Grayling Match

 After the pegging out the previous day I was geared up and ready for the draw with fifteen others. It's not a viciously competitive match, more of a social. The arrangement is that you can fish between your peg and the peg downstream. All the pegs had the sort of feature grayling like so any peg could win. The only advantage of drawing early was that you could get to your peg quicker. I waited to near the end before drawing 13. A couple of deep holes and a long riffle on my allocated stretch.

 A 12' float rod with 'pin and a 10' quiver rod were set up with maggot for bait. First trot down the float dipped and a tiny grayling was heading towards me. As it was small I went to bring it to hand rather than net it. Silly mistake as it wriggled off the hook. I wasn't the only one to do this. The trout then turned up along over the length before another somewhat bigger grayling turned up. All 7oz of it. The feeder produced very little and sport slowed generally halfway through the four hour match. By the end most were looking forward to the pie and chips at the pub.

 

A total of ten grayling were caught. Three lost. A couple of bullheads showed up along with more than a few trout. The winner had 5 grayling. The winner of the fly fishing cup two grayling. The biggest grayling was 8oz. The beck has been up and down since Xmas, colouring up on occasions. Not the sort of thing grayling like, but it was still rather disappointing.