Finicky grayling

[mamatried]

Another feather in the hat for the flymph.

The other day I saw the first baetis emergence this year on my home stream, at least the first that the fish responded well to.
Plenty of grayling rising and the vast majority of them refusing the winged adult. I’ve seen this on numerous occasions, not only refusal of the dun but also likely to the “surface trapped” emerger.
Grayling have a reputation for being pushovers, anyone who has fished my neck of the woods will disagree. I have also scratched my head many times wondering what the heck is wrong with me, or them, and what to do.

Far too many times when we, at least me, see rising fish it’s easy to think dry fly. It won’t come as a surprise to members of this forum that the answer may well be wet. As was the case the other day; upstream flymph allowed to sink a little bit before gently “twitched” home a little faster than the current. Fish took it on both the dead drift and the manipulation.
The rises were, as often before, the fish taking the emerging nymph near the surface rather than eating off the surface/surface film.

No big news, but maybe food for thought to someone who hasn’t tried it under those circumstances. Waiting for the first caddis, this method will be even more prevalent.

[Johnno]

Isn’t it fun? Why it’s called Fishin’ and not Catchin’

[bocast]

That's a great description of how well-fished flymphs can be the ticket to success. It is good to say it, and say it often, so that those who succeed us learn to succeed on the water with wet flies.

[DUBBN]

That's a great description of how well-fished flymphs can be the ticket to success. It is good to say it, and say it often, so that those who succeed us learn to succeed on the water with wet flies.

Year round fly fishing with a three fly rig. Rarely is not one of them a soft hackle.

[Fishnkilts]

Grayling is on my list this year. They can be found high up on the Cache La Poudre River, and I am anxious and exited to catch one.

I have heard to fish with smaller flies, and if they miss the take be patient because they are known to try again. What sizes would you recommend for these fish?

[DUBBN]

The Grayling on this side of the divide are suckers for a standard hen hackle hares ear or my personal favorite the Muskrat. Size 16 and 14. Atleast, that is what I use.

[Fishnkilts]

The Grayling on this side of the divide are suckers for a standard hen hackle hares ear or my personal favorite the Muskrat. Size 16 and 14. Atleast, that is what I use.

Thank you, that is what I was thinking, but I thought maybe, just maybe throw in a few #18's. So I'm basically good to go then.

[joaniebo]

Although there's no grayling in my part of the world, I'm a big fan of any Frank Sawyer dressing, or variations thereof, including Sawyer's "Killer Big." that he developed for Grayling fishing.

Phil Anderson has done a fantastic job of researching materials used in tying a modern version of the Killer Bug (on The Classic Rod Forum), a worthwhile read for those interested.

Several years ago, when I was invited to tie some flies in a Grand Rapids, MI show, I tied quite a few Killer Bugs using the "Shetland Spindrift Oyster Wool" yarn with a red copper wire underbody, then dipped then in water to show the color change.

Needless to say, several show attendees went back home with a Killer Bug sample and a desire to start tying Killer Bugs which I use in some of my trout fishing activities.

Bob

[mamatried]

Grayling is on my list this year. They can be found high up on the Cache La Poudre River, and I am anxious and exited to catch one.

I have heard to fish with smaller flies, and if they miss the take be patient because they are known to try again. What sizes would you recommend for these fish?

While big grayling will definitely eat a small fish if it comes near, they remain insect eaters throughout their entire lifetime. In my experience, and those of others, they appreciate colors in the blue scale if there’s not much matching the hatch; purple, blue, turquoise and such. No idea why, it may well be modern superstition but it works!
Their fins have that color spectrum and look at some older winged wet flies for brook trout -a lot of them imitate the fins of a brook trout.
Might just be something there, if not for the fish but for us, and if it doesn’t fool us in the first place we won’t fish it with enough confidence to fool the fish.

Over here (Sweden) they are known to be “Looking up”, and readily take a fly fished on or near the surface. They school up more than say trout and I guess that makes them more competitive over the food. But that doesn’t equal gullibility.
Look for them in the deeper holes of the main current in the river.

[Fishnkilts]

Grayling is on my list this year. They can be found high up on the Cache La Poudre River, and I am anxious and exited to catch one.

I have heard to fish with smaller flies, and if they miss the take be patient because they are known to try again. What sizes would you recommend for these fish?

While big grayling will definitely eat a small fish if it comes near, they remain insect eaters throughout their entire lifetime. In my experience, and those of others, they appreciate colors in the blue scale if there’s not much matching the hatch; purple, blue, turquoise and such. No idea why, it may well be modern superstition but it works!
Their fins have that color spectrum and look at some older winged wet flies for brook trout -a lot of them imitate the fins of a brook trout.
Might just be something there, if not for the fish but for us, and if it doesn’t fool us in the first place we won’t fish it with enough confidence to fool the fish.

Over here (Sweden) they are known to be “Looking up”, and readily take a fly fished on or near the surface. They school up more than say trout and I guess that makes them more competitive over the food. But that doesn’t equal gullibility.
Look for them in the deeper holes of the main current in the river.

Thank you very much for the advice, I really appreciate it. So blue and purple are the colors to focus on. The tail water of the reservoir to the highway is open from July 31st to Dec 31. this stretch has become a natural hatchery for grayling and is well protected. So I have time to tie up some flies with a blueish look. I do have purple, so I'll tie something with that. And I'll focus on the deeper holes in the main current.

Thank you sir.