Grayling Fishing on the 17/02/07

[Andrew Burgess]

Well, I got back from another session on the River Itchen. ;D

Here is the entrance from going out



The river was carrying an extra bit of water due to the amount of rain which have fallen in the past few days



and return back to the normal pace. It was very tough going as I tried in serveral swims.

My float set up consist of a Dawia 17ft rod with an Okuma Pro centrepin with 50 metres of Drennan Floatfish 3.2lb mainline with a 2½ Swan loafer float with a 1.7lb hooklenght with either 14/16 barbless hook.



The first swim, i try today is known as the keepy bend as where budgie have spent the last two Itchen trip (and unfortulately coundn't make it due to a trap nerve in the neck) so I decided to break the habbit and fish there for a change.



Well it was very tough going as the been some report of some salmon in the water. I did see a dead salmon in the margin but did not took a pitcure because the state of rotten flesh was enough to make you sick! After a couple of fruitless hours that it was clearly it was going to be tough. I wander back to the favorite swim I have known for the last three trips

I did had a take on the float on the first cast into the sharp bend



Which a small grayling came to my way but as usual I was been too clever thinking that was no need for a picture of a small grayling as I was convince there was a few of the specimen lurking down in the deep bend. So it was time for a feeder set up



My feeder set up consist of Peter Drennan Heavy feeder 12ft rod with a two ounce tip with a small black cap blockend feeder with a size 14 hook.

I cast into the deep area of the bend and waited for the bite. It only been in the water for a few minutes and all of sudden the tip jerked into a drop back bite which I hitted straight away and I saw the grayling came to the surface and I knew it was going to be a near three pounder and all of sudden - disaster happen the hooklenght snap - I was gutted, so I quickly tied another hooklenght on and again casted out into the deep pool and waited. It happen again with the drop back bite which i hit again and saw another good size grayling again maybe another three pounder but it came off after me was rushing to quickly to get the fish out of the main current.

By then I was really gutted - losing two big grayling in a space of ten minutes.

So again tied another hooklenght mand tried in vain to catch a bigger grayling but ended up with a loverly brown trout.



By then I moreless wander back down stream to meet all the others anglers who was fishing on the day .

[MrMatthew]

Nice pictures... dead jealous I couldn't be there....!

[BUDGIE]

Same here MrM!

[Carpy]

How did you get on this year on the Itchen. Andrew and Budgie.

[Andrew Burgess]

I decided to go up to the bridge for a change and really give it a go on the float and centre pin - well it proved to be tougher than I thought but manage to catch a small grayling on a float.

By midday thing was going to been tougher than I thought and at this stage still only one small grayling! Well I was thinking of moving down the river as it is a very long walk back to the car park. So I went moving down to another peg. There is a peg where I did really fancy it - where the river split into two section.



Already set up the feeder rod with a 50 grams kamasan black cap blockend feeder with the mainline of braid 10lb (2lb mono thickness) and 4lb mono to a 2.1lb hooklenght with a size 16 hook.

I set the feeder in position and not long was already getting knocks on the quivertip but still missing them, so in the case waiting for positives bite than knock. The first three fish were brown trout in the 1lb - 2lb bracket.



It went quiet for a while and I decided to increased the rate of chucking maggots into the water along with the feeder. The quivertip went round and the fish, sort of tail walk (fish jumping out out the water) a few times. By the time I netted it and a closer inspection of the fish - my first sea trout from the Itchen.



Well I was still hoping for a big grayling to show up and things was getting a bit desperate to scale down the hook and hooklenght. Cast out into the river, and increase the rate of chucking a few red maggots every 30 second. All of sudden everything went! Quivertip bang right round and fish was on, but as it came the the surface I realise it was a big grayling. So I played it cool in order not to lose it as I was on a very light hooklenght.

I quickly weight it and it went to 2lb 6ozs

[MrMatthew]

Marvelous fish!

[BUDGIE]

Well as usual had a really enjoyable day on the Itchen.The annual trek (no where near as tedious mind you from Mitcham as it is from Ashford!) down to the LIF started off a bit bad as I over slept! but leaving from Mitcham it was much quicker and I still managed to be at ASDA's for brekfast.In fact first in the que but let a few go in front so people couldnt take the mick!

The weather was similar to the other years Ive been down being bright and windy but it was a lot warmer,in fact stayed in my shorts all day.The river though was quite cloudy and up 10" to a foot on what Ive fished it before.

Went up to the swim I normally fish on the Coarse Syndicate section just below the rail bridge.The back eddy on the U bend was full of floating rubbish but as it had produced well for me before I settled there.

Even harder to fish than usual but I percevered.Was certainly slow compared to normal years but I could see Fay and Vidar getting a few just up from me so stuck it out.Last year (I didnt fish at the last minute due to waking up and not being able to move my neck!) it was also pants apparently but that was explained by Fay catching a good pike that was obviously hold up there out of the current.it was possibly the same this year.

First fish was well into the day and soon as I hooked it knew it was a good one.Now a 4lb Chub might not be much to a lot of you but as I had only ever caught one of this size before I was well pleased.Even weighed and photographed it.



Next trot a minnow! needless to say I didnt bother weighing and photographing that!.A few minutes later I struck in to a bite and by the time I had manouvered out of all the floating rubbish it was right down in the slack of the swim it was very slow moving with only the occaisional of the head to let me know that it was a fish and not a log! also Ive hooked very few logs that move against the current! sadlly after another three or four minutes all went slack and I came back hookless the line having gone just above the hook.Most likely a good pike,maybe even the one from last year!

Mind you after that the fishing picked up and I had another three Grayling.Smaller than I have become used to in this swim at around 1 1/4 - 1 1/2lb. Great sport though and terrific looking fish as allways.