Walbran

[Traditionalist]

( Thias is Walbran´s Chapter on grayling fishing, which he added to the editionin of "British Angling Flies" from Theakston (1862 ) which he revised and annotated .. The flies are still excellent for grayling. He also mentions "fishing the Grasshopper". MC)

AUTUMNAL GRAYLING FISHING.

COMING as it does at the close of the trout season, this branch of flyfishing has many devotees among that class of anglers who are impervious to the discomforts of the weather, and who wish to continue their favourite sport to the end of the year, for even during December, should the water be low and clear, there are frequently clays of fine open weather, when at noon time the fish will rise readily. As the author of this little work devoted more attention to flyfishing for trout than for grayling ; and as during the past twenty years a number of killing patterns for grayling flies have been invented, I have thought it best to add a fresh chapter devoted entirely to that subject. The grayling is a great deal more capricious fish than the trout, the latter (if in the humour) rises boldly at your fly. sometimes with a considerable splash, but if he misses it, very seldom will he come again, unless under exceptional circumstances, Now a grayling will at times rise over and over again at your fly, and perhaps after missing it three or four times will be hooked arid captured. I recollect once throwing over one eight times in succession, it missed the fly in each case, but I basketed him at last. You generally find that a proficient in this branch of angling possesses three important qualifications, viz., quick sight, a strong wrist, and sensitive touch, the first-named requisition being especially necessary, as the grayling is enabled, by its large dorsal fin, to rise so rapidly, and makes so little break on the surface of the water, that sometimes all that the angler sees is the gleam of its white belly, whereupon he should at once strike firmly but gently, otherwise possibly the fly will be rejected ; at another time a faint ripple on the surface and a slight tug is the only indication of a rise, and I have generally observed that the largest fish take the fly in this manner. What a delightful sensation it is when, upon striking gently, you experience the familiar steady pull and determined resistance of a fine grayling. Many writers of experience recommend fine-drawn gut for this kind of flyfishing, but for my own part I prefer single horse hair, being less liable to ravel with the twisting play so characteristic of this fish. The needle brown, cinnamon fly, red ant, orange dun, willow fly, and blue midge, are all excellent flies for grayling during the autumn months ; and I can also strongly recommend the patterns given in the following list, having tested them practically for many seasons on both the Yore and Wharfe.

No. 1. The honey dun bumble. Body, claret floss silk, ribbed with bright peacock's harl, with a pure honey dun hackle wound on hackle wise. Remarks : this and the two following patterns are considered standard grayling flies on the Derbyshire rivers ; they kill well when there is no particular fly on the water in fact I rarely make up a cast in autumn without one at the point.

No. 2. The orange bumble. Body, orange floss silk, ribbed with bronze peacock's harl, anid a pure blue dun hackle over it.

No. 3. The ruby bumble. Body, ruby-coloured floss silk, ribbed with bronze peacock's harl, and a dark dun hackle as in preceding pattern.

No. 4. The little chap. Body, the reddest strand of a peacock's feather, legged and winged hacklewise with a lightish dun hackle and mulberry coloured silk. Remarks : this is Mr. Ronalds' pattern, and is a first-rate killer ; it may also be dressed as a winged fly, with a feather taken from the darkest part of a starling's wing ; synonym, the peacock fly.

No. 5. The fog black. Wings, from a bullfinch's wing; legs, starling's hackle ; body, puce-coloured silk, with a strand of magpie's harl to form the head. Remarks : this is a Wharfedale pattern, and should be dressed very finely, it is a good killer when the water is low.

No. 6. The red tag. Body, bright green peacock's harl, over which wind a red cock's hackle, wrapping in a scrap of crimson floss silk at the tail. Remarks : this fly is an excellent one to employ on days when there is no particular fly upon the water, the fish generally taking it below the surface of the stream ; I believe that the pattern originally belongs to the Worcester district, a gentleman in that county being the first to introduce it to my notice, and since then I have had ample proof of its seductive properties on the Yorkshire rivers.

No. 7. The grey palmer. Cock's hackle, with black centre and whitish grey edge, ribbed with fine round silver tinsel, tying silk, black. Remarks : this pattern is one of the late David Foster's, the naturalist angler of Dovedale, and is a good killer during the autumn months.

