Top 10 grayling flies for October on the amazing Welsh Dee

October grayling fly selection

Now that the trout fly fishing season is over, it’s time to take a look at my top ten grayling flies for October.

These flies provide you with a great place to start if you’re new to grayling fly fishing. Additionally, they will benefit the more experienced fly anglers.

On UK rivers, fly hatches are beginning to diminish in October, but on mild days, you might spot any of the following flies:

Upwing Flies

Sedges & Others

So, it’s time to reveal my…

top 10 grayling flies for October fishing on the Welsh Dee

i.e. fly patterns that I have found consistently catch grayling.

My 3 best grayling flies for October:

Based on the variety of natural flies, you would think an extensive selection of fly patterns would be required to catch grayling consistently.

However, after analyzing my detailed fishing log, surprisingly, over the last 5 years 80% of the grayling I’ve caught in October were on these wet flies:

  • 35% on March Brown spider patterns
  • 30% on Black Hopper
  • 15% on Claret midge

Therefore, I recommend starting with this three-fly cast on a 3lb copolymer (point: #14 March Brown spider; middle dropper: #14 black hopper; top dropper: #16 claret midge). 

3 of my top 10 grayling flies
top 10 Grayling flies for October

If you only want to fish one fly then it would have to be one of the following March Brown spider patterns, since often…

“it WINS hands-down on the Welsh Dee”

Weighted March brown spider

March Brown Spider

  • Hook:    Kamasan B170 #14
  • Thread: 8/0 rusty orange
  • Optional underbody lead wire
  • Body: Hare’s Ear
  • Rib:       Gold oval tinsel
  • Hackle: Brown partridge neck
Pearl ribbed March Brown spider

Pearl-ribbed March Brown Spider

  • Hook:    Kamasan B170 #14
  • Thread: 8/0 Rusty orange
  • Body: Hare’s Ear dubbing
  • Rib:       Pearl Mylar #14 (1/32)
  • Hackle:  Brown partridge neck

The other two wet flies that feature highly in my catch returns are the trusty black hopper and a red spider.

Black hopper wet fly
Black Hopper one of my top 10 grayling flies

Black Hopper

  • Hook:    Kamasan B170 #14
  • Thread: Black UNI-Thread 8/0
  • Body: Black Seals fur substitute  
  • Rib:       Pearl Mylar #14 (1/32)
  • Legs:     Black pheasant tail
  • Hackle:  Black Hen
Top 10 grayling flies for October on the amazing Welsh Dee My top 10 Grayling Flies will prepare you for fly fishing in October on the Welsh Dee. Gain expert insights into the best flies to use for a successful grayling fishing experience during this autumn month.
Red spider is one of my top 10 grayling flies

Claret midge

  • Hook:  Kamasan B170 (#16 & 18)
  • Body:   Claret UNI-Thread 8/0 
  • Hackle:  Grey Vends dubbing

Where best to fish the grayling wet flies?

When the Welsh Dee is close to its summer level (<0.5m Manley Hall gauge), I focus my fishing in the following areas because they tend to yield the best results:

  • the fast water leading into pools; 
  • the glide leading into the tail of the pool;
  • behind weed beds, large rocks, ledges, and snags.

For more on how I fish wet fly check out the page dedicated to wet fly fishing.

Autumn grayling fly fishing feature image
A grayling caught with one of my top 10 grayling flies

Now let’s consider what to do if the above approaches fail to catch grayling.

I do catch grayling during October on dry flies and Czech nymphs. So, let’s take a look at these…

Best grayling dry flies for October

When grayling are preoccupied with taking dry flies, the best approach is to try and match the hatch. If you are unable to do this, grayling will likely be taking one of the following:  

  • olives,
  • Iron Blue dun
  • autumn dun,

Hatches of the upwing flies often occur in riffles and near the heads of pools where the flow is faster. Dry fly fishing in these areas with a small fly will often tempt grayling. 

If I was limited to one dry fly it would be an olive CDC emerger. However, it is worth tying alternatives with various body colours (black, grey, dark olive, brown, claret, etc.)

