Long awaited Grayling Soc day on the Derwent

Yesterday, Sunday 5th, I managed to brave the elements, including 4" snow to drive over to Cromford in Derbyshire for a day Grayling fishing on the R Derwent, with the  local branch of the Grayling Soc.  About 10 of us managed to get through the attrocious conditions, including numerous abandoned cars to meet up at the Greyhound Hotel in Cromford for a coffee and a biscuit before setting out for the fishing.
Park in the carpark at the meadows, Brian said.  Very good, but which was the car park and which was the meadow?

Well we guessed, tackled-up and headed for the river.  In these conditions I opted to czech-nymph with a leader-to-hand rig on my 10' Streamflex.  The sun came out and made it all so pretty, but with the air temperature not more than 2 degrees above, and the water temp likewise, it was good job I had 2 layers of thermals on.

This fishing was challenging especially on the fly, the chaps trotting bait had much more luck especially as they knew where the deep holes are.  I eventually managed 3 'ladies' in the 10-12" range, 2 on a pink shrimp and 1 on a czech shrimp.

Later in the afternoon walking back upstream, trying to jump-start the circulation in my feet, I decided on a few last casts on a likely looking bend, with a deep area, below the railway bridge.  Lo and behold something fairly meaty headed off with one of my flies and kept fairly deep.  After a few minutes fighting I managed to bring it to the surface and netted a 17" brown trout! Well I was surprised, shouldn't he have been under a rock or bank somewhere comatose? After a quick snap I slipped him back to swim very strongly away.  Interestingly he had quite a chunk of his dorsal fin missing, and one of the other anglers reckoned he caught the same fish earlier on!

By now the sun was going down and it was time to repair to the Greyhound for a hot plate of stew and a pot of tea to warm up.  Lovely.

A smashing day, well worth the travelling.

Grayling Society Fishing Day

Sunday 20/11/11.


Sunday saw me up early again and heading off in thick fog over to the Bridge Inn at Calver in Derbyshire, where I met 20 members of the local group for a day's grayling fishing. On arriving a little early I joined a few of the guys on the bridge to look over the river, and heard about the prospects on offer.  As we watched we were treated to a rising fish and the antics of no less than 3 Dippers.


Over coffee the area secretary Brian ran through the rules (fly-only, barbless hooks, catch & return etc), handed out the beats, and introduced our guides, members of the clubs who had donated the fishing.  I drew a beat of some 3 to 400 yds of the R Derwent at Grindleford, from the road bridge up. Our guide Roger advised wading up the middle of the river and casting to the sides.


The river and conditions looked nigh on perfect and gave me that all important confidence.

Again I went with the 10' Streamflex and the leader to hand set up, with 2 nymphs, a czech nymph on the point and an JT Endrick spider on the dropper. The temperature was still very cool but the day brightened with some sunny spells as the day went on.  First cast resulted in a hook-up but the fish disengaged itself moments later.


The Endrick spider didn't feel right so I changed to a copper bead PTN, which was immediately effective, picking up a couple brown trout and a couple grayling.

Working up the run I came to the head of a pool fed by a fast, turbulent riffle with a distinct seam, which screamed grayling. Casting the nymphs up the seam resulted in almost a grayling per cast! from about 6" up to 14+".

10 grayling and 4 brown trout later, I need a break, a coffee and a sandwich!
Without changing flies I carried on up to the beat eventually reaching a tally of 13 grayling, 9 brown trout and 1 rainbow, all safely returned.

All too soon the sun disappeared behind the hills and the temperature dropped, at times it was difficult to keep the rod steady as I was shivering so much.  Note to self: next time out remember to wear 2 pairs of thermal sock as well as fleece pants over the thermal long-johns.


Having filled my boots with fish, the warmth of the pub and a good hot buffet was most welcome as was the chance to compare nots with my fellow anglers.


A red letter day indeed. A thought though, whilst I caught a high number of out of season brown trout I caught as many grayling on the same fly so its difficult to see how I could have avoided them!

That trip to Newcastle!

I'm sure you'll know what I mean when I say that I can't get enough of the grayling fishing, especially as the weather has remained remarkably mild.  Last weekend whilst on a visit to see my daughter at university in Newcastle I took the opportunity for a first time visit to fish the River Derwent.


