Bonnie on Clyde

Mist lies on the river before the start- it had burned through in another ten minutes.

In the lull that is steroid assisted pain control, I awoke this morning to a stunning day and having the week off, decided that if I was ever going to be able to get out on the river for a shot at the Grayling this autumn/winter, today was my best chance.

The first run through on the bugs

I threw a couple of rods in the car, my waders and a few boxes of bugs and dry flies and headed south to Abington to get a day ticket for the Upper Clyde. If you could choose one day in the last year to be out on the river, today was the day- it was simply stunning. It started off with the mist clearing from the water- it enveloped most of the Clyde valley as I drove down, then the sun came out and beheld the most perfect day.

The first Grayling of the day fell to a red tag jig bug.

I started off well upstream and fishing the French Leader on a pool I know has held a few” ladies of the stream” for me in the past. On my first run through the line tightened with the characteristic thump, thump of a headshaking Grayling and my day was made. It took me a few minutes but it was soon into the net, a fish on the upper side of one and a half to two pounds,  a solid female grayling. It took my favourite and much trusted red tag bug on a jig hook.
The hook fell out in the net but this fish has encountered chemically sharpened steel before as it had a slightly ragged lip from a previous battle.
I run through the pool a second time but had no other offers so taking on board the words of wisdom of John Tyzack in his Grayling through the seasons video, rung the changes and put on a different set of bugs.

A second fish this time on a Orange beaded possum bug.

Almost same spot as the first fish on what would have been by now, my 3rd run through and again the mighty thump of another Grayling. A fish possibly slightly bigger than the first, certainly it put up a fair scrap and felt a little heavier in the net. This one took a little orange beaded possum bug on the top dropper.

As a finale here I decided to try a dry fly with a nymph beneath NZ style but never got a touch though it was nice to have a proper cast.

I decided as it neared lunchtime that it was time for a move so I headed back to the car  and motored a few miles downstream.

A better shot of the second Grayling, another female

I was going to cross the river and head downstream but on seeing another angler down there I decided to stay on the near bank and head upstream to a spot I had tried a few winters back that looked decidedly fishy though I had not had anything previously.

As I sat down to make a cup of pasta-soup I thought I saw a fish rise in my peripheral vision. Certainly there were lots of small grey duns coming off the water, in some numbers and right enough a few tell tale dimples as fish took them were appearing. The rises were very gentle, one or two might have been small trout but a few seemed very subtle and I thought maybe Grayling. I run through the pool with the bugs first and never had a look, though the rises continued. I stopped to eat the soup and seeing a few more rises, temptation became too great-” try the dry again” the voices said!

My first run through was with a big olive klinkhammer and the nymph below- it disappeared once but I think it was just a snag. I took the pair off and replaced just the dry fly with a tiny size 18 split wing CDC fly. Very close in size and shape to the flies on the water. It took me a while to settle on the best presentation which seemed to be downstream fishing, but then the subtlest of takes and I was into a fish, It felt like a Grayling initially but then as it came quickly to the surface I could see the golden flanks of a decent sized brown trout, of about three-quarters to a pound in size. A lovely fish. It had really wanted the fly and was well hooked so took me a few seconds to release, but it shot off strongly.

Just as I was getting ready to fish again I noticed something in the water- and as bold as brass an American Signal Crayfish was heading towards me, I took a few shots then disposed of it. These pests now seem to be making their way downstream as the containment measures are apparently not working now. I seen another later in the day as I nearly trod on it but it shot into deeper water.

The river in late evening- Not the best pic but captures how it looked.

I never managed to catch any more here so it was time for another move. I tried one more section upstream but had no offers so headed downstream again. I stopped for a chat with the other angler, he had had one small grayling and was heading for the bus. I went a little further down and found a very deep looking pool that was a bit hard to fish effectively from the bank I was now on so headed back and fished the run where the other chap had left. There were lots of fish here, I am sure I saw a Grayling turn below the surface and plenty of fish rose for flies, but I never managed to touch another fish in the gorgeous afternoon sunshine.

I don’t think there were many days as nice as this in the rest of the year, including summer.

It was a wrench to leave as it will probably be a long time before I can fish the river again, fingers crossed the meds start working and I can get out again soon. If it was my last day on the river ever I don’t think I could choose a better one.