOT STOOD OUT PROUDLY WITH THE TOP COVERED IN SNOW! WHAT A STRANGE COUNTY! AFTER MY ARRIVAL AT LUNCHTIME I GATHERED THE RODS TOGETHER AND SLOWLY
MADE MY WAY DOWN THE HILL. AT LAST THE RIVER WAS AS GOOD AS I HAD EVER SEEN IT, CLEAR AND NOT TOO FAST. I OPTED FOR WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN CLASSIC GRAYLING SWIMS THE WEEK BEFORE ON THE CHALKSTREAM, A FAST RUN WITH AN EDDY OR SLACK ALONGSIDE. TROTTING USING SMALL REDWORMS ON SIZE 10 HOOK PRODUCED – NOTHING. MOVING DID NOT HELP, EVERY SWIM – NOTHING! AFTER 4 HOURS I HAD A BITE! AT LAST, REELING IN A SMALL FISH - A GRAYLING? NO JUST A SMALL BROWN TROUT. I THEN MET A LOCAL, 50 YEARS PLUS IN THE AREA, WHO EXPLAINED THAT THEY HAD DYNAMITED THE GORGE BELOW ME IN THE PAST TO HELP FISH, SALMON & SEATROUT, UP THE RIVER. APPARENTLY IT HELD A GOOD HEAD OF GRAYLING AND OTHER COARSE FISH IN THE 60’S AND 70’S INCLUDING ROACH OVER 2lb! HE SAID HE HAD CAUGHT GRAYLING YEARS AGO AT THE VERY TOP OF THE BEAT WHERE THERE IS A SHALLOW RUN. I HAD NOT FISHED THAT AREA AT ALL AS WHEN I VIEWED IT FROM THE BASE OF THE HILL IT APPEARED VERY SLOW AND DEEP. BUT NOTHING ENTURED NOTHING GAINED AND ANYWAY IT WAS NEARER TO THE CAR AND THAT STEEP HILL. AS I GATHERED MY TACKLE TO WALK BACK, LORD JAMES APPEARED ON THE FAR BANK WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILD. THEY WERE PRECEEDED BY THE GHILLIE, TIME TO MOVE I THINK. SALMON TAKE PRECEDENCE OR WAS IT BECAUSE IT WAS THE LORD! I ARRIVED AT THE UPPERMOST SWIM JUST AS IT STARTED TO CLOUD OVER AND RAIN. IT WAS COLD AT THE TOP OF THE HILL BUT DOWN IN THE VALLEY IT HAD BEEN SUNNY AND WARM, UNTIL NOW. FORTUNATELY IT WAS ONLY A SHOWER AND WITH THE FLOAT SET AT 18in I CAST OUT THE SMALL WORM BELOW A WEED BED WHERE THE CURRENT APPEARED TO BE SLIGHTLY SLOWER. I HAD SET THE FLOAT TOO DEEP AS THE FLOAT SUNK. REELING IN ONLY MET WITH A SOLID WEIGHT, A FISH FLASHED TWISTING IN THE FAST CURRENT BETWEEN ME AND THE SLACK – A GRAYLING. NO SWINGING THIS ONE TO HAND AS IT WAS FIGHTING SO WELL. I NETTED IT AND ESTIMATED IT TO BE ABOUT 14oz. AT LAST I HAD FOUND ONE! FOUR MORE FOLLOWED BEFORE I COULD NOT SEE THE FLOAT ANYMORE. ALL FROM THE SAME SLACKER PIECE OF WATER AND ALL FROM 14oz TO 1lb 4oz. SHAME I HAD NOT FISHED IT EARLIER! STRANGELY THEY SEEMED TO HAVE LESS SPOTS ON THEM THAN CHALKSTREAM FISH BUT WERE AT LEAST AS POWERFUL IF NOT MORE SO. ON MY WAY BACK HOME NEAR TO LONDON I REFLECTED THAT IT IS NICE TO BE ABLE TO OCCASIONALLY FISH REALLY WILD PLACES AWAY FROM THE CROWDS.

ANYWAY BACK TO SOUTHERN REALITY AND THE CHALKSTREAM AGAIN. STUART HAD BEEN IN CANADA CATCHING GIANT STURGEON, (OVER 6FT LONG!! ABOUT 250-300lbs) AND LOTS OF SALMON AND WAS SUFFERING FROM FLU, HOPEFULLY NOT SARS SO WAS UNABLE TO JOIN ME. ON MY ARRIVAL I FOUND I WAS THE ONLY ONE THERE, SO AGAIN I OPTED FOR THE SAME SWIMS AS BEFORE AS THEY HAD BEEN SO PRODUCTIVE. TROTTING WITH MAGGOTS I SOON STARTED CATCHING GRAYLING, FISH BETWEEN ABOUT 12oz AND 1lb8oz IT STATRTED TO RAIN AND THEN POUR, THE WATER WAS GETTING INTO MY BAIT APRON AND THE MAGGOTS WERE EITHER SWIMMING OR CLIMBING OUT!
I HAD NOT USED CORN FOR GRAYLING BEFORE BUT AT LEAST IT WOULD NOT CRAWL ABOUT! FIRST CAST AFTER DROPPING 3 GRAINS IN UNDER MY FEET, I HOOKED AND LANDED A BETTER FISH AT 1lb13oz. BETTER FISH CAME THICK AND FAST UNTIL A 2lbER.BITES SLOWLY STARTED TO DECREASE AND I DECIDED TO MOVE DOWNSTREAM.

AFTER FISHING 3 OR 4 SWIMS AND CATCHING A FEW GRAYLING UP TO ABOUT 1lb8oz FROM EACH I CAME ACROSS A DEEPER AREA. AT FIRST IT STARTED QUIETLY ON MAGGOT, SMALLER FISH UP TO 1lb+, I CHANGED TO CORN AND IMMEDIATELY CAUGHT A FISH NUDGING 2lb. ALTERNATING BETWEEN CORN AND SMALL REDWORMS BROUGHT A SUCCESSION OF FISH ABOUT THE 2lb MARK. I WEIGHED THAT APPEARED TO BE THE BEST AT 2lb3oz. I ESTIMATED THAT 5 WERE 2lb OR OVER AND 5/6 BETWEEN
1lb12oz AND 2lb. I AGAIN MOVED BUT COULD NOT FIND ANY MORE LARGE FISH BUT I HAD CAIGHT ABOUT 100 GRAYLING OF VARIOUS SIZES. A VERY SATISFYING DAY.

THE FOLLOWING WEEK STUART WAS BACK IN ACTION BUT ON OUR ARRIVAL WE FOUND SEVERAL ANGLERS FISHING. SUBSEQUENTLY WE MOVED TO AN AREA WE HAD NOT TRIED BEFORE. I HAD BEEN RECCOMENDED TO TRY A NEW HOOK DURING THAT WEEK A TUBERTINI SERIES 21, THE HOOK IS LARGE FOR ITS SIZE, A14 APPEARING TO BE MORE LIKE A SIZE 12. IT IS OF A FINE CRYSTAL TYPE DESIGN BUT WITH A BEAK POINT, VERY DIFFERENT FROM DRENNAN CARBON CHUB HOOKS BUT BEAKED LIKE THE SMALL ANIMAL HOOKS I USE FOR MAGGOT FISHING FOR CHUB, EITHER LEGERING OR TROTTING.

THE FISHING WAS DEFINITELY SLOWER BUT THE QUALITY IF THE FISH WAS VERY GOOD WITH MOST BEING OVER 1lb 4oz. WE EXPLORED A VARIETY OF SWIMS AND BOTH ENDED UP WITH A 2lbER, 2lb2oz AND 2lb EXACTLY. AGAIN A MIX OF HOOKBAITS CATCHING THE FISH WITH CORN AND WORM BEING THE MOST SUCCESSFUL. CORN IS VERY FILLING SO ONLY 3 TO 6 GRAINS ARE LOOSEFED AT THE START WITH A COUPLE OF GRAINS EVERY 5 OR 6 TROT DOWNS KEEPS THEM INTERESED BUT DOES NOT FILL THEM UP. TO ME IT APPEARS TO WORK WELL ON SALMON RIVERS. DOES IT COPY SALMON ROE? AS TO THE NEW HOOK, ONE BROKE WHEN TAKING IT OUT OF A FISH BUT NOTHING SHED THE HOOK, EVEN A STRAY 5lb+ CHUB STAYED ON!

