There are anglers who do not set themselves the goal of catching a specific specific fish. Thus, due attention is not paid to the characteristics of the area where fishing is planned, and to the living creatures that live there.
This approach leads to less efficient results in the form of very small catches. Therefore, it is worth deciding in advance on the choice of prey and making all the necessary preparations so that the fishing process truly pleases you.
Today we will talk about a species called grayling, which has managed to attract many fishermen in the Siberian region of Russia.
Grayling comes from the genus Grayling and shares many similarities with whitefish and salmon. There are a number of features by which you can immediately understand that it was grayling that caught your hook.
These include the following:
- The presence of a huge fin located in the dorsal region.
- Quite large teeth and a wide tongue.
- Covered with rather large scales.
- The presence of a dark gray color with small black spots on the sides.
The most common habitat of this fish is rivers located near mountain ranges, and its food is various marine benthos and all kinds of aerial insects.
Fishing Features
Grayling fishing is not particularly easy and requires certain knowledge and skills to successfully attract this tempting prey.
Therefore, for beginners, catching such a species will not be easy and will require a lot of patience for the fishing to be successful. This fish is not a fan of fast currents, so it can be found in calmer places.
Grayling will not chase its prey and simply will not pay attention to the bait, which will be two or more meters away from it.
Therefore, it is best to throw the bait directly into the specific area where its location is located. This is determined by endangered insects that can be observed on the surface of the river, with a certain splash of water.
There are several fishing methods:
- into the wiring;
- superficial;
- spinning;
- at gunpoint;
- on the ball;
- “ship” and “pull”.
- on a spinner;
And yet, the most popular method of catching grayling among all experienced fishermen remains fly fishing. Taking this method into account, it is necessary first of all to learn how to correctly cast the bait so that it is not slowed down by the fishing line, and how to subsequently retrieve the bait.
Grayling habitats
This fish is widespread in the northern regions of Russia - Siberia, Irkutsk, Perm Territory, Krasnoyarsk. It can be found in both large and small rivers, mountain streams, and deep lakes. The ideal place for it is a clean mountain river with a rocky bottom. It is this choice of habitat that creates great difficulties for the fisherman. Grayling has excellent eyesight, like all fish living in clear water, so it is absolutely impossible to get close to it unnoticed. Especially if you talk loudly or crunch branches. As soon as he suspects something is wrong, he immediately leaves the dangerous place.
Grayling tends to hide behind large boulders, near pools and on riffles. There the probability of meeting this fish increases. Particularly large individuals occupy the most advantageous place from the point of view of food - whirlpools, in which a lot of food is retained. When hunting, grayling prefers a waiting tactic; it will not chase the fry, but will wait until it swims past it. Unlike pike or perch, it hides and looks out for prey. These are usually insects that fall into the water. In order to find such a dining room, you just need to take a closer look at the surface of the water. If fallen insects disappear from the surface, and the process is accompanied by strong splashes, you can be sure that grayling is dining here.
Necessary gear
For the appropriate fishing method, you need to choose the most suitable gear and equipment, which would become an indispensable assistant for you in the process of catching grayling.
There are basic devices for catching this fish:
- spinning;
- artificial bait (fly fishing);
- fishing float;
All of these tackles have proven themselves to be excellent and are used by many fishermen to lure just such a species as grayling onto their hooks.
Equipment
As for fishing with a spinning rod, in this case the equipment will consist of the following elements:
- rotating spoon;
- fishing line of the braided variety, the diameter of which is 0.1 mm;
- a wobbler with the ability to dive to a depth of 0.5 m;
- artificial front sight;
To catch prey fly fishing, you will need a variety of flies as your rig. They differ in their colors, and there are also wet and dry varieties of this bait.
If you choose float tackle, then you can use the following auxiliary elements for the equipment:
- A float consisting of a transparent ball.
- A leash for a float, the diameter of which would be 0.2 mm, and the length would be up to 2 meters.
- Bait that looks like a moth or butterfly.
Float rod for grayling
This gear is usually used in the spring, when the water is not yet clear enough and you can get closer to the cautious prey. But some anglers fish with a float in the summer; this comes with experience.
A float rod for catching grayling differs from a regular one primarily in its float. It is a transparent ball filled with water, which determines its weight and location in the water column. This is done so that the tackle is as invisible as possible to the grayling. A long leash – about two meters – serves the same purpose. The farther the bait is located from the float, the more boldly the grayling will grab it.
Some of the most catchy baits are natural baits - grasshoppers, moths. But you can also fish with artificial flies. Dry flies are more suitable for float fishing, since with such baits the bite will be more noticeable.
Every angler, even a beginner, has dealt with float tackle, so there shouldn’t be any difficulties when mastering a new type of fishing. The float is much simpler than a fly rod and catches just as well.
What bait should I use?
The best spring baits for hunting grayling are worms and shitik.
In addition to artificial baits, the use of live bait also shows very good results.
