Last knockings grayling

Well today was my last chance for a decent winter grayling as it's the last day of the Course Fishing season in England. I decided to use up the last of my maggots and went back to the River Wharfe. This time I went below Ilkley close to Burley in Wharfedale

It is a deeper stretch of water than where I fished in my previous post and slower moving. This enabled me to use a smaller maggot feeder to hold position in the flow. It was a lovely day and after 3 casts I decided to real in so that I could introduce more maggots into the swim through the feeder. It felt like I was on the bottom but it soon became clear that a fish must have taken my bait immediately it started to move. The result was the nice grayling I was after and weighed exactly a pound and a half.

Shortly afterwards I realised that I had left my licenses in a fishing jacket at home so I packed away and didn't risk having to explain this to a bailiff. Now for some river trout when that season starts next week.