Grayling on the Wharfe
Having had a day out with guide Steve Rhodes the previous weekend, I was still pumped up with enthusiasm and confidence for river fishing. I decided to get down to my usual stretch of the Wharfe and see if I could capitalise on that feel-good factor.
Remembering his advice I made sure I paid close attention to the fly life before starting fishing. There wasn’t much about but I did see this little Stonefly.
I also took some time to read the river. This is a stretch of river I’ve fished numerous times but now I was looking at it with new eyes!
In a period of about one and a half hours I landed three grayling, played and lost another two or three and had numerous other offers. To me, this was a Goddamn grayling bonanza! The biggest is pictured below (notice the mark where something has had a go at it).
I caught them all fishing wet fly ‘down and across’, on a short line just as I’d been taught by Steve. Point fly was a tungsten hare’s ear and then I had a Partridge & Orange and a.n.other North Country spider on the droppers.
Can’t wait to get on the river again!