NEXT VISIT IT WAS RAINING, NO NOT A DRIZZLE - CATS & DOGS! THE RIVER SEEMED FISHABLE AS I ARRIVED BUT AFTER 2 HOURS IT HAD COME UP ABOUT 6 INCHES AND HUGE RAFTS OF WATERCRESS, LOGS, WHOLE BUNCHES OF WEED, STICKS, IN FACT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING WAS FLOATING DOWN. THE WATER TURNED A HORRIBLE BROWN COLOUR. NO FISH – TIME TO GO HOME TO A PHEASANT CASSEROLE, DELICIOUS.

AFTER ALMOST A WEEK OF RAIN I THOUGHT THAT THE WATER WOULD HAVE CLEARED. IT HAD BUT ON THIS VISIT NOTHING WAS BITING EXCEPT A DOPEY 4LB BROWNIE. STILL IT PUT A BEND IN THE ROD IN AN OTHERWISE DISMAL DAY. PERHAPS THE FROST DURING THE WEEK HAD NOT HELPED, BUT STILL STRANGE NO GRAYLING TURNED UP.

AN OLD FRIEND, WHO HAD BEEN A GOOD ANGLER, PHONED AND FANCIED A HALF DAYS FISHING. HE HAD ONLY BEEN OUT A FEW TIMES THIS YEAR, KIDS, WORK AND OTHER LIFE NECCITIES HAD STOPPED MORE VISITS. I ACQUIRED A GUEST TICKET FOR HIM AND ON ARRIVAL HE FOUND THE WATER WAS FLOWING!! HE HAD ONLY FISHED STILLWATER FOR THE PAST 4/5 YEARS, AND WAS IT FAST!! TROTTING MAGGOT IN A KNOWN SWIM HE STARTED CATCHING AND WAS DELIGHTED TO LAND A GRAYLING OF 1lb8oz, A PERSONAL BEST. THEN FOLLOWED A TUSSLE WITH A SEATROUT, WHICH HE LOST SPECTACULARLY. THE FISH, ABOUT 3lb, JUMPING OUT OF THE WATER TO SNAP HIS LINE! I FISHED BUT WAS MOSTLY WATCHING HIM ENJOY HIMSELF CATCHING A TOTAL OF ABOUT 30 GRAYLING. LATER THAT WEEK I AGAIN VISITED THE RIVER FOR THE AFTERNOON AFTER A HARD FROST. AVOIDING THE SHALLOW SECTIONS I OPTED FOR THE DEEPER SLOWER RUNS. IT IS FROM THESE THAT THE LARGEST GRAYLING APPEAR TO COME. THEY CERTAINLY HAVE A LARGER AVERAGE SIZE BUT ARE NOT AS PLENTIFUL. I HAD ABOUT 25 FISH BETWEEN 1lb AND 1lb 15oz, I HAD HOPED IT WAS ANOTHER 2!! TO CAP IT ALL I CAUGHT MY FIRST SEATROUT OF ABOUT 1lb8oz. THIS TIME I HAD USED ABOUT ½ A CAN OF SWEETCORN AND NOTHING ELSE. A CHEAP AND ENJOYABLE DAY.

