Grayling Flies, what works best in Scottish rivers

Choosing the correct Grayling Flies can be a game changer on Scottish Rivers. Our guides have selected 5 of their favourite flies.

Table of Contents

• Grayling Flies No 1 – The Squirmy Wormy
• Grayling Flies 2 – The Peeping Caddis
• Grayling Fly 3 – The Red Tag Nymph
• Grayling Flies no 4 – The Orange Tag UV Straggle Fly
• Grayling fly number 5 – The Pheasant Tail Nymph

Grayling Flies No 1 – The Squirmy Wormy

In order to fish for Grayling effectively in high water, you should always have one of these on your cast. In fact when water clarity is down, this fly is a great attractor fly for pulling Grayling out of their lies. Indeed, worms are a good source of protein in the winter, when Caddis and other insects are sparse. Also worms are naturally washed into the river during a spate, from the muddy banks.

Grayling Flies 2 – The Peeping Caddis

Firstly, this fly can be deadly in clearer water conditions. With this in mind, you should fish this fly on the bottom of the river bed. Naturally, this is where Grayling are likely to be hanging about the colder months. Finally, Caddis are a main food source over the winter months for both trout and Grayling, to help them to survive.

Grayling Fly 3 – The Red Tag Nymph

To clarify, the red tag nymph is more of an attractor pattern. Actually this pattern has been around for a while and is a very consistent fish catching nymph. In fact, this fly isn’t just good for Grayling, trout love it too. It can represent anything small dark and buggy, which you could come across in winter. Also, it’s effective when you might have small hatch of midges in the warmer part of the day. It could represent a small dark olive looking fly with the CDC hackle.

Grayling Flies no 4 – The Orange Tag UV Straggle Fly

Firstly the orange tag UV straggle is an attractor pattern with plenty of movement in the body and the CDC Secondly this fly can be tied up in smaller sizes, representing midges or dark olives, that hatch during the warmer parts of the day. Additionally, this fly could also represent a Caddis shucks you find under the stones in the winter months. Also work well a copper bead variant when fishing in clear conditions. Lastly this fly is also effective when dead drifting and swinging the flies round so they lift to the surface.

Grayling fly number 5 – The Pheasant Tail Nymph

Lastly, the pheasant tail nymph is a Grayling pattern that works consistently throughout the year. Whereas it can be tied with numerous combinations of bead/ hook size, dubbing and wire ribbing. Size 16, 18 and 20 are the most effective sizes.

Naturally representing small nymphs that you will find under the stones during the winter months. We prefer smaller pheasant tail nymphs size 16 and 18m when you have low and clear water. Equally, we tend to use a bigger sized pheasant tail when there is coloured water conditions. Finally, the nymph shown above is a great combo is as the orange acts like an attractor, and can often induce takes.