After a few really tough winter matches, scratching around for a few bites on frozen carp puddles me and Matt Godfrey were looking for something different to add a bit of excitement to our festive period. Its all to easy for us as match anglers to become stuck in a rut, visiting the same venues and fishing the same methods, and once in a while it is good to break the mould and go and do something totally different. We had already agreed on a days pike fishing, and when Ben Fisk suggested a days grayling fishing on the River Wharfe we were raring to go therefore, and two dates were duly arranged.
Neither of us had ever caught a grayling before, and my stick float skills are rusty to none existence, so I knew an interesting and challenging day was in in store! Ben lives on the outskirts of Wetherby, and when me and Matt suggested meeting at his house at 8, it was apparent it was a bit to early for him! “Nine will do fine” came the reply from Sir Fisk, I
The Wharfe is a lovely river, not dissimilar to the upper Don, and talking to a few regulars it holds specimen fish of most species. From trout and grayling, to barbel and chub, and even bream and roach in its slower stretches it really is a very diverse watercourse
The first spot we had hoped of fishing was full of anglers, and we arrived just in time to watch a lad on what was allegedly the boss peg slipping the net under a chub. Still, with no spots available we had to venture further down the river in the hope of finding some free water.
Bens local knowledge served us well, and we were soon tackling up behind a couple of fishy looking swims however. We all used 8XNo4 Lignum sticks, to 3lb mainline, and an 0.10 bottom. Hooks were size 18 B611 shotted with a bulk and a couple of droppers in the pacey water,. Bait was one or two white maggots.
Matt was the first one ready, and before me and Ben had even finished setting up, he was yelling us to come quick as the first grayling of the day was hooked. Seconds later, he slipped the net under it, and what a beautiful fish it was. Only about 10 ounces, but perfectly formed, we had a good look at it, before slipping it back- mission accomplished in the first ten minutes of the day!
A few minutes later, my stick float slid away at the bottom of the swim, and my first ‘lady’ was on its way to the net. This one was tiny, the smallest of the day in fact, maybe only weighing a couple of ounces, but I was still chuffed to death with it. A bigger one followed a couple of minutes later, before Ben had a run and also snared a couple of fish. I had a wander up to where Matt was fishing, and he let me have a go on his rod while he went down to see Ben, and a few runs later, I hooked something that fought much harder. It turned out to be a brown trout about 1lb- a nice surprise!
We had a wonder to a couple of pegs a bit further down the river, where it seemd to go slower, and Ben suggested this water was not as good for oxygen loving grayling, so we made our way back up to the part of river where we started.
The middle part of the day was fairly slow to be honest, but the odd minnow added a bit of excitement, as did a gargantuan tangle in which we managed to get all three rods tangled, and have to snip off and set up again!
I must just put a word of thanks in here to Ben for everything he has done over the last few months. As regular readers of either mine or Matt’s column will know, we decided to have a bash at the Lindholme Winter League this year, and nobody has been of more help to us in getting to grips with the venue. He has gone out of his way to help us both in terms of telling us what rigs, baits and feeding patterns to use, and also by telling us about the pegs we have drawn and how to fish them. He is a true gent, and made it it his priority on the day to make sure me and Matt caught a grayling, in fact, he didn’t wet a line himself until we both had caught one. Put it this way, it will be us buying the drinks in the Reindeer pub after the league matches for the rest of the winter!
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