STUART AND I AGAIN VISITED THE RIVER THE FOLLOWING WEEK. WE BOTH OPTED TO FISH THE SLOWER SECTION IN SEARCH OF THE ‘MOSTER’. STUART FOUND FISH TO 2LB USING A VERY LIGHT DOUBLE BALSA FLOAT DRAGGING THE LAST SHOT ALONG THE BOTTOM. THIS PRODUCED QUITE A FEW FISH TO DOUBLE RED MAGGOT ON A SIZE 16. HAVING FISHED ABOUT 50 YARDS ABOVE STUART AND NOT HAD A BITE IN 2 HOURS I GOT THE HUMP AND MOVED UPSTREAM TO THE FAST AND SHALLOW RUNS! AT LEAST I WOULD CATCH HERE! I STARTED AT A SLACK OF 20 FEET IN LENGTH AND ABOUT 2 FEET WIDE, THE REST OF THE RIVER WAS BOILING, I USED A 4GRAM WIRE STEMMED AVON FLOAT AND A SIZE 12 CARBON CHUB HOOK, YOU NEED A STRONG ONE IN SUCH FAST WATER, AND 2 MAGGOTS. PLAYING FISH UP TO 1lb8oz IN THE CURRENT WAS GREAT, THEY FOUGHT LIKE MAD. A FLY ANGLER HAD FISHED THIS AREA AND HAD THEN MOVED DOWNSTREAM. I FOLLOWED HIM DOWN UNTIL I REACHED A DEEP HOLE. I FED GENEROUSLY WITH MAGGOTS BUT USED CORN ON THE HOOK. THIS PROVED DEVASTATING AS I CAUGHT FISH AFTER FISH. THE FLY ANGLER JOINED ME LATER AS I
WAS STILL CATCHING. ABOUT 1 EVERY CAST! HE WAS ORIGIONALY FROM NEWCASTLE, SMALL WORLD, AND KNEW THE TILL AND TWEED WELL. HE WATCHED AS I CARRIED ON TROTTING WITH FISH AFTER FISH FALLING TO THE CORN, THE FLOAT ONLY MOVING 2-4 FEET FROM WHERE IT WAS CAST BEFORE A FISH WAS HOOKED. MOST WERE 1LB UPWARDS BUT ONLY ONE REACHED 2LB, (AND ½ AN OUNCE!). HOWEVER IT WAS STILL A MOST ENJOYABLE DAY.

OVER XMAS I ONLY MANAGED AN AFTERNOON FOR GRAYLING BUT IT WAS WORTHWHILE. 6 FISH AT 1lb8oz: 1lb14oz: 1lb15oz: 2lb: 2lb1oz & 2lb3oz ALL TAKING CORN ON THE DROP. I THINK I USED 20-30 GRAINS OF CORN IN TOTAL. A GOOD DAYS FISHING ON THE CHEAP.

ONCE INTO THE NEW YEAR I AGAIN TRIED THE CHALKSTREAM MANAGEING A FISH OF 2lb6oz. AND LATER IN THE MONTH A PAIR OF 2’S, 2lb5oz AND 2lb AGAIN ON CORN. ADDITIONALLY CHUB CAME TO CORN, 5 IN ONE DAY, ALL ABOUT 4LB, OR WHEN YOU HOOK ONE THE CRY GOES UP ‘A GINORMOUS GRAYLING’! ONLY TO BE DISAPPOINTED WHEN IT COMES TOWARDS THE NET. THESE CAME ABOUT THE TIME THE 4LBER WAS CAUGHT FROM THE TWEED SYSTEM. I WAS LIVING IN HOPE EVERY CAST!
I CAIGHT FAIRLY CONSISTANTLY UNTIL THE FISHERY CLOSED, MORE 2’S BUT NOTHING ‘GINORMOUS’ CAME MY WAY.

I MANAGED A DAY ON THE FROME BEFORE THAT CLOSED – I CAM AWAY FROM THER TOTALLY DEJECTED – NOTHING AT ALL. IT WAS THE SAME AS LAST YEAR GALES AND HOROZONTAL RAIN. THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME I SEEM TO FISH IT! BUT, UNLIKE LAST YEAR I DIDN’T LOSE MY HAT!

MY WINTERS FISHING – ABSOLUTELY SUPERB IN PARTS – OTHERS BITS DISAPOINTING - NO 3LBERS. OVERALL A MOST ENJOYABLE GRAYLING SEASON.