PDA

View Full Version : Things to do during the 'Off' season



garethl
11-05-2009, 06:37 PM
It's currently 'Off' season here in South Wales, so as I'm not living up in the head waters fishing for small wild brown trout anymore, I like to spend the winter months on the lower river where we have a good head of grayling present.

If you're going to freeze your ass off through the winter months, it's nice to be able to catch a species of fish that makes it all worth while.

http://www.flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/091017_01.jpg

http://www.flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/091018_02.jpg

http://www.flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/091017_02.jpg

http://www.flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/091017_05.jpg

http://www.flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/091017_04.jpg

This nymph got hammered all day long!
http://www.flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/091017_06.jpg

http://www.flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/091017_07.jpg

http://www.flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/091017_09.jpg

Grayling are quite partial to these...
http://www.flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/091018_01.jpg

http://www.flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/091017_08.jpg

http://www.flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/091018_04.jpg

http://www.flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/091017_03.jpg

http://www.flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/091018_03.jpg

http://www.flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/091010_01.jpg

http://www.flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/091010_04.jpg

http://www.flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/taff_090228_03.jpg

greendrake
11-05-2009, 07:32 PM
There are some impressive grayling in those shots.Curious though,why do they close the trout season but not grayling. In Maryland the trout season is open year 'round.Even in states nearby that have a closed season,the catch and relese waters are open year round.
Will

mikeytwoshoes
11-05-2009, 07:44 PM
ya - those are some good sized grayling.

I don't understand the euros fixation on grayling. yeah they're kinda pretty (like a whitefish I think) but at least the ones I've encountered in the states, which are more like this in size
http://www.flyfishinginsouthwales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/091017_03.jpg

had to be the dumbest damn fish in the river. my wife and I caught well over a hundred of them one afternoon on the ruby river, they'd hit anything that floated near them.

garethl
11-06-2009, 05:48 AM
Hi Greendrake, we have close seasons for trout over here, primarily, to allow for the trout’s spawning to go as uninterrupted or disturbed as possible. For example, on my local river, it’s headwaters and tributaries are completely closed for fishing throughout the winter months to allow this, however (and as the lower river has a good head of grayling - classed as a coarse fish over here, but still a member of the Salmonid family), fishing is allowed to continue as grayling spawn at a different time of year to trout and continue to feed through the winter months. Wading over trout redds, etc, even on the lower river, might still be an issue, but there are efforts by all fishing clubs/associations/individuals to keep this to as bare a minimum as possible.

mikeytwoshoes, our grayling can get to some impressive sizes and, as mentioned above, as regulations close down fishing for wild brown trout throughout the winter months, a lot of anglers switch to the grayling as their quarry of choice. They are known to become quite picky at times too, with only the finest tippets and smallest flies attracting their attention. That said, you hit a shoal that’s not been disturbed for a while, and you could be in for some great fun :)

Mostyn
11-06-2009, 06:20 AM
Hi GL,

Good post; and some nice photos! Here's one of you that I took a couple of weeks ago!

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/8649/pa170393.jpg (http://img24.imageshack.us/i/pa170393.jpg/)

Another!
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/5190/pa170395.jpg (http://img24.imageshack.us/i/pa170395.jpg/)
and an almost 3LB Grayling in the net!
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/544/pa170390.jpg (http://img255.imageshack.us/i/pa170390.jpg/)

Sorry I can't be with you at the BFFI on Saturday! But I'll see you on the river soon!

Mostyn

gusstrand
11-06-2009, 10:09 AM
Oddly, the only trout season in Texas is coming soon... it's an artifical tailwater fishery created by TU that is open in the winter due to summer temperatures... rubber trout.

I've been here in Texas five years now, and have yet to fish it. Five years without a salmonid. Access in TX is akin to European access - almost all land is privatized and you have to buy a lease. Growing up on the west coast and living a decade in the Northwest, I still just can't get my head around that.

My "season" is year 'round here. I've become used to the green fish, and appreciate them. Bass and panfish are the order of the day, but there are also some fun ones - I love going after the Rio Grande Cichlid (Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum) in my small creek. They are surprisingly spooky in my local creek, and make for some cool fun, as they change colors and flash when "emotional."

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v33/piscator/rio2.jpg

adam
11-06-2009, 10:17 AM
Cool thread.

Doctor
11-07-2009, 10:18 AM
Gareth , a lump of the Monnow mafia will be on "my" bit of the Kennet tommorow,with assistance from boy will run up some pics of rob and the trilby moth!Possibly some at lunch time :shh:

garethl
11-07-2009, 05:21 PM
Doctor, bumped into Dave today, and he mentioned he's heading down your way tomorrow. Hope you all have a good day, and yes please, I expect some photos :D Have a great one!

flytyer187
11-07-2009, 07:03 PM
those are nice fish, I live in colorado. we are year round -- no season. I get ot catch big trout everyday I go fishing. I love colorado for that & think that's how it should be that everywhere-- at least you guy's have graling to beat up, thats still cool

ags
01-30-2010, 01:54 PM
Size of Grayling

Back in 1966, was in Melrose Montana having dinner. A guide heard me talking about fishing the Big Hole that evening and planning to fish it the next day. He came over to our table (wife, daughter, and me) to inform me that fishing on the Big Hole was terrible. Responded by telling him that seemed to be true as I just caught one 7 inch brown while fishing it that evening. Informed him that I thought I was just a lousy fisherman. His take was that under the current conditions, one's skill level was academic! The guide wanted to know the location of my home waters. Informed him that I was from Pa. and tried to fish the Letort and Falling Springs - two limestoners - as often as possible. Showed him the flies used on those streams - jassids, trico's, Letort beetles and hoppers, etc. Don't know if that impressed him, but he offered to take me fishing for Grayling at a Lake the next morning - free of charge, not less! Needless to say I took him up on this deal.

Bottom line - had a great morning catching 10 inch to 14 inch Graying. He caught far more - and larger ones - than I did. I used dries. About 45 minutes before we were to leave, he came over to give me one of his patterns. Tied it on and had far greater success - size and number - with his pattern than I had with the patterns I had been using.

On the return walk back to his truck, we ran into a grizzly. Thank heavens, the grizzly ran in an opposite directions!

Grayling as an indicator - it is my understanding that Grayling require high quality water. Thus streams that hold Grayling must be consider high quality streams. As we all know, the range of the Grayling - as well as that of other fish species requiring high water quality - here in the US has decreased significantly over the years.

Please note - my take - that both the Letort and Falling Springs are mere shadows of what they were back in the 1945 - 1970 era.

greendrake
01-30-2010, 02:03 PM
I can't speak to Falling Springs decline even though I have fished it for many years. But the Letort has had 2 bad fish kills that I'm aware of and I don't think the fish or the aquatic insects have recovered from the last one even though it's been awhile since it happened.Of course that's just my take on it.
Will