Species › Europe, UK & Ireland · Freshwater › Grayling

Freshwater

Grayling

Thymallus thymallus · European grayling, lady of the stream, umber

Water temp
46–59°F
Peak season
Sep–Dec
Best light
Daytime
IGFA record
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Grayling (Thymallus thymallus acqMilano.jpg)

Photo: Marrabbio2 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Grayling are instantly recognizable by the tall, iridescent dorsal fin, small mouth and large scales. Native from Britain and France east across Scandinavia and Central Europe to the Urals, they need cold, well-oxygenated, gravel-bottomed rivers and shoal over the same runs year after year. They feed mostly on drifting nymphs, shrimp and small surface insects, rising freely but refusing anything that drags. Anglers prize them because they bite best from October through February, extending the river season long after trout fishing has closed.

Typical size8–14 oz (0.2–0.4 kg); 10–14 in
Trophy2 lb+ anywhere; 3 lb+ is exceptional in the UK
Table fareGood — firm and thyme-scented when fresh, but almost always released

Where & when

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Spring spawners, so most European rivers close grayling fishing from mid-March to mid-June; the peak is autumn into winter when water temperatures sit around 40–50°F (4–10°C).

River Test, United KingdomHampshire chalkstream; big winter grayling on nymphsRiver Wye, United KingdomWelsh/English border river with huge free-rising shoalsSoča River, SloveniaGlacial-blue Alpine river; dry-fly grayling in gin-clear water

How to catch

Euro nymphingFish two weighted tungsten nymphs under a long, light leader, leading the flies through gravel runs 3–6 ft deep. Keep the line off the water and strike at any hesitation; takes are tiny.
Trotting a floatRun a stick float and a single maggot or red worm down the current at the pace of the flow with a centerpin or small fixed-spool reel. Feed a few maggots every cast to hold the shoal in place.

Gear

Rod10' 3-wt fly rod, or 13–14' float rod
Reel3–4 wt fly reel or centerpin
LineEuro nymph line with 5X–6X tippet; 3 lb mono for float

Lures

tungsten bead-head nymphssmall CDC dry fliespink shrimp patterns

Baits

maggotsred wormssweetcorn

Regulations

A national rod license plus a day ticket or club permit is standard across Europe. Spring closed seasons and a catch-and-release default apply on most grayling rivers.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: not listed. State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

When is the best time to fish for grayling?

October through February. Grayling keep feeding in water temperatures that shut trout down, and they shoal tightly in deeper glides once the first frosts arrive. A mild, overcast winter afternoon is ideal; bright, frozen mornings are slow until the water warms a degree or two.

Bite forecast — Grayling

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Grayling.

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