How do you guys fish the fly when after Grayling in the winter months? I have tried the Clink and dink, which is a Klink hammer on the top dropper and a Nymph on the tail. However I caught nothing on it and wondered if I would have been better just fishing a cast of weighted bugs or nymphs across the river and down, ala Wet Fly style.

I mean the grayling are hardly going to rise to a fly in winter that much are they? So the Klink would effectively be just an indicator, and that being the case, would I not be better just fishing with one of those High floating Hi Viz types that you see in the Mags and fish with two suspended flies under it?

Any one care to advise their best method in the colder months.

Hi, in answer to your question, klinkhammers are not just for the winter, they can be excellent throughout the year. As long as the weather is not to cold and the river not in flood you would be amazed as to how grayling will rise to a dry fly. Klinkhammers can usually be relied on to rise a grayling but so can the old faithfulls like Red Tags, Orange Tags etc. Persevere with the method, watch the water and you will catch.
Regards

Grayling are amazing for rising throughout the depths of winter, I have witnessed them rising to LDOs (i think they were LDOs anyway) in Feb last year with ice in the slack sections of the river!

Klink and Dink to me is a method to be used in the shallower water to keep the nypmh at the correct depth and not snag bottom etc.. fish on the dry are a bonus.

In deeper or faster water I would personally switch to a long leader nymphing method like French/Czech or Polish (Really cant tell the difference between them personally and assume I am using a mixture).

As it is so mild at the moment I would definitely consider the dry fly anyway, had a quick 30minute fish after a casting lesson on Saturday and managed 3 grayling to the dryfly.

Dan

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Ditto - last week

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[COLOR="Blue"]"A fish seen is a fish nearly caught"[/COLOR]

Me too...I had an hour on the river yesterday afternoon and had 3 Grayling and a WBT all on a green klinkhammer. I often start with a dry even if nothing is rising, and then work downwards. Might catch more if I started with nymphs but I find it really satisfying to get fish rising to the dry.

I spoke to several other anglers as I was walking the bank and they were all using Klink 'n dink, and by the sounds of it doing very well, with most of the fish coming to the nymph. How long will this weather last though - very strange?!

Fished the Swale at Richmond on Satuday, running clear with a couple of inches of water in.

Tried a size 21 Para Black Gnat in the tail of the pool above the Mercury Bridge. Not a sign.

First chuck with Klink and Dink and a fish came to the much bigger dry fly. Ha, cracked it, or so I thought. No more interest. Finally got a small one on a Killer Bug under a Klink.

Cracking day, Wetherspoon Breakfast can't be beaten, disappointing days fishing, but the company made up for it.

Jophn H

Don't use an indicator/bung, you'll miss the subtle takes from grayling that feel the resistance of anything buoyant. Use hivis mono to detect changes from the norm, you'll be in touch with the flies and feel the slightest of takes.

I used buoyant indicators when first starting on rivers and they aren't really suited imo, you lose all feeling for your flies and you only see the lunge type takes, best for using on still waters.

I tend to stick to a team of spiders in the winter months, whether that be beaded or conventional and can say I have had a great success fishing for Grayling.

I have never fished the dry in winter but reading what most of you are saying, I may just give it a bash this year.

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Fair comment Tony. Thanks for steering me away from my wicked lazy ways

Thanks to the others for their input. I assume then that not many fish a team of weighted nymphs similar to wet fly style in across and down etc.

I personally dont think across and down is the most productive way of fishing them. The dirft will be unnatural and the tension in the line will stop them sinking. IMO much better to fish a shortish line upstream, keep as much line off the water as possible (French leader and a long rod helps) and watch for any subtle movements in the line/indicator.

Only my opinion but works well for me and the guys I fish with. Also would be shot on some of the chalkstreams I like to fish for grayling if you fished downstream lol

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