Trotting for grayling

Hi all, could anyone let me know what type of equipment I would need for trotting for grayling. The water is the River Frome in Dorset, which is medium paced and comparatively small.

a float rod,centrepin reel(if you can afford one),plus some stick floats and chub floats,2lb hooklengths and sweetcorn or maggot as bait,thats what works for me on my local river,apart from the centrepin(which I can`t afford.I make do with a fixed spool loaded with 3lb bs line.

i use a simple rig with a chubber float setup and either my closed faced reel or centre pin with either 2to 3lb line and red maggots or corn and sometimes bread flake and either loose fed bait samples or
mashed bread i use the same setup for chubb
as they tend to share the same swims on the
derbyshire derwent where i fish
my chubb & grayling set-up

im sorry i forgot to mention i've recantly
added a overview descrition of trotting on my web site which may be worth a view
my site

pluss there's some great info here
<a href"http://www.fishingmagic.com/news/article.asp?SP=&v=3&UAN=2448">great articles</a>

the link i messed up to the great articles
is
See Here

i help all this is of some help
(i think i need a nap in a dark room)

A word of warning though Rog. Many riparian/ fishing right owners, at least in the North East and the Borders, do not allow the use of maggot or sweetcorn.
(they say they don't have anything against the coarse angler but,... would they let their daughter marry one?)

A good tip would be to add a small swivel (say No.20) 6" above the hooklength.

Grayling are often found in fast streamy water and they scrap hard for their size.

If you don't use the swivel, you'll suffer from line twist.

The line will twist up most of all while retrieving a hook baited with double maggot, especially after along trot.

As far as tackle goes, I use a 15ft match rod, an Abu closed face reel, 4.6lb mainline (treated with a line floatant), the same float and shotting as Chavender suggested, and a size 14 Kamasan B611 Barbless Hook. I would also strongly recommend a pair of waders and a bait smock (or apron).

I fish the Frome for grayling as often as possible so this advice might just be useful.
I'm not sure about all stretches of the river, but the water controlled by the local clubs are open to coarse fishers from 1 Nov to the last day of Feb.
The best method, and definately the most enjoyable is trotting. I use a centrepin loaded through with 3lb line, usually to a size 16 hook.Your choice of float will depend on the swim and flow. It can alternate between a light (for a fast flowing river like the Frome) 3 or 4BB to a 4 swan chubber. The Frome is quick to react to weather and rises quickly after rain. It also gets back to fishable conditions after a couple of days without rain. I would definately agree with the earlier tip about waders and a bait bib though I've never thought about the swivel. You decide.
The most prolific bait is maggot. I usually have 2 or 3 on the hook and a red/white combination seems to be best. I've also had success with red worms or corn and these baits often sort out the bigger fish. Long trotting on some swims produces at the beginning or end of the trot for some reason, but always be prepared! Also be prepared for dace, which strangely were absent last season, and the occasional salmon. I don't get out nearly as often I wish my wife and kids would let me, but I hooked into salmon 4 times during my short sessions last season, and with the tackle described above, they certainly give a run for their money! I managed to land 2 and was dead chuffed with that.
Don't forget that the Frome is a small river so be prepared to move swims when bites stop.
I hope this helps. I think my most enjoyable fishing trips have been grayling fishing on the Frome. It is a beautiful river to fish and success or failure it's always a pleasure to be out on its banks.

I can't really add much more to this thread. Fishing for grayling is true magic. I've have them from the Hants Avon, Wylye, Derbyshire Derwent, upper Swale, Ure, Wharfe and Don (That's right the Don upstream of Sheffield).

Don't for goodness sake put them in a keepnet. Release them immediately and if you want to keep the odd one as they do allow in my part of the world, they are very good eating.

Thanks everyone for your advice, it will certainly help me when I start this Autumn. Good fishing.

Can someone tell me why it is that greyling nearly allways take a lengthy recovery time after being caught.

I caught a couple last winter and had to hold them against the current for some time until thet were ready to go, and then still be very carefull.

They are quite a delicate species, much like trout and demand water with high oxygen levels. Most fish that require high oxygen levels and are subsceptible to pollution can be a problem to release after capture.

Barbel, salmon, trout and grayling are typical of those species.

I am not sure if I would totally agree with the use of a swivel preferring to hook double maggot one through the top and the other thruogh the bottom, which eliminates spinning and thereby line twist.

I am not familiar with the Frome but if the levels are low then try a Trent Trotter float (see Mark Wintle's articles) as this is not only very effective but also a lovely method to fish with.

On the Avon either maggot or caster is successful but do keep the bait going in as this does tend to get them up in the water competing for food. If there are Dace in the river then expect them to puch the Grayling out after a while.

To echo Ron's words; NEVER, EVER put Grayling into a keepnet as this is a guaranteed kiss of death to such wonderfully spirited and beautiful fish.
Also, please give them plenty of time to recover before releasing them. There is nothing worse than to see a Grayling go "belly-up" and be out of reach of even your landing net. Even when you think they are ready give them another 20 seconds or so and let them swim strongly away.

I'd echo the above but do advocate the use of a swivel.It does help minimise hook pulls in my experience as well as avoid line twist.

I'd emphasise the need to keep moving.Grayling seem to move around in small pods as opposed to shoals & I dont often get more than half a dozen from any peg at the most& more usually 2 or 3. Generally on waters with a reasonable head of fish, if they are there they will bite soon enough so if you get no bites after 15 minutes or so then move on.Travelling light is therfore an advantage.

Those who target big grayling seem to have success on leger tackle with small feeders.I've never really gone for this for aesthetic reasons but also that on leger gear you have to be very careful not to deep hook as this will invariably result in a dead grayling.

I save my grayling fishing for Winter.There is nothing better on a crisp frosty morning than to see the beatiful colours of a good size "lady" shining in the winter sun.

I have fished a fair bit for grayling on the Kennet at Barton Court.The grayling are not that big but are plentiful. You can book the fishery for 12 rods for the day & it would be an ideal spot for a grayling fish-in(for those in the south at least).Would anybody be up for it later in the year?

Just for the record, I also would never put greyling in a keep net.

Personally I'd rather see a grayling knocked on the head and eaten rather than in a keepnet.

At least they will not be wasted.

Nigel,

Is that the venue where we fished last year?
If so, then I'd be up for a grayling fish-in day.

I would totally agree with you on the point regarding legering for grayling, not only is it a lot less aesthetically pleasing but the possibility of a deeply hooked fish is too great.

On the point about the incorporation of a swivel I do tend to use one when distance fishing with a waggler, but I think it messes with the shotting pattern, and thereby your presentation, especially close in or off the end of the rod when trotting.

Interesting point though.

I've tried ledgering for Grayling a couple of times and both times most fish were deeply hooked despite using shorter and shorter hooklengths.

By the time you've registered a bite at your end, including when touch ledgering, they may well have swallowed the hook.

I shall never ledger for them again and I wouldn't recommend anyone else does.

Peter,

Yes thats the place but I think it will be better later in the year for grayling.

I will canvss opinion in a month or so as I think it would be ideal for a get together for southern members at least.

I'm not sure how the experts avoid deep hooking but my experience is the same as yours Matt, although I really only get them on the lead when going for chub or roach.