Grayling fishing on the Itchen

[jcp01]

I was warned about barbless on my first trip here and given a micro barb but tangled up in the very shallow swims about mid fishery, disobeying the golden stick float shotting rule out of sheer laziness of course, and lost it. I continued with my own barbless, and went on to land so many grayling, probably sixty all the same size, I got sick of em and went after the roach.

Later in the evening went downstream and found a one-ten redfin on breadflake just before closing time, in the big eddy just below the first footbridge up from t'mill

 

[Nigel Connor]

Barbless B911s kamasans and a small micro swivel to join the hook length to the main line always does the trick for me.Never lost many.

 

[Bully]

What happened to the FM Itchen Day? It has been my only day out for the last few years!!

 

[Nigel Connor]

Bully,

I have sent you a PM.

I have booked the fishery again this year for the 27th February but as eveyone who went last year wanted to go again there were not any spare places so I saw little point in advertising it.

If any spaces come free,I will post.

 

[Phil Lambert]

Look for an area called 'The Cliffs' towards the top end of the fishery and trot a 2 swan chubber - always good for grayling until the trout move in. Double maggot on a 16. Personally I don't care whether you use barbed or barbless, it's a personal choice but I use barbless for trotting.
My normal silverfish 13 footer (Drennan Series 7 Competition Match) was a little light for fast pickups on a long trot so I switched to my Daiwa Spectron and had no further trouble.
The 'Lower Round the Bend' area at the bottom end of the fishery (near the wooden footbridge) holds some very good chub to over 5lb and at least one 10lb carp I had on a blockend feeder rig (who the hell put THAT in there?).

 

[audi49]

I'm off there on tuesday, hows the river looking? clear i hope?

 

[audi49]

The rivers fine, but the roads aren't.B!!!!!!R