When The Going Gets Tough

Kris Kent takes a trip to Devon to join local guide Pete Tyjas on a low River Tone on the hottest day of 2017 in search of summer grayling.

- Kris Kent

I’m hoping that my recent articles have encouraged you to not wait for winter and go out and enjoy early season grayling fishing. However, targeting them during summer isn’t always easy. While we aren’t renowned for our hot summers, Britain can produce them and with low flows this can make tempting the grayling out a bit tricky. Nevertheless, there is always hope.

Pete’s Patch

I’m proud to call Pete Tyjas a friend. He is a very capable angler, a fantastic guide, hugely knowledgeable, great company and an all-round good chap. So, when he invited me to fish with him on his local patch I didn’t need asking twice. We share a passion for fishing small streams for wild trout and grayling and his wife, Emma, is a superb hostess. We agreed a date on the proviso that I could come down the night before and enjoy Emma’s wonderful cooking.

A few days before I was due to visit, Pete called. He asked if I was I sure I still wanted to come. The forecast was for hot as hell and the rivers were very low! Churchill’s quote came to mind: “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

Now I’m a sucker for punishment, so a little heat and tough conditions weren’t going to put me off, plus I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to chew the fat with Pete. We stuck with the plan.

Just as I was leaving, Pete rang, asking was I really sure I still wanted to come. The forecast was for the hottest day of the year and the rivers were even lower! I refer you to my previous comment regarding punishment. We stuck with the plan. When I arrived at Pete’s,

Emma had a cold beer and a fabulous supper ready for me. Afterwards we sat outside and caught up. It was still very warm, without a breath of wind. It made for an uncomfortable night’s sleep.