CDC Olive fly
CDC Olive emerger – best grayling dry fly

CDC Olive emerger

  • Hook: Kamasan B100 #16 & 18
  • Thread: Olive UNI-Thread 8/0
  • Rib: Fine gold wire
  • Thorax: Hare’s ear dubbing
  • Wing: 3-4 CDC feathers

Other examples of successful dry flies for October include:

Olive quill emerger

Olive Quill Emerger

  • Hook:     HENDS BL345 #16 & 18
  • Thread: Tan UNI-Thread 8/0 
  • Body: Peacock quill
  • Thorac. Peacock Herl
  • Wing: 3 CDC feathers
Iron blue emerger

Crumpled Iron Blue emerger

  • Hook: Kamasan B170 #16 & 18
  • Thread: Grey UNI-Thread 8/0 
  • Tail: Grey Anton yarn
  • Body: Mole fur
  • Indicator: Orange Anton
  • Hackle: Crumpled Iron Blue cock

When grayling are seen sipping midges in the slacker sections of the pools, I find that either a Griffith Gnat or a small F-fly will often work very well:

Griffith's Gnat fly stage 4
Griffith Gnat dry fly for October

Griffith Gnat

  • Hook:    Kamasan B170 #18
  • Thread: Black UNI 8/0
  • Body: Peacock herl
  • Hackle: palmered Grizzle cock
F-fly black
F-fly one of my top 10 grayling flies

F-fly in various colours

  • Hook:   Kamasan B170 #16 & 18
  • Thread: Black UNI 8/0
  • Body: Fine black dubbing
  • Wing: 3 CDC feathers

I find it difficult to spot the small dry fly in fast water and when this happens I prefer to switch to the double dry fly fishing method:

  • sight fly – size 12, elk hair caddis (cream tag), and
  • small trailing fly 18” behind the sight fly (e.g. F- fly, Griffith Gnat, etc.)
Elk hair caddis dry fly
Elk Hair Caddis is a great dry fly for October grayling

Elk hair caddis

  • Hook:    Kamasan B170 #12
  • Thread: Rusty orange UNI 8/0
  • Body: Hare’s Ear dubbing
  • Rib: Fine gold wire
  • Wing:     Elk hair – tied upright 

Czech nymph selection for October grayling:

I’m usually salmon fishing until the 17th of October if the Welsh Dee is above its summer level (0.5m Manley Hall gauge). Therefore, most of my October grayling fishing is during dry spells, when I find wet fly & dry fly fishing often yield the best results.

Czech / Euro nymphing is not everyone’s cup of tea but it’s the best way to catch grayling feeding on the riverbed. My preferred nymphs for October include…

Pheasant tail nymph

Pheasant tail nymph (orange tag)

  • Hook:  Hends BL154 (#14 & 12)
  • Bead:   2.5mm tungsten (silver & gold)
  • Thread: Brown UNI-Thread 8/0
  • Tail:       3 pheasant tail fibre
  • Body:     pheasant tail fibres
  • Rib:        Fine copper wire
  • Thorax:  Olive dubbing  
Hares Ear Shell-back nymph
Hare Ear shell-back nymph 
  • Hook:  Kamasan B100 #14 & 16
  • Bead:  2 – 3mm tungsten (pink, gold)
  • Thread: 8/0 rusty orange
  • Body:  Hare Ear
  • Back: Mylar tinsel
  • Rib: gold wire

The above advice comes from my fishing log covering flies that have reliably caught grayling, thus a great starting point for a newcomer to the Welsh Dee. In addition, it may help more seasoned anglers to modify their approach and improve their catch results.

Fishing for grayling at Carrog 2
Grayling caught on one of my top 10 grayling flies in October

For more information on fly fishing for grayling during autumn, check out the following post: 

If you are interested in grayling fishing on the Welsh Dee, there is some excellent Day Ticket water.

I hope you found my top 10 grayling flies for October post interesting, and it would be great to hear what your best October grayling flies are.

