Klinkin' 'n' Dinkin'

Having tied up a few more klimkhammmers yesterday evening I decided to have an other go for grayling today, using the klink 'n' dink method. Basically it's just the New Zealand dropper with a klinkhammer as the dry fly. Fishing a lower part of the river than usual and not one I've do particularly well on over the last couple of years. It didn't look very inspiring today either. The river levels round here seem to be still dropping, The bottom swims of this stretch normally require chest waders, but thigh waders would have coped.

Setting the tungsten nymph 2' bellow the klink I spent an hour catching nothing but the occasional bit of weed and the odd leaf as I wandered upstream towards an ever darkening sky. After a cup of tea satin the car watching it chuck it down I moved to the more productive stretch. Using the same technique but with a smaller nymph in the shallower runs. I managed to pick up 3 small, out of season, brownies which were quickly flicked off the barbless hook with out handling them.

Another short down pour interrupted things and a again I retired to the car for a cuppa and something to eat. Unfortunately the bullocks were now in this field and made a bee line for the car. I brought the rod inside and carried on with my tea while the cattle took to licking the car. When it came to moving the cattle weren't so keen, probably waiting for payment for the car wash.

They did eventually get the hint and allow me to move to another stretch. This was the area I'd had reasonable success with the dry fly previously, but even here there was no sign of activity. After a few casts with the klink 'n' dink I change to spiders, but this too proved fruitless. Moving to the deep water I tried using a heavy nymph, but only succeeded in dredging up the odd water logged branch.

Not sure where all the grayling have got to, maybe moved upstream to the more exclusive stretches. I decent drop of rain wouldn't do any harm either.