I think I had a good year

Well! thats it, 31st January and Lamington waters on the Clyde are now closed until the start of the trout season in March.
I think I have had a good year finishing with 80 trout and about the same amount of grayling.
No big trout or monster grayling but good quality fish.(not many sprats)
All released to fight another day.
Probably not a lot compared with the experts but I am happy--I'm still learning.

My most successful method was the trio ---Which consists of:
A big klinkhammer fly on a short dropper to act  as an indicator,then another ptn on a dropper fixed at one and a half times the depth of the swim- then  a heavier ptn 50cm further down on the point.
When I am using this method I don't like the nymphs to be too heavy, as they will only keep dragging the indicator fly under-I want the flies to look like natural food coming down the river- I don't want them to drag like anchors.
This method gives you 3 options to catch fish.
They can take the klink as a surface fly or one of the 2 nymphs.
This method needs a lot of adjustments because one day can be different from the next.

Later on in the year when the surface activity stops I change the klink. for a pimp indicator and add one more dropper below.
When the river is a bit high and I need to fish heavy to get to the bottom I use a drops style indicator as a sighter with three flies below.
Usually its a sighter--then 1.5metre approx. to first dropper then 50cm to the next dropper and 60cm to a heavy point fly.
All the methods above are attached to the end of a 9 metre tapered leader
 (the fly line hasn't been through the first eye of my rod for most of the season.)
For the above methods I use a 10ft #3 Marryat rod.
Its light-its sensitive and that extra length when held high makes it easy to keep the leader off the water = good presentation with very little drag.

When I  get to a section of river I wish to fish I will usually decide to enter the water at the top of the run and work down.
Whether i'm using the indicator fly or the sighter the fishing method would be the same.
I prefer to get into the water where possible (I'm not a deep wader) to cut my silhouette down to a minimum.
I let the required amount of leader out by firstly making a short downstream cast and using the tension of the current on the line,I then make my upstream cast.
I am now fishing.
Keeping my rod up high trying to keep all the line out of the water I let it trundle down past me--hold a few seconds on the swing and then re-cast up stream.
Three fan casts,to cover the water then one step down--and the same again until I have reached the end of the run.
Don't forget there is no fly line out of the reel,I am just using the 9 metres of tapered leader.
On reaching the bottom of the run I then decide whether or not to go back up
(depending of course you are on your own )
However I will usually have a go, moving upstream doing exactly the same.
My opinion is, that a lot of anglers go through a run too fast,they don't cover enough of the swim.
Without hogging one spot, I like to give it a thourough going over before moving on---and especially in the winter months, I may return later in the day-because fish at this time of the year may only feed once a day.

All ready for a winter grayling stint

Well here I am, all togged up for a winter grayling stint,being mid January its a wee bit cold and as I will be standing in the water all day I have made sure that everything is water tight.
I wear thermals under a good quality wading jacket,with a nice woolly hat on my head to keep the heat in and as I will be traveling  light (I'm only bugging for grayling) there is no need to take loads of gear, As a safety issue-- the banks can be wet and icy so I have fitted  studs in my felt soled wading boots to give me a bit more grip
I had a slip and tumble the other day--not a pretty sight--I'm a big old lump to come crashing down.
Had the river been running a bit high I would have worn a safety vest and used a wading staff.
If I look a bit bulky in this shot, I have a small flask of coffee and a sandwich stuck away in my pockets. That's my excuse anyway.
Its nice to have a sit down and have a hot drink and a bite after a couple of hours and as I will be travelling searching for the grayling, it may be too far back to the car.
The weather today is dull,damp and a bit cold with a varying wind of about 15-20 miles per hour.
Ive opted for my 10ft #3 rod,with an 8 metre tapered leader. ( I wont be fishing any fly line off the reel today)
I will start off with a drops style indicator then 6ft of 4lb mono to - 2 size 16 beaded droppers to a  14 tungsten bead point fly.
Pink on the point red on one dropper and plain ptn on the other.
Should I find it difficult to control the set up because of the wind or I have difficulties because of the light ( my eyes are not as good as they were) I can remove the drop ind. and replace with a bright coloured pimp.
So thats my set up and plans for the day.
Its now 12noon and I will be fishing the Clyde at Wolfclyde Bridge ( in the background)
I know a few likely spots that have produced fish in the past.
So away I go.

3 hours later.

Well I gave it a go without much success, I had one decent out of season trout and one tiny grayling, both of which shed the barbless hook just at my feet--therefore no pictures of fish.

So here is another shot of me with the old pillars of the railway bridge that runs next to Wolfclyde.
I enjoyed the day. I have let the grayling off the hook till the next time.