Grayling Fishing in Clear Water With Veniard's Tim Wood

Grayling Fishing in Clear Water -
Tim Wood's Bosnian Adventures

A wee catch up with Tim Wood, a professional Fly-Tyer who works with Veniard & Partridge and has tied at shows nationwide. Tim was getting set for an annual overseas Grayling trip before he comes to Glasgow for the Open Weekend at the end of the month.

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This time of year I'm looking forward to getting out Grayling fishing and my annual trip to Bosnia. I’ve been going there for ten years now and it has become a soft spot for me, especially as you can catch huge Grayling on tiny dries and nymphs with fine tippet. I use a 10ft #3 nymphing rod and a 9ft #3 dry fly rod that allows me to change approach quickly whenever I need to.

Tim with a beautiful Grayling from Bosnia

Whilst nymphing out in Bosnia I prefer to sight fish, this I get a great buzz out of and the clarity of the water means you'll get the chance to pick out fish but you need to be on top of your game to catch them.

When I spot a fish I tend to get in position just behind them where I can judge the distance and depth that is required for my cast. This will then determine what weight of nymph I will need.

My nymphs are mostly natural pheasant tails with various different coloured beads. I also use a shrimp pattern which I designed myself and this has worked very well both in the UK and Bosnia. 

Tim's Shrimp

This is now known as 'Tim's Shrimp'. I tie this in various sizes from #20  to #10. I add different weights of lead under the body.

As for dry fly fishing I use a 14ft Trout Hunter Finesse tapered leader attached to my dry fly line, from my tapered leader I use about 3ft to 3.5ft of 8X Varivas tippet. This would be attached by a tippet ring.

When casting to grayling with dries I prefer to cast downstream and pull my line back perfectly straight. As the water is crystal clear I have personally found that any tippet that goes over the top of the grayling will make them refuse your fly.

Needle Flies

My dry flies I would be using are Blue-winged olives, Ants and Needle flies down to a #24.

Super small terrestrial patterns can be deadly

There are some hidden gems in Europe for Trout & Grayling that aren’t too hard to get to from the  UK. From the Alps & Spanish Pyrennes through to Slovenia & Bosnia some of the best fishing in the world is a short flight away.

If you want to know anything else, please come and talk to me at the upcoming GAC Open Weekend 27-29th September.”

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Tim will be on our Fly Tyers Row sponsored by Veniard and supported by Partridge of Redditch, Sprite and Vision/Gulff.
All of these fly dressers are at the very top of their game and will gladly go out of their way to show you how to perform the latest techniques and how to tie any style of fly you can think of. They will even take the time to guide you round our massive fly tying department during their scheduled 'floor time', helping you to choose the right equipment and best fly tying materials and fly tying tools from our extensive range.  You can also take advantage of some great deals on hooks and materials as well as a few new product launches over the weekend.
There really is something for everyone at these events, that's why they are the biggest in Scotland - and this one promises to be the biggest ever! With FREE parking and FREE entry, there will be loads of things to see and do on the Open Weekend as well as some amazing bargains on all types of fishing tackle. Keep an eye out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and instore for more info on what's going on at this event! Plus don't forget to register for your FREE GIFT on the day! Click HERE for details!