A practical application, an extract form an article on Grayling
fishing.

OK, we've all done it. read a book or a magazine article about some
clever-****e who wanders around getting paid for catching fish. Often
large ones, in interesting and exotic places, which we will never ever
see. Wonderful pictures of various stream and river-scapes, and
fantastic fish are depicted, perhaps a re-hash of some tactic or other
we have all heard a hundred times before, a list of flies, some
technical information on lines or rods etc, and that was it.

Always disappoints the hell out of me in the end! Although I keep
reading them all, or at least as many as I can afford!

Long ago, I decided that if I could not visit all these places, then I
must find a way of catching such fish and enjoying myself close to
home. The reason I explain this, is that anybody reading this can do
exactly the same. It requires some application and knowledge, but once
you have this, you can not fail. The result is inevitable. After all
we are only trying to fool a fish, this is not quantum mechanics.

As I mentioned in a previous article, in my opinion #6 weight rods are
far too heavy for most of this type of fishing, especially small
stream fishing, and most especially for grayling fishing. "Oh of
course", everybody doubtless thought at the time, and continued
reading avidly, as they would also like to catch lovely fish on light
gear, and then went on to wonder how I manage to cast a size six long
shank weighted Woolly bugger, green tailed or otherwise, with such a
rod.

This is the monstrosity under discussion;



Well, I will let you into a little secret. Just like all the other
clever-****es, I cheat! There is no way you are going to be able to
cast such a heavily weighted and wind resistant fly using a standard
#3 weight set-up. It is pointless even trying, you will cry tears of
frustration, and if the rod does not shatter the first time the heavy
fly hits it, then you will doubtless break it across your knee, and
curse the fool who ever suggested such a thing to oblivion and worse.

There is however an extremely simple and effective trick which will
allow you to cast such a monstrosity, in the manner I will presently
describe, without any trouble at all, to the everlasting amazement of
your angling companions, (who don't know the trick yet), and hopefully
the inevitable downfall of large numbers of nice fish.

This trick is absolutely germane to many of the techniques I use, I
could not possibly do without it, and if forced to, I would probably
not catch very much, certainly not many very large Grayling.

So, enough suspense building, what do I actually do? Quite simple, I
use a heavier line. I never need to cast more than thirty feet, and so
I simply use a thirty-foot piece of #6 weight fly-line. I have no
trouble at all hurling leaden monstrosities with such a line, and as I
never have more than thirty feet of line out, the rod has no trouble
handling it either. I have even used a piece of #8 weight line on a #3
weight rod without any problems at all.

So why not use a #6 weight rod to start with? I hear you asking.
Because that is not the same thing at all. If one fishes heavy flies
on light tippets, then one must perforce use a light rod, as otherwise
the rod will simply not provide enough cushioning effect, and the fish
will break you. One may use 2 lb tippet on size six long shank woolly
buggers with impunity, as long as the rod is light enough to cushion
the fight of the fish.

One must indeed constantly check the knots on such a leader, and also
change the tippet at the slightest sign of abrasion, or after a hang-
up etc. But it works perfectly well.

Standard tapered leaders are useless for this type of fishing. One may
use the butt of such a leader, but it must be modified, usually by
adding a much heavier butt. We need a good length of light line in
order to get down deep quickly, notwithstanding the very heavy fly, in
order to stay in the "strike zone" as our American friends say, and a
normal leader will not allow this.

"Oh dear!", I hear some of you mumbling, "That does not sound much
like the fly-fishing I know and love". At this particular point in
time, one is bound to decide, does one wish to fish? Or does one wish
to catch a few as well? Preferably large ones!

For those of you already sickened by this philistine approach, then
cease at once I beg you. Because it gets worse! Smile

Most people go and buy a fishing rod somewhere, for any number of
reasons, and then start trying to get the rest of the tackle they are
of course then also obliged to buy, to match it in some way. This very
rarely works, and is the main reason why many have awful trouble
catching fish.

In this particular instance, we require absolutely specific flies and
leaders, in order to attain our objectives. All the other gear used is
a direct result of this. If you want to try these methods on a #6
weight rod, then go ahead, but they will not work anywhere near as
well.

So, we have our fly, preferably the size six long shank weighted green
tailed woolly bugger already mentioned. Other flies may be used, but
this one works perfectly, and is easy to tie.


There are no Grayling in the Baltic. I catch them in small rivers and
streams.

TL
MC