A visit to the River Wharfe

The weather started to ease last week and by Friday I was ready to use the maggots I had bought the previous week. I decided to try for a few grayling on the river Wharfe near to Ilkley.

 I arrived about 11 a.m and set up downstream of another angler who was using the same method that I intended using i.e using a maggot feeder with a couple of red maggots on the hook. I set up with 4lb mainline connected to a 3lb hooklength and a size 16 wide gaped hook which I find better for holding onto the graylings underslung mouth. I was into a fish after about 3 or 4 casts which saw me put on a heavier feeder as the strength of the current was too much for the smaller feeder. It was a small out of season brown trout that was quickly followed by a slightly larger fish.

I then lost a larger fish that felt different to the trout which I suspect was a grayling and then had another trout but it was grayling I was after. It went quiet then for half an hour so I packed away. I spoke to the other angler who had had some nice grayling but all were before 10 a.m and after that time he too only had trout. Note to self - next time try fishing earlier in the day.