Fishing for grayling in the fall will delight even an inexperienced fisherman who has decided to try himself in this exciting and very sporting direction of hunting for one of the representatives of the salmon genus. The catchability of fishing is due to the fact that the fish begins to feed intensively before winter, and therefore becomes more accessible for catching using various fishing methods.
Now not only fly fishing occupies a leading position among fishing gear, but also spinning fishing, float rods and a number of non-standard, such as bales and baldas, but effective methods for catching grayling contribute to good catches.
In continuation of the article, we will talk about the organization of grayling fishing in the autumn, identifying the main points in fishing technology, assembling gear and planning fishing strategies based on weather conditions that affect the behavior of fish.
Where to look for grayling in autumn
Unlike the warm periods of the year, fish habitats begin to change in the autumn.
Important! In the fall, grayling rolls down from the upper reaches of streams and small rivers closer to the mouths of rivers, and by winter it enters the lakes into which these rivers and streams flow, which provided shelter for fish in the summer.
Now large grayling prefers to hunt in the water column, practically without rising to the surface of the reservoir, and chooses places with moderate currents for parking. Most often, the fish takes positions at the junction of a fast and slow stream, looking out for nutritious objects floating in the stream. The predator can approach shallows and rapids in the fall only on abnormally warm days, which is typical in September, when the flight of an insect awakened by warming is possible, settling on the water at the end of its life cycle.
Fly fishing
This fishing method is not recommended for beginner anglers, as it is difficult, but at the same time it is the most effective. The tackle must meet the following requirements:
- Rod 2.1-2.7 meters long, class 4-5;
- The reel can be selected in any variant, the main thing is that it must be light in weight and properly balanced with the tackle;
- WF or DT cord; for fall fishing, it is recommended to select sinking options;
- Undergrowth 2.5-3 meters long, conical;
- Flies of a dark shade are “wet”. The choice is made individually, based on the food supply of fish in the autumn.
The method works best in early autumn; as the water gets colder, its effectiveness decreases.
The peculiarities of autumn fishing for grayling using fly fishing lie in sinking flies. Grayling stops feeding at the surface, but reacts well to falling food. Such a “wet” fly can depict a drowning beetle or an insect swimming in the water column. Riding flies are best left until next summer.
When fishing, it is important to constantly monitor the tension of the cord. The slightest jerk can mean a bite, so you must immediately perform a short, but not sharp hook. Note that when hooked, grayling resists desperately. When fishing, do not try to force the fish out. Forcing can cause the lip to be damaged by the hook and the fish will be freed from it.
We recommend reading: Fishing for pike in winter: where to look and what is the best way to catch pike in winter
Predator behavior in autumn
To winter, fish need to accumulate energy. As the water masses become colder, the usual food for graylings in the form of insects and small underwater creatures becomes significantly less abundant. Competition for scarce food resources increases among individuals, which, coupled with the risk of being left without fattened fat, provokes the predator to increase feeding activity, bringing feeding to the stage of gluttony.
Grayling feeding continues until freeze-up, and at this moment the fish is characterized by increased aggressiveness and partial loss of caution, which the angler uses with success. The current of the river does not carry mayflies on its surface, which become easy prey for fish, and they have to descend into the water column, looking for underwater living creatures and picking up the gaping fry drawn into the fast stream. In the fall, small grayling gather in schools of 15–20 individuals, while the large predator, like all previous years, prefers to hunt alone, choosing the most secluded ambush places in the reservoir.
Time of day and weather
Grayling fishing in autumn is possible throughout the daylight hours. As you know, with the onset of even light twilight, the predator stops hunting and stands at the ambush site for the night, showing absolutely no activity. In practice, even in the early morning, and this is the case when grayling is less active, its fishing is not as promising as in the afternoon and afternoon.
Regarding weather conditions, it is worth noting that the fish does not tolerate pressure surges, showing passivity during this period in obtaining food. Graylings also do not like windy weather with rain, which greatly muddies surface waters and reduces their transparency, negatively affecting the predator’s control of food passing nearby.
Important! A good result is achieved in sunny or partly cloudy weather with a gentle breeze that raises light ripples on the surface of the reservoir.
Frosts, which make the waters more transparent with the death of algae and microorganisms, also stimulate an excellent bite.
What to use to catch grayling in autumn
Depending on the choice of gear for catching autumn grayling, anglers use bait of different structure, method of operation and type of material.
Of course, the leading positions are occupied by artificial flies, which can be surface or dry and sinking, in fishing slang wet variations of baits. The second most popular use of artificial baits are wobblers and spinners. There are frequent cases of using silicone attachments in the form of miniature vibrating tails and slugs of various kinds, imitating insect larvae and all kinds of small underwater inhabitants.
In addition to artificial baits, baits of natural animal origin are also used. Bait for grayling can be small and medium-sized dung worms, maggots and bloodworms.
Important! On warm September days, fish willingly pick up flies, bumblebees, grasshoppers, butterflies and moths from the surface.
Insects are taken in large sizes, which makes it possible to more clearly attract a predator to bite with its natural, more noticeable movements.
Catching grayling with a Tyrolean stick
The Tyrolean stick, also known as the jumper, or ballerina, is a hollow tube with a sinker on one end and a winding ring on the other. The tube is made of an inconspicuous material, since grayling has excellent eyesight and, in case of danger, immediately flees. Its main task is to keep artificial flies directly near the bottom, preventing them from floating up and ensuring play in the current.
