Top 12 grayling flies for October on the amazing Welsh Dee

Synopsis

A data-backed guide to the best grayling flies for October on the Welsh Dee: my three-fly wet cast, the dry flies and Czech nymphs to switch to, and where to fish them, with full dressings for every pattern.

Introduction

With the trout season over, October is when the Welsh Dee belongs to the grayling. On UK rivers, the autumn hatches are fading, but the river can offer anything from olives and Iron Blue duns to caperers, midges and shrimps on mild afternoons.

In this post I share my best dry flies and Czech nymphs for when the wet fly isn’t working. Each pattern comes with its full dressing, plus where on the pool and at what river height I fish it. It’s a practical starting point for anyone new to grayling on the Dee, and it may help more experienced anglers refine their fly box.

So, what are…

My Top grayling flies for October

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.

Over the last 5 years, my fishing log show that 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). 

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”

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

Tying Instructions

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

• Hook:    Kamasan B170 #14
• Thread: Black UNI-Thread 8/0
• Body: Black seal fur substitute  
• Rib:       Pearl Mylar #14 (1/32)
• Legs:     Black pheasant tail
• Hackle:  Black Hen

Tying Instructions

Claret midge

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

Where best to fish the October 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.

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 October grayling dry flies

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

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

Tying Instructions

Other examples of successful dry flies for October include:

Olive Quill Emerger

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

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 Gnat

• Hook:    Kamasan B170 #18
• Thread: Black UNI 8/0
• Body: Peacock herl
• Hackle: palmered Grizzle cock

Tying Instructions

F-fly in various colours

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

Tying Instructions

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

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

Tying Instructions

Czech nymph selection for October grayling:

I’m usually salmon fishing until the 17^th of October if the Welsh Dee is above its summer level (0.6 to 1mm Manley Hall gauge). Therefore, most of my October grayling fishing is during dry spells (river level from 0.5m to 0.6,), 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 (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  

PTN Tying Instructions

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

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

• Grayling fly fishing in Autumn with a focus on the beautiful Welsh Dee
• Fishing in October yields some wonderful grayling
• October fishing report from the banks of the amazing Welsh Dee

Key takeaways – October Grayling Flies:

• Three flies account for 80% of my October grayling: March Brown spider (35%), Black Hopper (30%) and Claret midge (15%).
• Suggested starting cast on 3lb copolymer: #14 March Brown spider on the point, #14 Black Hopper on the middle dropper, #16 Claret midge on the top dropper.
• If you can only fish one wet fly, make it a March Brown spider.
• Where to fish wet flies (river near summer level, below 0.5m on the Manley Hall gauge): fast water leading into pools, the glide into the tail of the pool, and behind weed beds, large rocks, ledges and snags.
• When fish are rising, try a CDC olive emerger (one dry fly only), alternatives in black, grey, dark olive, brown or claret, or a Griffith’s Gnat or F-fly for fish sipping midges in slacker water.
• If small dry flies are hard to see in fast water, fish a size 12 Elk Hair Caddis as a sight fly with a small trailing fly 18″ behind it.
• For fish feeding on the riverbed, Czech nymph a Pheasant Tail (orange tag) or a Hare’s Ear shell-back.
• October hatches to expect: Large Dark Olive, Autumn Dun, Iron Blue Dun and Pale Watery, plus caperers, daddy longlegs, midges and shrimps.

Conclusions

October grayling fishing on the Welsh Dee doesn’t need a bulging fly box. For most days, a cast of March Brown spider, