[Rob Brownfield]

Rob I know the issue of stocking can be a bit of a can of worms, as you say when does a pond become a loch etc.  However if we only consider grayling and rivers, if there have never been grayling in a river i would have thought they could safely be considerd a non-native species to that water.

I don't think the lack of stocking of Grayling is simply down to Salmon being held in higher regard as a sporting fish.

Robbie

I see where you are coming from. I actually think Grayling would be an asset to many rivers in this area, and being "native" to the UK, I can't really see the problem of stocking. The rivers that do contain Grayling also seem to contain good trout and salmon stocks. I am sure the Don would make a beautiful Grayling (and chub and barbel ) river

[Robert MacDonald-Lewis]

Rob, I’m sure your right and the Don would make a beautiful Grayling (and Barbel and Chub) river.  But the question is would it be as good a trout river if other species were introduced artificially.

I would lean toward the opinion that if a species is not present naturally in a river then it probably should not be introduced.  I would not apply this opinion to all waters, as you mentioned in your earlier post different waters require different rules.

[Jim Doyle]

Lets just say there are Grayling in more rivers than you think.  rumour has it that that there are some in the Dee and the Spey, only a romour mind.

[Rob Brownfield]

Lets just say there are Grayling in more rivers than you think.  rumour has it that that there are some in the Dee and the Spey, only a romour mind.

I think because of the methods used on many of the North and North East rivers, and the seasons finishing before the real frosts kick in, it is unlikely that Grayling would get caught accidently. However, with more Czech Nymphing going on, maybe we will see a few interesting catches

I know if I head West from my house, I have seen Grayling spawning in a river not a million miles from Braemar

[Iain Cameron]

There was a dead Grayling found on the banks of The Don a few years ago. Cant remember what beat but I remember it was estimated to have been about the 3lb mark.
Anyone know any more about that?

hi noel,

I found a dead grayling in the Don, in the shallows at the tail of the pool below the bridge at the top of the Council's Haughton stretch.
It had been slit from head to anal fin, gutted, then discarded. obviously work of a knife.

No proof of course that it had been actually caught from the Don - it *could* have been caught elsewhere, and for some reason discarded here. It was May 2006, and could have been someone on a fishy trip around scotland. That's unlikely, but not impossible. The simplest explanation was that it was caught from Don.



I've just re-guesstimated and measured up based on the length of the rod in the pic that the fish was 18 inches or 46cm long.

I think Matt O was with me that day to witness. I'm not making any claims that it was caught from Don, just that I found it in the water.

cheers
iain

[Noel Kelly]

Hi Iain
Thanks for that, a very interesting find.
All the best.

Noel

[Rob Brownfield]

Whats interesting Iain is that the fish looks pretty damn fresh.

You could catch fish from a puddle

Other unusual fish found have been a Swordfish in some loch North of here and a Conger eel in a freshwater loch near Avimore.

[Duncan McRae]

Yes that is a really interesting find.

If some beat owner in the upper river had secretly introduced a few Grayling, would they stay put where they were introduced or would they spread throughout the river?

[Noel Kelly]

Whats interesting Iain is that the fish looks pretty damn fresh.

You could catch fish from a puddle

Other unusual fish found have been a Swordfish in some loch North of here and a Conger eel in a freshwater loch near Avimore.

Thing is folk do leave unusual fish in places for a laugh. Off topic but a good story is
Few years ago friends of mine found a cage trap in a local inland river. They were pretty sure who would have set it but knew there was no way he would ever admit it.
Over the next few weeks they put every kind of saltwater fish they could get into it eg mackerel, pollock etc.
Eventually the guy broke in the pub after a few one night and confessed about the trap and the strange goings on.
It was the lobster he had found in it that evening that was the final straw.    

[Jim Eddie]

Thing is folk do leave unusual fish in places for a laugh. Off topic but a good story is
Few years ago friends of mine found a cage trap in a local inland river. They were pretty sure who would have set it but knew there was no way he would ever admit it.
Over the next few weeks they put every kind of saltwater fish they could get into it eg mackerel, pollock etc.
Eventually the guy broke in the pub after a few one night and confessed about the trap and the strange goings on.
It was the lobster he had found in it that evening that was the final straw.    

Nice one Noel

That did make be laugh 

 

Jim

[gibbyboy]

I hear you on that one.....

Years ago my little brother an I found a dead DOGFISH lying in the Den Burn!! Of course at the time we were amazed how far this creature had come before dying 

it was swiftly lifted and buried in a neighbours back garden.......

[Peter McCallum]

I actually think Grayling would be an asset to many rivers in this area

Couldn't agree more Rob

and being "native" to the UK,

Nope they were stocked by monks after the normans arrived as far as I know.......... though I could be wrong

[Iain Goolager]

they were stocked by monks after the normans arrived as far as I know

Hi Peter,
What do Messrs Wisdom ,Collier & Tebbit have to do with it?

Iain

[Peter McCallum]

 

[Ben Dixon]

Yes that is a really interesting find.

If some beat owner in the upper river had secretly introduced a few Grayling, would they stay put where they were introduced or would they spread throughout the river?

Very interesting point.  There is evidence to suggest that grayling do not migrate that far, I was sent a paper on it a few years back, I will see if I can find it.  Other theories although not to my knowledge sceintifically quantified are that grayling will run upstream after trout & particularly salmon at spawning time to feed on eggs, those who have suggested this experience a lack of grayling in the lower reaches of the river once the salmon begin to move.  I think it will vary by river system.  As much as I would like to be able to go and fish for grayling in the Don over the winter, until the Don Trust have gathered sufficient information about the river their introduction could only be bad news.  If anyone has any verified information about grayling in the Don I would be very interested, please drop me a PM.

Here's one that was caught by a colleague of mine from the lower Annan a few years back.
The rod is a Zero Gravity 9' #4 and the reel is an old Battenkill LA II, may help you gauge the size.  The fish was not weighed or accurately measured, but it was big.  Anyone care to have a guess at the size?



Cheers
Ben