The new Lymm Angling Club stretch of the river Dane in the Congleton area has been producing plenty of grayling to 2lb plus.
The fish are free rising and provide great sport in the evening.
Some excellent wild brownies too.

Matt

Is this the Dane before or after Congleton? I fish the Eaton fly fishers stretch of Dane just before it flows through Congleton, not seen any Grayling there...

Mark

Its below Congleton town centre, the stretch behind airbags. Its a surprisingly attractive piece of watrer considering its proximity to Congleton Town centre.

Matt

Me and Tee had quite a few last year while we were trotting maggots on the Bay Malton stretch next to the motorway.14 in a day up to a pound, nobody believes us that they are there but everyone else fishes pellet for the barbel.

We have also seen them rising for small duns.

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Theres more to fishing than just fish.

I catch plenty on club stretches between Congleton and Holmes Chapel. Nothing approaching a pound though...

I was a member on that water when it was Buglawton. I always wondered why they didn't introduce grayling on there to have 12 months of fishing. Afterall it got boring catching all those poor conditioned stockies

Supposedly, the Grayling are only to be found on the Congleton side of Havannah Weir, which is why the EA refuse to let Eaton Flyfishers stock their stretch of the Dane with Grayling.

I've also had some cracking Grayling from the Dane on maggots around Holmes Chapel. I've never had 2 lb fish, but certainly had them to around the 1 lb+ mark.

I'm currently a member of the Eaton Flyfishers, although I think this will be my last year. It's too expensive for what it offers and the fishing isn't really that great to be honest. The wild trout are all about 4 oz and anything over that is likely to be a stocked fish from the twice-yearly stocking.

Yes I understand about the weir but afterall that is a man-made structure.

But you are right about the wild trout all being tiny. A shame really because there are some nice stretches of water on there.

Yeah, I think the Dane is a funny river in some respects. It obviously has a rich enough food source to sustain good Grayling, Chub to >4lb and some large Barbel (I've had them to 8 lb and I've heard of double figure fish) and yet a wild trout of anything over a few ounces seems a rarety. Unless it's just my ineptitude in catching them!

Wether it's something to do with the habitat upstream of Congleton or the stocking policy of local clubs, I'd welcome others opinions.

DAS

Hello All.

With reference to Eaton Fly-Fishers not stocking Grayling in their waters. I was the secretary of the then Buglawton Trout Club when the club made a request to the NRA (as it was) for the stocking of Grayling. This request was flatly refusued on the grounds of that the weir at Havanna was the beginning (or end) of "The Trout Zone" and that the introduction of Grayling would not be appropriate. An appeal was made but to no avail (despite two more weirs upstream of Havanna).

At the same time the NRA were asked to visit the river for advice on habitat improvement. A posse from the NRA duly arrived (along with a fisheries biologist), walked the waters, and everything that was suggested to them was also flatly refused. Their reason this time was the SSSI site (Madam's Wood). So you see it was not for the want of trying.

The larger wild Brown Trout are there, but I feel that they feed at night and on the numerous Bull Heads and Crayfish (?). The small WBT are obvious signs that the natives are breeding well. The fact that other clubs restock with farm bred fish doesn't help "The Wildies" at all. I would go to the extent of saying that the strain of a true Dane Wild Trout is non existant. It has, over the years been diluted by introduced fish. Perhaps there is a pocket or two higher up in the National Park.

I now fish The Dane below Congleton (with the fly) and have had some wonderful catches of Grayling (none above a pound) and numerous small Brown Trout. I have seen Brown Trout well above the two pounds mark, but these are stocked fish (Prince Albert). If I recall correctly, the Lymme Anglers stretch may be more suited to Fly-Fishing than the stretches downstream (where it is more overgrown and would give the Brazilian Jungle a run for its money)and possibly a better habitat for the larger Grayling.

The Dane can be a river that gets into your blood. It is so varied. I think you'd be hard pushed to catch a Brown Trout at breakfast, Chubb at lunch and a Barbel at suppertime anywhere else with such a minimum ammount of travel.

Warmest Regards.

Ernie

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