In the Nick of Time!

It's been - once again - a while since my previous blog entry. The trout season ended in October, although I was able to fit in a couple more visits to the Dorset Piddle before it did so. My fellow syndicate members and I carried out some work aimed at improving the trout spawning habitat after season's end, trying to follow the advice/ guidance given by The Wild Trout Trust, although I think we may need to invite them back for a further advisory visit to see if we're on the right lines or not.

I have been fishing for grayling on a number of occasions, but not taken the time to write about these experiences. One reason was the lack of a camera that could provide decent, fit-for-purpose images with which to help maintain the reader's interest. Let's face it, we all like to see pictures of nice fish and the surroundings/ settings of their capture. This also helps us visualise the weather and water conditions on the day in question.

Looking back, as someone who's fortunate to fish twice a month because of family and other commitments, I suppose I haven't done too badly with still a couple more months to go before the grayling are out of season once more. I am very much looking forward to the start of the trout season and what will be my first, full six months on the Dorset Piddle with the small syndicate I joined last Summer.

Back to the grayling, then. I've been fortunate to fish a number of times with Peter Anderson, whose Walks and Fishes blog is always well worth reading. It's longevity is admirable and puts many of us other bloggers to shame. The walks are just as interesting as the fishing exploits. Peter has been kind enough to introduce me to some new beats, and generous with his help, advice and guidance for some time now. It was satisfying to be able to repay some of this by arranging some fishing which he really - I think, anyway - enjoyed as something of a "thank you".

I also had the opportunity to fish once more with Duncan, in early December, and this turned out to be something of a special day for both of us. For Duncan, it was the capture of a "personal best" grayling, whilst for me it was the circumstances surrounding its capture. It was a shame that I didn't possess a better camera, but with a bit of cropping and applying of special effects I think I have a couple of images to illustrate the story.

So, back to early December. A cool, misty start to what turned out to be a slightly chilly and overcast day. It certainly merited hip flasks - premium-quality sloe gin in Duncan's and Whisky Mac in mine. Both ideal, from the point of view that a nip of something warming is welcome on such a day.

It seems strange to write this now, but we were then in the middle of a dry spell and the water level was on the low side but clarity was good. We'd had a good morning, and in the afternoon I'd decided to fish a part of the beat which I hadn't previously tried. In the space of an hour, I'd lost count of the number of grayling I'd caught - one or two good ones amongst them - and was enjoying myself immensely. Time was getting on, and I'd just hooked a further fish of half a pound or so when I heard a cry from just downstream of me. I quickly released my fish and went to see what was occurring.

A nice fish about to go back

A super-excited Duncan was what was occurring, with a very significant and chunky grayling in the net. Now, neither of us had scales so we couldn't weigh this handsome fish but I was prepared to accept this as a two pounder. For me, anyway, circumstances of the capture are of more interest than size, or for that matter numbers caught. There were certainly some unusual and interesting circumstances surrounding the capture of this notable fish. As I was in waders, I did the reviving and releasing honours - a very broad-shouldered and muscular fish in superb condition, which felt wonderful to support and bid a fond farewell.

Beautiful, shame about the picture quality!

Duncan had spotted this fish about 30 feet downstream. He's somewhat unconventional at times, and was using a 9ft 5wt that I'd loaned him for the day. It's the next fact that will beggar most grayling fisher's belief, in that this fish took a size 12 Blue Flash Damsel, presented downstream "on the swing". Duncan told me the fish had a few goes at the fly before it finally took on the next cast.

An artistic perspective on a handsome fish

So this is the first Chalkstream grayling that I've ever heard of caught using Streamer tactics.....food for thought, although I guess with most beat rules stipulating upstream nymph only this isn't one for the purists!

Following this trip out, weather and Christmas came along, followed by yet more weather. A New Year's expedition with Peter Anderson on 2nd January sustained me until yesterday, when I had a very enjoyable day's fishing with Nicholas Steedman. Oh, and in the meantime I guess I must have been very good in 2013 after all, as Father Christmas gave me a new camera.....