I can't think of a better way to start the year than grayling fishing. I think they are greatly undervalued fish; they fight hard, are really beautiful and taste good too (or so I'm told). I had a great day on the Wylye last year and wondered if I could get a days fishing there again this year. As it is a chalk stream, it doesn't flood like many of the spate rivers I fish near home and is therefore more likely to be fishable, something you have to think about when you travel all the way from Devon.
I was talking to Chris Yates who is engrossed writing his new book about the night, something he had wanted to do for years, and he hadn't been fishing since November! So we planned a day fishing together on the Wylye, a river he hadn't fished in a while.
Chris is a friend of the family and for several years we had kept saying we would have a day fishing together but only managed a couple of hours after a book signing. It was a real pleasure to finally spend a day fishing an idyllic location with him, and to watch him trotting with his centre pin and Sealey rod.
The weather was a bit grim with a sharp northeasterly wind and overcast, but we decided to fish some four or five miles or so above Wilton where the grayling are fewer, but meant to be larger than my previous visit.
Chris started trotting just below the bridge and was first into a nice sized fish. I followed suit fishing upstream, but as Chris carried on catching grayling with an odd trout, I was struggling and moved downstream on the opposite bank. Here the wind was straight across the river into my face, resulting in the light line that I use for trotting blowing into the bushes on the near bank.
After a frustrating hour or so, even after changing to heavier float tackle, I decided to break for lunch and walk back upstream. Chris, meanwhile had moved up to the swim in the photograph, and had just caught the days best fish of 2lb 4oz.
This was the perfect time to celebrated with a cup of tea (or 2) from the kelly kettle, brewed by the master. On a cold damp day, it really hit the spot accompanied by a doughnut each that Sandy had packed for us.
Suitably refreshed, we set forth in determined manner. I thought I would fish the same swim that I had been fishing before lunch from the opposite bank, whilst Chris fancied a little carrier with a deep hole.
With the wind now behind me, moving the float across the river towards the ideal run, I had success with three grayling in the 1.5 to 1.75lb range, and had a couple more shed the hook. Chris managed a couple from the stream although they were a little smaller as you would expect.
As the light faded and the misty rain moved in it was time to call it a day. I had thoroughly enjoyed my day out with excellent company, catching up on news whilst savouring our refreshments, and even catching a few nice fish. I just hope it isn't as long again until the next time.