High Water Grayling Rig
Proven Grayling Rigs From Phillippa Hake Part 2 Six flies you need!
There’s nothing more disheartening than arriving at the river to it being a little higher than you anticipated. It is important to mention here that safety should always come first and you should never put your self in danger by entering a high river. Should the river still be fishable. you’ll be pleased to hear that it is still possible to tempt a few fish to the net! By taking the time to study the river, sometimes, you don’t even need to get in!
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Fish Close In
When a river is high or dropping after heavy rain, It’s often worth fishing the edges of the river as grayling will often seek shelter in the slower glides of the river out of the fast turbulent current. It’s worth noting that if you’re not confident in wading we recommend using a wading staff. No matter how well you may know a river, in high waters the river bed can often change or debris can appear! Look our for brakes in the water or get you flies in and behind rocks or fallen trees! This is where grayling will seek that fast current!
With high waters you’re going to need some heavy flies capable of cutting through the water column and feeding grayling! In order to do that we’d recommend the following flies!
You won’t go far wrong with a few of the above flies in your box!
Rig Set Up
In order to get your flies through the current It might be that you’ve got to go to a three fly cast. My ideal set up for three flies would be as follows.
A euro nymph leader and indicator attached. Like the two rig set up ill have the length of tippet to the first dropper at the depth of the deepest part of the river I’m anticipating to fish that day, in higher water this might be around 5ft.
Positioned on the top dropper I would go for the lightest of the three nymphs, something like a hot spot pheasant tail or the Green Bomb fly.
30cm below that, on another dropper I would add a heavier fly, something like the Glister shrimp or a bigger Hot Spot PTN.
Around another 25 - 30cm below the middle dropper I will position a big fly, something bright and attractive like the squirmy worm, love them or hate them, they are deadly when it comes to grayling fishing!
Top Dropper
Middle Dropper
Point Fly
