Big Grayling - Attempt No 10 (River Dee, Wales)

Another quick session today and a chance to try out some monster Klinkhammer flies that I have tied up on size 8s. I've returned to the stretch where I caught a good grayling a couple of weeks ago and start with the usual size 12 Klinkhammer in orange/brown which raises fish straight away. It's micro grayling and salmon parr again though despite running down the whole run from bubbling head of the pool to the deeper more glide like stretches at the bottom.


Working up the stretch produces agood solid rise and take from a fish which dives right to the bottom and stays there. The over powering 8wt is really applying some pressure when there is a head shake and the hook pulls. Rats...


Time for the new flies and working up from the bottom of the run again I constantly cast to cover the seam and faster/slower water either side. A third of the way up in the faster water and the monster Klinkhammer is engulfed in a slashing rise. No real need to strike as a good brownie of about 10 ins hooks itself and fights well to the net. I've not drawn a fish out of the deeper fast water before so the bigger meal seems to be required for them to make the effort.


Unfortunately the fly keeps drowning now and I have to switch to the smaller shop bought model which produces but small fish and not from the deeper water.


My less than subtle Klinkhammer is below...