With local rivers still looking somewhat dehydrated, I travel with A1… John, A2… Colin, and A3… Scott to a Hampshire chalkstream where levels are considerably better and more conducive to a days grayling fishing.
The usual 10ft rods (Soft Western 2’s #4 this time) were loaded up with #5 lines for close quarter casting and 14ft tapered leaders to 6X. Some of my old orange demo lines dyed black with un-dyed tip section make for great nymphing lines…
… all topped with a pink bead, flash back PTN #18. This was the same set up on all 3 rods, so successful in that we didn’t have to change fly all day… ‘if it isn’t broke’
Misty and overcast conditions made for good fishing, the temperature unseasonably tropical at 11c… the sky was so grey it felt like 4 o’clock all day long.
With a number of lower beats taken we set to in the upper sections no one seemed to want to walk to, bully for us… starting at the bottom of the top 
John sets about a pod of grayling hugging the left bank, second cast in and he nails his first grayling.
The ‘Free Willy’ version of a Grayling, a very unusual yet permanent twist to its dorsal.
With a few more to hand following, including some unwanted brownies… Colin then follows suit with some keen takes and even more gamely ‘Ladies’ up for some serious rod bending
Colin’s first ever river venture, crowned with his first grayling
And then another, perfect for releasing
Scott meanwhile seemed to be pestering fish of more minnow proportions, it’s all part of the spectrum when using relatively small flies… all the same he was happy to be out on his first river.
Perseverance and great casting however will always pay dividends in the end…
…and it proved so as he pulled in his best grayling of the day
Sadly this girl was not for turning, no pictures allowed 
Home beckons at the days end for John & Collin, Scott’s having none of it
Do sea trout come easier at night fall?… we wait… still we wait
Then it’s a tangle and an excuse to close for the day as darkness falls… The 3A’s make tracks to tell tales of woe and strife…
Awesome day again John… great to meet you Colin & Scott, look forward to the next time