Lower Itchen Fishery

0830 - 1800

Bright and breezy. AT around 15ºC all day. River low and clear despite overnight rains.

30 Grayling with around two-thirds in the ¾lb - 1¼lb class with the rest not much smaller. Biggest 1lb 6oz. 10 Brownies between 1½ - 3½lb plus dozens and dozens and dozens of parr fish - a real nuisamce in the same way minnows can be!

Lovely day - especially as I practically had the whole fishery to myself with only one other angler booked in. A real game of 2 halfs - when I stopped for lunch, having worked my way down the top half of the fishery in the morning, I'd caught just 3 ladies and a gazillion trout and salmon parr. This made the  afternoon  a maggot free zone - and was a case of eeking out what sweetcorn I'd brought with me with the emergency rations that live in the bottom of my tackle bag being pressed into action. Grayling of a remarkably similar stamp - amost every fish a few ounces either side of the pound mark made for a busy afternoon. No chub - though bright conditions and low water might explain that one!