“Yeah, but I don’t fancy trailing up to the Swale. How about somewhere closer to home?”
“River Aire for grayling?”
“Sounds good.”
To tell the truth I hadn’t been keen on a barbel session. I’d been putting in long hours without much to show for it and I was getting stale. A session after the ladies was just the thing to get the angling juices flowing again!
The Upper Aire
Sunday morning was perfect: mild, overcast and misty with no hint of a breeze. I love the drive to the Aire. Over the moors to Ilkley, along the Wharfe, ignoring its seductive charms, then the long climb out of Addingham over the ridge into Airedale. When we arrived there was only one car in the car park, which boded well. The Aire here is a small river with high banks in parts and too many people wandering about will spook the fish.
The Upper Aire
After a quick huddle at the back of the car to don waders and share out the maggots and worms we climb the rickety stile and cross the field to the river. The upper Aire is a perfect example of a small spate river. Born in limestone country from the coupling of the fertile, alkaline waters of Malham and Goredale becks, it meanders through the rich grazing lands of Craven. Chuckling riffles, floored with bright gravel, link smooth glides and deep swirling pools. This is grayling country. I first saw the Aire and its grayling in a grainy black and white photo in Reg Righyni’s seminal work ‘Grayling’. Little did I think as I sat in a library in scruffy, smelly St Helens that nearly 40 years later I would be fishing for the descendants of the fish in the picture.
Tackle and bait Pete wanders off downstream and I tackle up at the head of a shallow riffle. About halfway down there’s a slightly deeper scour before the riffle shelves gradually into a deep pool. I creep down the bank and crouch on the gravel to set up my trotting rod. I’m using a 13ft Garbolino carp match rod and a Swallow centrepin reel. My main line is 8lb Berkley Fireline Crystal, which I’m trialling as a trotting line, to which I tie a long hook-length of 3.75lb Preston Innovations Grand Match fluorocarbon. The float is a 5BB Drennan wire-stemmed Avon and a size 14 hook forms the business end of my rig. I know the approximate depth, so I impale half a worm on the hook and start to fish. After a couple of trots down the swim I’ve got the depth right and I settle into the rhythm of controlling the float down the swim and batting the reel to draw it rapidly back at the end of the trot. The great Righyni insisted that the best way to trot for grayling is to let the float travel downstream at the rate of the current without trying to hold it back. He was also of the opinion that you should use as little weight down the line as possible, claiming that this gave a much more natural presentation of the bait. I can see what he is getting at, but I still use the standard Avon set up of putting the bulk shot at about half depth with a couple of number 6 shot evenly spaced between the bulk and the hook.
After a few minutes, I switch to double maggot and feed a few free offerings on each trot. Still no fish. I decide to rest the swim, so I feed a handful of maggots and wander off upstream. I fish several swims and catch a couple of trout and a small grayling. The day is brightening and a downstream breeze springs up as the air warms slightly. There is a tinge of colour in the river, but not enough to hide any unwary movements. The fishing is challenging, but that’s the way I like it!
Plan of attack I’m now back at my first swim and I sit for a while and have a cup of tea while I plan my attack. I walk slowly and carefully out into the river and feed a few maggots. I give it a few minutes then swing my float out into the scour. For some reason the current in the scour is much slower than the shallower water around it and I hold the float back and inch it through. Nothing happens during the first few yards and I allow the float to speed up as the water deepens and the current picks up. The float jags sharply under and I strike into a trout that leads me a merry dance around the swim. The commotion attracts the attention of Pete and Martin (another friend) and they wander upstream to watch. Pete has had several small grayling, but no bigger fish. I swing my float back into the scour and start to inch it downstream. It travels no more than a foot before it dives under and I strike into a powerful fish. It felt like a grayling, but I never saw it. After playing it for several minutes without really getting it under control it shook its head and the hook hold gave. I bump a fish on the next trot, so I decide to rest the swim and go for a walk.
A beautiful River Aire Grayling
Reg would have been proud of me! An hour later I’m back. Martin has gone home and Pete and I sit on the bank debating tactics. I let Pete have first go and watch as he skilfully trots a worm through the swim. After 10 minutes without a bite we again decide to rest the swim. I head upstream, but I can’t settle on another swim and I’m drawn back to the scour. I’m sure that it will produce a fish and as the light begins to fade slightly I wade back out. By now I’ve dropped my hook size to a 16 forged match so I can present a single maggot if needed. I stick to double maggot for now and once again swing my float back out into the scour. On my fourth cast my float dips and I lift into a heavy fish which ploughs off downstream. I’m convinced it’s a trout, but Pete can see it from the top of the bank and informs me that it a big grayling. The fish stays downstream of me using its huge dorsal to good effect in the fast current. I gradually gain ground, trying to keep it in the slower water close to the bank. It seems like an age before Pete lifts the net and we can part the folds and admire a magnificent grayling. We rest the fish for a while before weighing it and taking a few pictures. 1lb 15oz! Reg would have been proud of me!
We pack up and drift happily back across the field to the car. My mind is already mulling over tactics for the next time I go chasing the ladies. I’ve got my grayling head on!
Lessons Learnt
I’m coming round to the idea of using braid as a main line for trotting. It floats consistently and its lack of stretch means that it’s easy to set the hook at the end of a long trot. On the downside is that it does seem to ‘stick’ slightly in the surface film which requires a little more care when mending line. I also feel that I might be pulling out of a few more fish than I would on mono, but it’s too early to be certain of this.
I’m impressed with the Grand Match fluorocarbon. I think Preston Innovations are on to a winner here. I only used one hook length all day and even though I was retrieving double maggot through fast water it never kinked or twisted. Knot strength was good and I used a small rig ring to it to the braid, using a grinner knot to the ring. The line is very thin for the stated breaking strain.
Carp match rods make excellent trotting rods. Go for a rod with a fine tip that will cushion light hook-lengths in fast water.
Whilst we both used centrepin reels, Pete and I brought fixed spool reels with us. Centrepins are lovely reels to use, but if the weather turns awkward, or you’re fishing in a tight swim, a fixed spool is better.
Always bring maggots when you’re grayling fishing. If the fish are ‘on’ and the water is coloured worms are the best bait, but in the less than ideal conditions that we fished in maggots clearly out-fished worms.
Don’t stay in a swim for too long. If you haven’t had a fish in 10 minutes move on. I find that you’re better resting a swim then coming back, especially if you’ve been feeding maggots.
Don’t over-feed maggots – a few fed every cast is fine. If you’re fishing a length that’s been stocked with trout keep the number of maggots to an absolute minimum or you’ll be pestered with silly spotted things.
Take time to admire your fish whilst resting it in the net
Always rest grayling well in your net. They tend to recover better in fast water, but make sure you hold them with their head upstream.
Finally, take care when approaching your swim. Walk quietly and move slowly when you are wading. The big fish I lost took the bait less than 6ft away from me. If I’d had made too much commotion I’d have spooked it and lost an opportunity.