Making the equipment is quite simple: a piece of fishing line with a diameter of 0.3 mm is attached on one side to the sinker, and at a distance of 40 cm the first outlet for the leash with the fly is attached. After another 40 cm, the second branch (you can install up to four, but optimally two). We measure out the next 40 cm and knit a loop that will connect to the main fishing line - the tackle is ready.
Fishing will definitely bring good results if you have several equipment of different weights with you (the appropriate one is selected directly at the fishing site) and a reserve in case of breaks. In addition, it is necessary to prepare the maximum possible number of flies. Which ones? Old-timers will best answer this question, so take everything you have.
The cast is made over a considerable distance, almost diagonally. When the sinker “hits” the bottom, a slow reeling begins. In this case, the load is carried downstream and it seems to bounce, forcing the bait to play in the stream. Additionally, you can activate the movement of the flies with the tip of the rod. Only two types of wiring are used: slow, uniform, or twitching. The bite is transmitted directly to the rod blank, but distinguishing it from the sinker touching the stones is a matter of experience.
Float for "balda"
How to catch grayling in autumn
The methods of catching grayling in the autumn are distinguished by an enviable variety compared to other periods of the year. Fattening fish, having lost some of their vigilance, allows them to come closer to promising points where they are staying, and excessive aggressiveness opens the way to the use of baits that are unusual in spring and summer. Next, we will look at the most promising methods of hunting, focusing on the nuances of tactics and equipment that increase fishing success.
Float rod
Fishing with a float rod is carried out at the mouths of rivers and streams, at their confluence with larger bodies of water. They use lightweight Bolognese rods up to 7 meters long with a weight of no more than 40 grams. They use inertia-free reels with monofilament 0.15-0.18 mm, lengths up to 100 meters, counting on long-distance wiring.
Important! The installation includes a filling float, which allows you to quickly adjust its weight, thereby adjusting the levels of bait placement in the desired water horizons.
Float tackle for grayling is supplied with natural animal bait, often a small worm, passing the bait over a promising stopping point for the predator.
Spinning
For spinning fishing, the ultralight type of gear is suitable, which makes it possible to fish with small baits. Rotating spoons and crank-type microwobblers are the most suitable artificial bait options for this style of fishing.
Important! In spinners, the petal color of a pure silver tone gives more bites on cloudy days. Dark shades with red dots work in clear weather.
The cranks should play on slow retrieves, keeping their stroke in a slow and low-frequency range. Silicone simulators are carried out on uniform wiring without pauses in the middle water horizons. Spinning rods are used to fish lakes and river sections at the boundaries of mixing currents of different speeds. A transparent nylon thread with a thickness of no more than 0.2 mm is used as a cord.
Fly fishing
Autumn fly fishing switches to the use of wet flies, which are carried out in the water column, using cords with sinking tail ends in the rod rig, which allow the bait to be buried to the desired level.
Important! The tactic of fishing with dry flies works in September, on warm and windless days.
Fly fishing is done in a wade, after casting, making light twitches with the bait, alternating them with small pulls. Dynamic fishing requires choosing a lightweight rod up to 2.5 meters long with the installation of an inertial reel. A sinking or floating cord specialized for fly fishing is selected based on the type of bait used. Fly fishing is more practical for use on rivers where the currents are faster.
Baler
One of the non-standard, but quite effective methods of fishing is a bale. The device consists of a rocker arm, on the shoulders of which leashes with flies are attached, and a sinker is placed in the center on the main leash. Depending on the current, its weight can vary from 20 to 50 grams. The equipment is cast using a fast-action spinning rod, which is equipped with an inertial reel. It is convenient to fish with this method from a boat, feeding the equipment downstream to promising points and carrying out installation against the flow of water.
Balda
Another interesting and productive way of hunting grayling is considered to be the bulldozer. The installation consists of a piece of fishing line, at the end of which a weight is attached. At certain distances from the load along the vertical line, leashes with artificial flies or live bait are placed. Holding the equipment in strong currents and controlling the bite is helped by a float, which is rigidly mounted on a cord at the required level. The installation is equipped with a spinning rod with a spinning reel.
After casting and touching the bottom with the load, a leisurely retrieve is carried out against the current, tracking the movements of the float, when it deepens, a hook is made. Often bites occur at a considerable distance from the casting points and the use of floats clearly visible on the surface helps to timely realize the chance of being included in the catch of this tricky and truly beautiful trophy.
Fishing for grayling using a spinning rod
To successfully hunt such a cautious predator, such as grayling, ultralight class rods are used. This is due to the fact that the main bait will be small rotating spoons No. 00 - No. 1. They bear little resemblance to insects that have fallen into the water, and they have no resemblance to artificial flies, but, nevertheless, grayling is perfectly caught with this bait.
Instead of a cord, it is recommended to use monofilament of small diameter, again for the purpose of secrecy. In addition, in this case it is possible to gain extra casting meters (if fishing is done from the shore), which can sometimes become decisive.
It has been noticed that fishing for grayling in September is most successful if silver-colored spinners are used in low light conditions, and copper-colored petals are preferable in sunny conditions.
Small wobblers with a depth of about 0.5-1 m have also proven themselves well.
Set of spinning lures for grayling
The cast is made across the current or slightly up. The wiring is uniform and slow. The slowest, at the limit of the bait game. Grayling does not pursue prey for a long time, and if it doesn’t work right away, it will wait for the next time. You can diversify the game of the bait by releasing it downstream. Sometimes this works, especially when the predator is inactive.