It includes the following varieties:
- bloodworm;
- caddisfly and bark beetle larvae;
- dung worms;
- small slices of fresh fish;
- minnows;
- red cockroaches;
As for bait in the summer, it is absolutely useless and is unlikely to help you lure grayling onto your hook.
If you still want to feed this fish, you can use insects such as a cockroach or grasshopper. If fishing is planned in winter, then the use of bait is a mandatory procedure. In this case, it is best to use regular white cottage cheese or mormysh.
Where to fish?
Grayling is still accustomed to a more severe winter climate, so its habitat is most often located in Siberia or the Far East. As for the classic variety of this fish, its habitat usually begins in the Arctic Ocean basin.
A large number of grayling can be found in Lake Baikal, where there are black and white species of this baitfish. Also, the Amur River, where you can find a species called Amur grayling, has become a wonderful home for our prey.
The European species can be found in the rivers Dniester, Danube, Western Bug, Volga and Neman.
Bite at different times of the year
Grayling bites most actively in the summer at the end of August - beginning of September and in the spring before the start of spawning.
When going fishing in the first week after spawning, you should take into account the following subtleties:
- The best way to catch this type of fish is by fishing.
- As for bait, it is best to use worms or the meat of the grayling itself.
- A fishing rod should be selected with a spinning reel.
- In the form of a sinker, the use of several pellets is suitable.
If you are planning a trip in the autumn month, you should use these tips:
- It is best to use a spinner as bait.
- As soon as the fish begins to bite, it is necessary to perform calm and gentle movements while reeling in the reel.
- Once the fish is a short distance from you, you should carefully replace it in the landing net.
In winter, grayling bite occurs without much activity, so this period is not entirely suitable for fishing.
Choosing the time to catch grayling in July using a spinning rod
Grayling fishing in July brings the best results in favorable stable weather without sudden changes in pressure, wind direction and other factors. After rains and thunderstorms, its activity decreases. If favorable weather conditions persist for at least a few days, it is quite possible that it is time to go fishing.
In this case, the pressure can be any. Thinking that grayling is difficult to catch when the barometer goes down, as many do, is not entirely correct. In fact, he feels good when the pressure remains stably at the same level. Whether it is low, medium or high is not so important.
Complete calm usually has the same adverse effect on the grayling bite as strong wind. The best catches can be obtained with a moderate light breeze. On the other hand, when there is a strong wind, the fish are often activated, because its gusts blow insects out of the grass, bushes and forests, which become prey for grayling. But calm always has a bad effect on his activity.
As a rule, the bite worsens or stops with north and east winds. But in July everything can be the other way around. For example, northern winds bring with them coolness, which grayling likes so much. Short rains, which saturate the water with oxygen and carry a large number of insects into it, can also greatly intensify its biting.
The activity of grayling on a given day can be approximately assessed by the traces of its “activity” that are visible on the surface of the water. On warm, fine July evenings, large numbers of insects hover over the ponds. For grayling, they are desirable prey, so it actively collects those flies and butterflies that have fallen into the water, and sometimes jumps out after them. A similar picture can sometimes be observed in the mornings.
If a small fish splashes cheerfully, chasing insects, then the probability of getting a good catch is quite high. In this case, both small and large grayling will peck. But there are also situations when grayling plays, but bites poorly or does not bite at all.
It should also be borne in mind that the absence of traces of fish activity on the surface does not in itself mean anything. In such a situation, there can be either a good grayling bite or its complete absence.
The best time of day to catch grayling in July is:
- morning, from approximately 5 to 11 o'clock;
- evening, approximately from 16:00 until dark.
In the middle of the day, fish activity decreases. Grayling is not caught at night.
Blitz tips
A number of some auxiliary tips will help you enjoy a sufficient result in the form of a decent grayling catch:
- It is very important to choose the right place for your fishing. This species can be found in the most abundant quantities on river rifts, which are located slightly downstream.
- If the weather pleases you with a sunny, clear day , then the bait of red and yellow flowers is best suited. In cloudy seasons, you should give preference to dark colored baits.
- This species is particularly timid , and a moving shadow can immediately scare it away. Therefore, it is worth choosing a place in such a way that your silhouette is not reflected in the water.
Ban on fishing
As you know, a spring ban on grayling fishing during the spawning period has been introduced. Also, citing fishing rules, it is prohibited to catch this type of fish in Moscow and the Moscow region. Otherwise, you may be issued a fine of up to 4 thousand rubles, failure to pay of which may subject you to criminal liability.
By following all the above tips and tricks, you can become a real professional in catching such a fish species as grayling.
Therefore, if your past attempts have not been successful, or if you are just a beginner in fishing, this article will serve as an excellent guide to the most successful process for catching this particular game.
Features of tactics and techniques for catching grayling in July using a spinning rod
Fishing for grayling in July requires that you actively search for fish sites. To do this, you need to move along the shore of the reservoir on foot or explore it by boat, casting to interesting points. Fishing all day long in one place, which can work well in other periods - for example, during the spawning run - is not very promising in the middle of summer.
The following spinning lines are suitable for catching grayling in July:
- uniform;
- wavy;
- stop-and-go (for wobblers).