No. 8. The winter dun. Body, flat gold or silver tinsel ; wings, fieldfare ; legs, light blue hen's hackle.
Remarks : this also is one of Mr. Foster's patterns, and must always be fished as a point fly ; I have killed grayling with it in December, not only -when the weather has been bright and sunny at noontime, but with snow upon the ground ; it answers well either in bright or coloured water.

No. 9. The quill gnat. Body composed of a strip of the quill from a starling's feather neatly rolled on ; legs, dark blue dun cock's hackle, in some cases red hackle ; wings, bright starling's wing ; hook No. 10 or 11.Remarks : this is one of Mr. Francis' patterns, and it answers very well when employed on fine evenings during July and August.

No. 10. Dark grey midge. Body, brown or olive silk; wings, dark grey feather of partridge ; legs, grey partridge or grizzled hackle. Remarks : one of Jackson's patterns which he specially recommends for use during the late autumn and winter months an essential point however is that it must be dressed small.

No. 11. The Francis fly. Body composed of copper-coloured peacock's harl, ribbed distinctly with copper red silk ; hackle, medium blue dun ; wings, two hackle-points of a grizzly blue dun cock's hackle (not a hen's), set well up. Remarks : this is a purely fancy fly, which was invented by Mr. Francis Francis ; the author does not speak of it, however, as being a good fly for grayling, but thinking it to be a likely looking pattern, I had some dressed small on No. 1 2 hooks, and having tested it practically on both the Yore and Wharfe, I can testify from experience to its efficacy.

No. 12. Blue midge. Body, lead-coloured silk; wings, feather from a water-hen's neck ; legs, grizzled hackle. Remarks : this is another of Jackson's patterns, and is a first-rate fly to employ on drizzling dull days in autumn and early spring, it must however be dressed fine and small.

These twelve patterns will, I feel certain, prove amply sufficient for killing grayling during the autumn months upon any stream where these delicate fish are to be found, but should the angler require greater variety, I can also recommend the following numbers of the author's flies, viz., Nos. 1, 6, 10, 11, 27, 28, 52, 55, 77, 80, 87, 90. ( See Theakston MC )

Another method of taking grayling during November and December, and which is practised a good deal by Yorkshire anglers, consists in what is termed in that district "swimming the worm." For this class of fishing a low clear water is most conducive to sport, and it is better if the angler can wade ; the rod should be light, moderately stiff, and about eleven feet in length ; the reel line must be a fine braided waterproofed one, to the end of which attach about two yards of fine-drawn gut, the hook a fine wire one, with a piece of stiff bristle tied in at the top of the shank to keep up the head of the worm, fasten a single swan shot about twelve inches above the hook, and your tackle is complete; the best worms to employ are the small red ones always to be found in old rotten manure, and they should be kept ready for use in damp, clean moss ; insert the point of the hook a little below the head of the worm, and thread it on, up to the projecting bristle, which will keep it in its place ; leave the tail of the worm hanging loose ; the bait must be swum about six inches from the bottom of the river by means of a very light cork or quill float, the angler wading carefully up stream, and trying every eddy or likely haunt for grayling within his reach ; as soon as ever the float gives the slightest indication of a bite the angler must strike at once, gently but firmly, playing the fish out in the water which he has previously fished through. The artificial bait known as the " grasshopper," and which is such a deadly lure on the tributaries of the Severn, does not seem to " take " on the Yorkshire streams. I have tried it on several occasions, but with no results. I must not forget to advise my readers to give a gentle strike at the end of each swim when fishing the worm for grayling, as very frequently the fish will take it very quietly just as the bait rises from the bottom, and then the above-named precaution generally results in the capture of the fish.

To myself, and no doubt to many other brothers of the angle, autumnal grayling fishing has a peculiar charm ; the calm declining days of September and October, when the sun sheds his warm rays over the golden stubble fields and the gorgeous ruddy tints of the fast changing foliage ; the soft murmur of the stream, with ever and anon the silvery gleam of the shadowy grayling as he rises at a passing fly ; the slender rod, the gossamer tackle, with the smallest of artificials attached, all tend to make up a most enchanting picture of the gentle art, especially to the eye of a born angler; just in the same manner as the sportsman of another class welcomes the 12th of August or the 1st of September, so does the enthusiast in grayling fishing hail with delight the approach of the autumn months, and if he be fortunate enough to reside in a district where this handsome and sporting fish abounds, weather and state of the river permitting, he is able to carry on his favourite sport up to the close of the year, instead of laying aside his fly rod in September, which he would be obliged to do if trout only were to be met with.