Roger's Angling Pages
The Grayling Thymallus thymallus		Grayling family Thymallidae

The Grayling is justly ranked as one of the most beautiful freshwater fishes. It is noted for its large smooth scales, its adipose fin and a large dorsal fin, which is not possessed by any other fish inhabiting those parts of the river just below the mountains. The Grayling is splendidly coloured in the breeding season, the males being much gayer than the females. The dorsal fin is a dark red or violet with brown areas, whilst the gill covers are violet-blue. It is located in sub- mountainous zones of European rivers, except in southern France and Spain and there are related species living in Asia and North America. It reaches a weight of l lb, sometimes rising to 2 lb and lives to the age of 6 years. It breeds in spring on a sandy or gravelly bed. It stays in deep, running water near the bottom and rises to the surface for food. It mainly feeds on larvae and insects which have fallen into the water.

Great interest in fishing for it has led to it being artificially reared and deliberately located. Successful fishing for the Grayling is regarded as the zenith of the art of fishing. Peaceful autumn weather is necessary for good results, the best time being the period between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. It requires sophisticated equipment (for example a rod with a fly fishing reel, and a quality line) and relatively small flies. It is caught on dry or wet flies. Wading into water improves the angler's performance and chances of success. Even larger specimens can be caught on small rotating metal lures, for example golden Devon Minnows in this context are good.