Following a recent thread on whether forum members use other forms of fishing apart from fly fishing, this winter I would like to try my hand at grayling fishing using methods other than nymphing.

What is trotting, and what do I need to have a crack?

A fairly long float rod to pick up and mend a lot of line, selection of floats and a centrepin reel are the basics (doesn't have to be centrepin but they are nicer).

The technique is not easy to master though, would recommend going with someone that knows what they are doing first, it is extremely skillful to do it properly.

Dan

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Its a lovely way to fish, for grayling and other species

No need to spend a furtune to start off, a 13' match type float rod is ideal (14' if you prefer, but it does add a bit more weight) - you can get one for as little as £30, even less. Reel-wise centrepins are superb fun for trotting, but tend to cost a little more, although if you can nab one of the Marco Cortesi ones from Dragon Carp for £30, do, they are ecellent and sometimes sell for more than that 2nd hand on e-bay anyway Otherwise a cheapish fixed spool reel will suffice, or a closed faced reel but again they cost more. Floats - wire stemmed sticks are versatile, or maybe something bulkier, avon type, depending on river and flow. Hooks, small, 18s or 16s barbless with double maggot. Technique itself hard to decribe without a long winded response, but there are plenty of video clips and instuctions on Youtube, also some further advice on here if you search under trotting. Be prepare to vary the depth you are fishing at, and the shotting pattern, to find the depth the fish are feeding at, also remembering that they can move up and down in the water and upstream and downtream in the river depending on how you are loosefeeding - little and often being the key, a few maggots every run down. It might take half an hour, more even, for bites to start coming unless you drop on feeding fish straight away. If nothing after an hour or longer consider a move. Enjoy!

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Ditto what the others have said.

To add a couple more points: plumb the depth of the run using a plummet lead and start at that depth. Don’t worry if the run shallows off (as they tend to do if fishing near the head of a pool or bend – a common characteristic of northern spate rivers), because the key to trotting is to hold the float back by checking the line regularly. This helps to keep the hookbait clear of the bottom and also stops the float from running ahead of the hookbait and spoiling presentation.

With regard to reels, centrepins are indeed best for line control but tricky to cast across a wide-ish river with, unless you’re familiar with them - ideal if you're 'dropping' the tackle in however. To use a normal fixed spool reel, cast out, leave the bail arm open and check the line by feathering it off the rim of the spool with either the forefinger of the hand you’re holding the rod with, or with your free hand. If you get a bite, strike while jamming the line against the spool in the same manner and either flick the bail arm closed or engage it by turning the handle. This might seem haphazard, but it works with a little practise!

A twelve foot float/match rod and 3lb line straight through works for me on the Wear, so (guessing at the Wharfe) it will probably work for your similarly sized/ similarly natured local river(s) as well. Keep the rod fairly high to keep as much line off the water, as much of the time, as possible

In addition to maggots on the hook, you could also try a single dendrobena worm, while still feeding maggots. Small & medium-sized worms were supposed to be the thing for grayling fishing on the Yorkshire rivers, back in the day - and some places, particularly the further into the north east you go, still ban maggots completely.

regards,

w_n_d

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Many thanks gents for the rapid and helpful responses.

If you are a Bradford City member give me a shout and I will take you for a session once the trout season is over

Trotting for grayling is great fun and you can do it quite cheaply!

Float rod, 13ft with a 2ft extension to make it 15ft, very handy on larger rivers, you can pick these rods up for around £40-£50 from masterline or ron thompson.

Reel, a fixed spool match reel will do, these can be as little as £15 up to £150, shimano or okuma are good reels, i used one for ages and still prefer it to my centrepin, load it with 4lb line or braid.

A selection of chubber floats, float elastics, quick change float connectors, lead free shot and barbless hooks size 14 to 22, a few spools of leader in 2lb, 3lb, another must is a bait apron/belt, that way the bait is easily fed into the swim and there is no messing about opening bait boxes etc.

After that all you have to worry about is sourcing fresh bait, white and mixed maggots, ive had days of 50 + grayling, you even get salmon, trout and sea trout occasionaly, trotting will outfish the fly any day of the week and its just as hard to master as the fly, its defo not a case of chucking in a maggot and pulling out a fish

Greenwells - sorry, only just seen this post - no, I'm not a member of BC, I'll be on day tickets.

Thanks wee b. Sounds very much like what I used to do 40 years ago as a small boy with my grandfather. I've got a couple of old centrepins he used to use (Grice and something?) which would be nice to resurrect.

Maggots are okay, but banned on many waters, either club rules or EA regional bye laws. Gilt tailed worms, from some compost heaps or under rotting leaves, are the superior bait for grayling trotting. I dug out the quoted post from a previous thread.

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Save the softmouth trout

What do you loose feed when using worms on the hook Eph? I still loose feed maggots anyway.

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