Grayling can be caught on a variety of baits, and every angler has their favourite. Whether you prefer using maggots or even pomegranate seeds, if you present your rig correctly, you’ll usually find grayling to be more than obliging.
One bait that often flies under the radar for grayling is bread. While it’s a fantastic bait for many other species, it seems to have fallen out of favour among anglers targeting grayling. However, young Leo Marriott demonstrated why it shouldn’t be overlooked when he landed a stunning brace of grayling, with the largest tipping the scales at an impressive 3lb.
"I’m lucky to live close to the River Test, and with the weather settling after a lot of recent rain, my dad, Colin, and I decided to head down to a stretch we fish regularly," Leo explained to us.
"This stretch is prolific for all species, but it’s home to a fair number of big trout. While they’re great fun to catch, they do spoil the grayling fishing."
Because of the high numbers of trout in this stretch, Leo prefers not to feed any bait, as the trout quickly bombard the swim and bully everything else out. Once hooked, they tend to leap out of the water, which spooks the rest of the fish in the area.
THE BEST FLOAT RODS ARE CRUCIAL FOR TEMPTING BIG FISH LIKE GRAYLING.
"Despite trying every bait, I’ve found that the grayling here absolutely love bread. While the trout and chub do as well, I seem to catch far more grayling using it," Leo divulged.
"I walk along the river, looking for grayling lying up in a swim, and then run my float down towards them. Not only is this an exciting way of fishing, but often, you’ll get a bite within the first few casts."
"The Test is quite turbulent on this stretch, so I like to beef up my gear a bit. I use a 6g chubber float with an olivette, tied directly to 6lb mainline. This helps prevent getting broken off by the trout."
After spotting a nice grayling positioned over a gravel hump, Leo quickly prepared his breadflake hookbait and carefully teased his float towards it. Thanks to the clarity of the water, he could see everything and as the bait neared the fish, it rose up in the water, engulfed it, and a firm strike set the hook.
"I hooked the fish just downstream of a weir, and after a spirited fight in the white water, my dad slipped the net under it. It was massive," he recalled.
"We quickly weighed it, and I was shocked to see the scales tip over the 3lb barrier. We kept her in the net to let her rest before taking a photo."
"I decided to have another trot through, and on the second cast, I got another bite from the same area. This time, I landed another beast, slightly smaller at 2lb 14oz."
"It is the biggest brace of grayling I have ever caught, and I don't know if I will ever beat it," he concluded.
IF YOU WANT MORE TIPS ON TROTTING ON A RIVER, THIS EXPERT GUIDE IS FULL OF ESSENTIAL ADIVCE.
