Grayling (European grayling)

A silver-gray fish with a small mouth, a few black spots on the front of the body, and a huge sail-like dorsal fin spotted and edged with red and purple. It smells faintly of thyme when fresh, which gave it its Latin name.

10–16 in.

About 2 ft and up to about 6 lb, but anything over 2 lb is a big grayling.

Insect larvae, nymphs, shrimp and snails on the bottom, and hatching insects at the surface.

Lives in shoals in the steady, gravel-bottomed runs of clean, cold rivers, holding close to the bottom and rising to take flies.

Found from United Kingdom & Ireland, France, Northern & Central Europe, Scandinavia & Iceland (Norway, Sweden, Denmark), Italy & Malta, Greece & the Adriatic and Russia, Mongolia & Kazakhstan. Clean, cold rivers from England, Wales and France across Central Europe and the Alps to Scandinavia and the Ural Mountains; also some cold lakes and the Baltic coast of Finland and Sweden.

Clean, cold rivers from England, Wales and France across Central Europe and the Alps to Scandinavia and the Ural Mountains; also some cold lakes and the Baltic coast of Finland and Sweden.

1–8 ft runs and glides.

Near the bottom for nymphs; at the surface during hatches.

Summer and autumn, and famously in winter, when grayling are the main target on many trout rivers. Closed in spring when they spawn.

Midday in winter; mornings and evenings in summer.

No tide.

Clear, cold days in winter; calm evenings for dry flies in summer.

Maggots or small worms trotted under a float, where bait is allowed.

Small nymphs (especially tungsten 'Czech' and 'Euro' nymphs), small dry flies, and tiny spinners where allowed.

9–10 ft 3–5 weight fly rod; or a long float rod for trotting.

Size 14–20 barbless fly hooks.

Floating fly line or a thin euro-nymphing line; 3–4 lb mono for trotting.

2–4 lb (5X–6X) tippet.

Euro-nymph a pair of small tungsten nymphs along the bottom of steady gravel runs, or trot a float with maggots down the run. In summer, cast small dry flies to rising fish.

Grayling hold in shoals: if you catch one, the rest of the shoal is usually right there. Strike fast, because they spit a fly in a blink.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Good eating when fresh.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

Delicate white meat that must be eaten very fresh; most anglers release grayling.

Winter wading in cold rivers needs care: use studded boots and a wading staff.

Protected in many countries by closed seasons in spring, minimum sizes and catch-and-release rules; many rivers are fly-only or catch-and-release. Grayling are declining in parts of Central Europe. Check local rules. Freshwater fishing in Europe always needs a permit: a national or regional license where one exists (for example the rod licence in England and Wales or the French carte de pêche) plus a permit or day ticket from the club, lake or river owner.

Grayling need very clean water and are sensitive to handling. Use barbless hooks, keep them in the water and release them quickly.