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Alan Hine
4 years ago

thanks Andrew ,seems that the march brown spider and the black hopper are the most effective flies, on the Dee whatever the time of the year .I have tied a few of each ,and still hoping to get to fish at Llangollen this October if the dreaded covid doesn’t force another lockdown

Andrewoverend1
4 years ago
Reply to  Alan Hine

Hi Alan,
Over the years those two flies have accounted for lots of trout and grayling, and I don’t go fishing without a few in my fly box. Let me know how you get on fishing them if you manage to go fishing in October.
Cheers, Andrew

Tim Rollo
3 years ago

Great information . Used your advice many times and have caught lots of times
Cheers

Andrewoverend1
3 years ago
Reply to  Tim Rollo

Hi Tim,

It’s great to hear that the posts are helping you catch fish.

Cheers, Andrew.

Tony
3 years ago

Hi Andrew, I find your blog very interesting has you go through the seasons.
just whish i had the time to visit the Dee. Your top Ten Grayling flies are not a complete mystery to me. Ive booked a day on the upper Wye next week, will certainly tie a few of your top ten and give them a go. Ill let you know how I get on.

Andrewoverend1
3 years ago
Reply to  Tony

Hi Tony,

Pleased to hear that the article was interesting and useful.

It would be great to know how the flies perform on the upper Wye. I hope you have a good trip.

Cheers, Andrew

Peter Astbury
3 years ago

The olive quill emerger is one of my favourite flies, had a few sea trout on mine last back end. Thanks Andrew for another informative article.

Andrewoverend1
3 years ago
Reply to  Peter Astbury

Hi Peter,

Great to hear that it is your favourite pattern. I’ve not had any sea trout on it but have caught a few fishing an Elk Hair caddis pattern.

Cheers, Andrew

Paul Rutherford
3 years ago

Hi Andrew, thanks for the tips, I don’t think I have any of those patterns yet, some shopping to do ! I’ve been fishing the river near Halton, the Manley gauge has been around 0.47m but after recent rain its now 0.87m and rising, what would you suggest in these conditions?

Andrewoverend1
3 years ago

Hi Paul,

I haven’t fished the river at Halton when it’s high but would probably use the flies I fish at Llangollen in high water. Check out this post https://hawker-overend.com/best-grayling-flies-for-december-fly-fishing/ which will give you some ideas.

I hope this helps, Andrew

Alan Staniforth
2 years ago

Hi Andrew, do you fish heavy bugs in the winter. My local rivers respond best to “nymphs” tied with a little pink in them, usually with a tungsten bead at the head. Brilliant article as always, I particularly like the March Brown Spider, this would work well on the Usk at this time of year. If fishing a team of flies their position on the cast is important as well for me.

Andrewoverend1
1 year ago

Hi Alan,

In winter I normally use a heavy point fly to make sure the small droppers are fishing close to the riverbed, especially when the fish are not rising.

Great to hear you enjoyed the article, Tight lines, Andrew.

Martin
2 years ago

I’m finding the tips and fly patterns interesting reading. I am hoping to join a club with access to rivers and ive tied a lot of these patterns for trying some grayling fishing this winter. I have very little experience of river fishing so i am using these blogs as research

Andrewoverend1
1 year ago
Reply to  Martin

Hi Martin,

It would be great to know how you get on when you start grayling fishing on rivers.

Good luck, Andrew

Constable of Bromley
1 year ago

I really like the design of the Iron Blue with the orange Antron “indicator,” which the trout must see as something – a wing? a nymphal shuck? Looks like a bit of flame to the end of it too.

Andrewoverend1
1 year ago

Hi Kevin,
It’s a great fly but was not my design. I met another fisherman catching grayling with it on the Welsh Dee near Bala. He gave me one and it helped me catch a few lovely grayling when they wouldn’t take anything else. Since then it become one of my favourite dry flies, especially when fishing a duo set-up.

Tight lines, Andrew

Mike Kennedy
14 days ago

Hi Andrew, thanks for another great blog. I’m just thinking of tying some bugs for Euro nymphing. Am I right in thinking that if I use the PTN / Hares Ear pattens you have given for my point flies, I would be better to tie them on jig hooks?

Martin Brough
13 days ago

I don’t get to do a lot of river fishing but the black hopper has been a useful fly on still waters for me

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