Grayling| Fish Species Guide | Angling Direct

Grayling

Grayling

aka Thymallus thymallus

Also known as the Lady of the Stream, grayling is a member of the salmon family and boasts a very large dorsal fin. Found in many rivers and some lakes in countries throughout Europe such as France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Scotland, England and Wales, grayling can be discovered in streams and prefer cold, clean water where they feed mostly on plants and fish eggs. It can be identified by its small head, silver body with large scales and pale belly. Its huge dorsal fin tends to be a reddish-orange.

FactUnlike many other freshwater fish, grayling have a reputation for smelling like thyme, even when landed straight from the water!

Stats

Habitat

Habitat

Around slacks, eddies, vegetation, islands, merging currents in rivers.

Bait

Bait

Worms, maggots & wasp grubs.

Fishing Tackle

Fishing Tackle

Native or Invasive

Native or Invasive

Native

Where

Where

Throughout Northern Europe. Grayling can be found from France and the UK all the way to the east of Russia.

Catch Experience Catch Experience

Graylings (Thymallus Thymallus), are excellent option for beginners of fly fishing, graylings are less timid than trout. Keep your tackle light and avoid hard strikes as they have delicate mouths. Poor casting will not deter graylings. Grayling fishing is excellent for beginners as it teaches them to tighten the line rather than strike hard. A hard strike will lose the fish as graylings have very soft mouths. When this happens, the fish's lip remains attached to the hook, resulting in a damaged fish in the water. As a result, the fish are more likely to contract diseases that can then infect all other fish in the water. It is best to cast your small shot close to the hook when hunting grayling, and this will cause the current to lift the bait up and down, covering a wider range of depths. As a result, graylings are attracted to the movement this gives to the bait. You'll have grayling biting in no time if you use light tackle and a long line. Float fishing and trotting are some of the most effective ways of fishing for graylings. Using a 12-15' rod with a centrepin or close face reel tends to work just fine. Having a mainline around 3lb with a 2lb hook link would be best paired with a size 16-18 hook. To release them keeping stress to a minimum and keeping them in the water, holding the fish by its tail facing upstream and gently releasing it.

Video

Blog Highlight

Monday Top 5 - Grayling Fishing

Have you ever caught ‘the lady of the stream’? Probably the most beautiful of all British fish species, and an awesome target for the autumn and winter. Grayling are perfectly wild fish that inhabit running water; they can be caught on a variety...

Read More
To top