All about the Ladies and some were Giants!

This weekend was my first trip back up to Scotland in a while, for a few reasons, due to work commitments this year I'm working over Xmas so had to help Santa out and get some presents to the right places, but predominately it was to get some fishing in & attend the Upper Avon Angling Club's Social Night which I was invited to.

Friday 

I would like to personally thank everyone at the club involved in the social night as it was a great success and allowed me to catch up with friends old & new in a great atmosphere. Although I couldn't drink due to driving it was great watching everyone enjoying themselves and next year with better planning I will take everyone up on the offers of a Dram or three.

The raffle was kind to me and won on 2 occasions the first I could have had my very own floats away but I doubt I would have been allowed to leave the building alive,so chose something different and passed it onto another member and second a few brownie points from the wife for the perfume set.

Tommy finally got the floats and good luck using them as he has only recently started trotting.

These three hoodlums Munro, Dave & Mark  made excellent company but I hate to think what Munro & Dave were doing in the photo.......Answers on a postcard please. Yvonne if you read this Munro needs a bigger shirt this one is too small...lol

One OLD friend Billy (Enjoy the floats mate) and one new friend Dave enjoying the night

I couldn't not post this picture of Alby enjoying the night and getting down to some of his favourite tunes from the Disco...Nice moves Alby.

Thanks to Alby & the other lads for the use of their photographs from the night.

Saturday

Saturday seen me up nice and early and meeting up with long time friend and another Grayling fanatic John. I had promised John that I would show him new waters to fish, off the beaten track where the fish are left to grow in relative peace without being fished for every day of their lives, and a place that I had not  fished myself in over 10 years. 

The morning started with a good walk over the fields which gave us time to catch up on things that have happened since or last outing and in no time we were by the river.  Pointing John in the right direction I left him in peace to get some fishing done and crossed over to the other side all be it the long way around due to the river being a bit higher than I had anticipated.

By the time I got back down opposite to John he had his first grayling out on the bank a fish of over 1.5lbs, so I had some catching up to do.

2nd trot through my chosen swim and the float dipped away and we were in, the cane rod took a bend unlike I've had for a long time & I knew it was a decent Grayling that I was fighting and sure enough a few moments later I managed to grab a glimpse of its fin and sure enough she was a big girl, so big I struggled to net her in my scoop net. 

I knew instantly I had a new Personal best for that river, after weighing the fish 3 times to get an accurate weight we settled on 3lbs 3oz, a fish 22inches in length and a darker fish than usual from the river but a new personal best and what a first fish! A contended man indeed.

3lbs 3oz

3lbs 3oz

Not to be outdone John started to get among the big girls too and landed a lovely lady of 2lbs 9oz.

2lbs 9oz

Within a matter of moments that fish was beaten with a fish of 2lbs 10oz.

2lbs 10oz

The next few hours seen me connect & loose another 5 fish which were in the same weight bracket then finally snap on a fish which I suspect was a large Out of season trout. 

After a move by car to another area which turned out to be busy we returned to our original spot where we had another couple of fish but I have to say John stole the show for the day with 10 Grayling in total, 8 of which were over 2lbs in weight and a couple of Out of season Brown trout. 

Just goes to show what can be achieved if anglers get off the beaten path and put some leg work in, the last time I had a day like this where nearly every fish was over 2lbs was 20 years ago, a day I know I'll remember for a while and am sure my fishing partner for the day will remember, Tight lines for the remainder of the season John and am sure the 3lbs lady will be yours in the future. 

 Sunday

Sunday seen me back out chasing the ladies with another good friend Munro, but due to river restrictions we couldn't go where we wanted, so Munro decided it was my turn to be guided so we headed for a part of the river that I had never fished before, after a stop off for the necessary tickets we headed out onto the river.

Now this part of the river definitely required some stealth as the water was crystal clear, I would put it on par with an English chalk stream it was that clear and the fish were easily spotted and spooked!!

Munro showed me a lovely pool to start off in and he headed off upstream. It took me around 10 minutes of gentle wading and manoeuvring before I was finally contented with my spot. It didn't take long before the float dipped away and I was into my first fish of the day but unfortunately the wrong species, an out of season brown trout of around 1.5lbs and full of milk. Continuing over the next hour a further 2 trout came to the net and 2 were release at long range which I was more than happy with, but slightly downhearted that there was no signs of the ladies.

After moving stealthily downstream ensuring to stay as far back from the river as possible but enough to see where the deeper glides were I settled in a pool which looked spot on for holding Grayling, however same routine as earlier the fish were willing but unfortunately it was all out of season trout, a few were as black as the ace of spades, so opted to leave them in peace and head up the river in search of my partner.

It was almost 2 hours before I finally met back up with Munro as I was fishing my way upstream along the meandering clear waters of the river, and over a cup of coffee he showed me his efforts for the day so far which after seeing his first picture I knew he had managed to find the ladies.

 I couldn't believe the tint in this fish, a beautiful green sheen along the flanks, totally different to the grayling caught yesterday but the same river all be it a part slightly towards the head waters.

A lovely green tinted Grayling

I thought that fish was stunning till I seen the next picture, which clearly shows the green along the Grayling, very strange but beautiful that a fish from the same river can be so different in colour in the short space of a few miles.

2lbs + Grayling

A lady with a glint in her eye

A lovely lady with a nice float

 I left Munro now knowing the ladies were around and headed back downstream only to be met with yet more out of season trout, It seemed I had my ladies for the trip yesterday!

It was dark before Munro & I finally met up again at the car and my total for the day was 11 out of season trout  whilst Munro had better luck with 7 Grayling and 5 out of season trout.

We drove home weary but both very contented and I was still very much on a high over the lady from yesterday.

A thoroughly enjoyable weekend with some Giant Grayling and seems very much timed to perfection as on the drive home today past where we had been fishing you could not get anywhere near the river as it has now burst its banks and is up in the neighbouring fields from the amount of torrential rain through the night.