Monday 14th November
Using the Tyne River Trust passport scheme I decided to fish the Rowlands Gill beat of the lower Derwent between the Nine Arches bridge an Derwent Park. After a hearty full-English breakfast I headed off in the gloom and parked at Thornley Woodlands Centre. The weather was cool, as I kitted up and grabbed my 10' Streamflex, and set off through the woods and down to the Nine Arches viaduct.  I hadn't realised what a hike it would be down to the riverside, something like a two hundred and fifty feet! More on that later.
By now the weather had warmed up with the occasional glimpse of sunshine and the water looked good and fishy, though still relatively low.

I had decided to have a go with Jeremy Lucas' leader to hand technique, so I had constructed a leader using 12m of 28lb copolymer, a short tapered leader, a 8" piece of braided backing, and then level tippet, incorporating 1 dropper using Stroft. I set up with a weighted Czech nymph on the point and a copper-bead PTN on the dropper.  Casting was not as difficult as I first thought, provided I could partially load the rod with the line tensioned by the water.  I'm sure you'll agree that casting technique is not all, you have to find the fish, and that took a while.  Eventually I did locate an out of season brownie, but there was no sign of any grayling, either in the faster runs or deeper pools!

A couple more browns came to hand, but where were the grayling?
The river had suffered a pollution incident in 2009 upstream, I wonder if this has effected the population?

The Autumn colours along the bankside where quite lovely, and created a lovely backdrop to the a beautiful little white bib-fronted Dipper that kept me amused for a long while, whirring about, bobbing and swimming.  I also saw squirrels busy stocking up for the winter and a red kite circling overhead, sigh ..., and folk wonder why we do it.

Dipper was too far away to photograph properly

That viaduct!

As I was so distracted and trying to cast into a deeper faster run, I was alerted to a splashing behind me, I turned abruptly, stumbled on seeing a dog coming at me, and fell sideways soaking my left arm up to my shoulder. The owner called the dog away and I was left trying to wring-out my sleeve!

Just before I broke for lunch, I spotted a movement, not exactly a rise, under the trees on the far bank.  Casting ahead of it I felt a strong pull, but my slow reactions produced nothing.  Waiting a short while, and thinking that possibly another fish may have moved up to take the other's place, I cast again and, this time, with a faster reaction, I was playing a decent sized fish, which transpired to be a beautiful large brown trout.

I broke for lunch on a convenient bench oalongside a a long glide with a wood opposite, giving me an opportunity to strip down and wring out the 3 sleeves I was wearing!

Incidentally I couldn't figure what had created the hole in front of the bench!

I managed a couple more brown trout and 2 tiny grayling all on nymphs, in the afternoon before the light went.  Mind you I was near Derwent Park by this time, and boy it goes dark quick.

Well I opted to try a more direct route back to the car which took me across a field by a sewage works and up the hill.  Crossing a bridge over the defunct railway line (that cross the viaduct),I headed along a path up hill, in the woods, and in the dark!! Owls hooted and screeched, as I first went up hill, then back down to the railway line again, then back up the hill to the Woodland centre and my car. After an hours walk I was knackered, exacerbated by the effort of wading on boulders, and slippy rocks.

I shall go back in February and try further up stream.  Until next time, tight lines.

WTT Grayling Weekend

Long time no post!

Sunday 30 October

Travelled to Rowsley, Derbyshire to the R. Wye to join a number of other members of the WTT for a days grayling fishing on the Haddon Estates stretch of the Derbyshire Wye.  Arriving at 8.30 met Kris Kent from the WTT, Jay from Haddon Estates and  Trevor Walker from the Guash club. We we given maps of the fishing and dispersed to try our luck.

It had rained on and off through out my journey that morning, and though warm, it kept  trying to rain as I rigged up a 10' #3 with two heavy nymphs and a furled leader (Dibble).  I had decided to stay where I was and fish up from the estate boundary (Private stretch) towards Bakewell, and after a short walk from the carpark I tried my luck. I had nothing at first, then came to a large pool on a bend with a big back eddy.  I could see fish rising and decide to try a dry fly, but could get a decent cast in with out drag.  Went back to the czech nymphs and managed 2 nice grayling from below a bridge and weir.

Particularly rubbish photos I'm afraid, just like my casting on the day.  I put this down to being tired after a busy weekend and an early start.   I managed to lose my cast of flies, 4 times!! So I have had to spend some evenings at the tying bench if preparation for the upcoming Grayling Society weekend this Saturday at Appleby on the R. Eden.
In the end I managed half a dozen fish including 1 wild rainbow (a peculiarity of thr River Wye here). As the clocks went back I decided to jack it in at about 4.30pm and head home.