Another great day out on the Test with Tony before the festive break… following on from David earlier in the week, the grayling seemingly on edge still remained up for a challenge. Tony’s charge today was to use a 10ft #4 he’d had for some time but seldom fished with. Having explored the finer points and advantages of said long rod we set to the river and committed ourselves to targeting specific fish rather than speculate.
Fish filled glides await our meagre offerings
15ft leaders down to 6X for these spooky blighters… Tony nets his first with an induced take
Eagle eyed and concentrating hard, we’re in for some hard earned fish
Numerous offerings and a few missed opportunities see us change tactics, spotting a ‘Lady’ hunkered deep in a pocket tight to tree cover we reach for the furled indicator, tying on an olive shrimp and reducing the leader down to some 8 feet Tony short lines stood within 6 feet of the fish.
After numerous passes we see the indictor stop dead in its tracks, Tony lifts in… and oh my did it ever want that fly, a pewter beauty to make anyone smile, 10ft rod is christened.
On its way… I even managed to squeeze out a picture from an ever dying Olympus
Continuing to fish through each approaching beat and with Tony’s fishing and casting qualities ever more impressive, we lay siege to a glorious but turbulent bridge pool. We spot 2 grayling feeding side by side, diversity and the need to expand Tony’s knowledge we deploy the ‘tdi’ indicator which bisects our leader set up.
Hanging it right in the surface we attempt to extract one of the pair with a size 16 PTN and a Pink Head Mary which are usual takers. Nose touching passes do nothing to encourage them to commit.
Scratchy head time ??
??
We stick with the setup and go small, a bead head PTN in an #18 on a dropper and a #20 olive micro on the point with 2 no.8 shot for unhindered decent. Tony sets to with gusto, pass after pass… then
Clunk!… Tony sets and she thunders towards every obstacle in this otherwise tight spot
and yet another stunner, top quality fishing from the man… a pretty girl she is to
Further exploits down stream were fruitless as we made our way back through fading light.
Exceptional day Tony, a pleasure to be out with you today… I look forward to fishing the same stretch myself on Christmas Eve, I know where these fish are so will attempt to catch them twice for one up-man ship. Have a great Christmas & New Year ~ Jim