Often called the “lady of the stream,” grayling offer excellent sport when trout season wanes. In British rivers, a 2-lb grayling is considered a specimen, while a 3-lb fish is the dream of many anglers. Only a handful of rivers regularly yield fish over 4 lb. The grayling season opens on 16 June and runs until 14 March, overlapping with the coarse-fishing calendar.

Several rivers stand out. The River Frome in Dorset, a southern chalk stream, has produced multiple British records thanks to a genetic strain of fast-growing grayling. The Welsh River Dee, a freestone river stretching 70 miles from Snowdonia to the sea, offers affordable day tickets and hosts international grayling festivals. Scottish rivers Tweed and Teviot, better known for salmon, harbour grayling over 3 lb and reward anglers who persevere.

In the north, Driffield Beck is one of the most northern chalk streams and produces large, sight-fished grayling. Cumbria’s River Eden, a 90-mile freestone river, combines superb hatches with specimens of grayling and wild trout.

Techniques vary by water type. Despite their down-turned mouths, grayling will rise for dry flies; however, strikes must be quick, as grayling sip and eject artificial flies faster than trout. Use knotless tapered leaders between 7.5 and 12 feet for delicate presentation. The “duo” or “New Zealand” method—suspending a small nymph below a buoyant dry fly—covers two layers of the water column and can tempt shoaled fish.

Nymphing remains the primary tactic, with various styles like Czech, euro and upstream nymphing effective at presenting flies close to the riverbed. While grayling aren’t always trophy-sized, they offer dependable sport in winter, saving anglers from blank days and providing an opportunity to master new techniques.