Best Grayling rivers

[Jroper14]

Hi all,

I'm looking to spend a winter in pursuit of Grayling on a different river to my usual Dove, Derbyshire. I've got a campervan and don't mind how far I travel so just wondered if anyone has some advice on some nice stretches in the country famous for this species? I'm not a fly fisherman but I am a bit of purist and do love trotting with the stick float and centrepin. Any advice welcome.

Thanks in advance

Jack

 

[sam vimes]

I suspect that "best" will depend on whether you prefer size or quantity. Whilst not especially prolific, I can catch quite enough grayling without traveling over five miles. What I would like would be a crack at somewhere with a reasonable chance of a 3lb fish. However, I suspect that I'd need to travel to either extremity of England or certain parts of Scotland to do that.

 

[nottskev]

Have a look at this video of grayling fishing on the Dee in North Wales. It's a bit closer than the chalk streams near the south coast.

YouTube


Llangollen is a nice place to spend a couple of days; here's a link to a source of day tickets

Membership, day / week pass prices for fishing on the River Dee in North Wales, UK

Further downstream, inexpensive day tickets for a Bangor on Dee stretch were available at the post office near the bridge. I'm sure there are plenty of accessible places to be found with a bit of googling and asking around.


There has been a bit of a grayling population explosion on the lower Derwent in Derbyshire, but they're generally smaller than Dove fish. We used to drive over to Scropton on the Dove for the grayling, first on a Pride of Derby card, and then later a Stoke card.

 

[jasonbean1]

I like the looks of the Dee!

 

[S-Kippy]

I've fished the Welsh Dee ( with a fly) around Llangollen and alongside a good head of grayling it does contain some proper great lumps. You can get a day ticket on the Bala water but im not sure what the rules are re bait.....some beats are fly only. I've not fished the Bala water but I know people who have and it holds some very big grayling.

 

[mikench]

The guy on the Dee makes it look so easy and relaxing! What can possibly go wrong when i go!

I like the little landing net with the built in scales!

 

[jasonbean1]

and a cheap days fishing with a tub of worms, didn't see him feed anything.

perhaps private fishing costing a lot to join though!

 

[jasonbean1]

looked at the tariff says £40 for coarse...can I go with maggots and can I fish all season though? not vey velar on the website

 

[tigger]

Imo if you know a good water for any species and you have a functioning brain you won't go blabbing about it to all and sundry....and definately not on the internet !
How many people would go blabbing if they find a money tree.....

 

[flightliner]

Imo if you know a good water for any species and you have a functioning brain you won't go blabbing about it to all and sundry....and definately not on the internet !
How many people would go blabbing if they find a money tree.....

Spot on, sadly it happens all the time which is why I never reported my record breaking gudgeon from the Humber , oops ! :wh

 

[mikench]

Imo if you know a good water for any species and you have a functioning brain you won't go blabbing about it to all and sundry....and definately not on the internet !
How many people would go blabbing if they find a money tree.....

Meanie!

 

[tigger]

Meanie!

LOL, meanie indeed, i've no problems sharing with pals but thats as far as it goes .

 

[nottskev]

Ouch! But with 34 videos for Dee grayling on youtube, and umpteen pages of google results, the secret, to be fair, was already out. Still looking for the money-tree video.....:wh

 

[tigger]

Ouch! But with 34 videos for Dee grayling on youtube, and umpteen pages of google results, the secret, to be fair, was already out. Still looking for the money-tree video.....:wh

I still know a few hidden gems Kev.

 

[nottskev]

I still know a few hidden gems Kev.

Me too. But it's probably too late to keep the Dee, home of the European Grayling Festival, to myself and a few friends

 

[binka]

Hi all,

I'm looking to spend a winter in pursuit of Grayling on a different river to my usual Dove, Derbyshire. I've got a campervan and don't mind how far I travel so just wondered if anyone has some advice on some nice stretches in the country famous for this species? I'm not a fly fisherman but I am a bit of purist and do love trotting with the stick float and centrepin. Any advice welcome.

Thanks in advance

Jack

There's a certain irony in that you have some good grayling fishing right on your doorstep but I can understand you wanting to spread your wings and have a change of scenery.

The Lover's Walk stretch of the Derwent through Matlock Bath is usually consistent, going back a few years it was absolutely stuffed with 'em and I've no reason to believe it's any different now.

My only trip there last season resulted in some better fish over a pound from the deeper water just above the footbridge just downstream of the museum.

I used to fish Darley Dale to Matlock regularly on the Matlock DAA book and it was good fishing.

 

[Molehill]

The upper Wye and tributaries are good with lots of available water through the Wye and Usk foundation, unfortunately all fly only. I'm sure there are odd stretches for trotting if you seek them out, and if you find any please email me their location - in secret

Upper Severn as far downstream as welshpool also holds good numbers of fish, size and quantity vary with stretches ( both rivers could produce 3lb fish). Lots of club waters here, BAA, PAAS, Warrington, Caersws, and more including local clubs for you to search. I know a couple of short free stretches that belong to EA, at sewage works so not to everyone s taste, should be on a website somewhere. Upper severn is a good bet if you do some research.

 

[ian g]

Thought of giving it a go myself , must be the cold snap . I'd go for the Dee or upper Severn . I remember a few years back a really cold spell with sheets of ice on the Turn of the Dee ,managed one grayling on the tip (cheating) , made my day.

 

[Graham Elliott 1]

Molehill
I'm of to the Upper Wye tomorrow at Builth Wells.Town stretch

From November 1st you can trot maggots with the Groe Park Fishing Club that has lots of water on the Wye and Irfon for the annual ticket winter coarse fishing for the price of a day on no better Wye and Usk beats.

 

[terry m]

A long way down south but the Nadder in Wiltshire, or the Frome in Dorset are hard to beat.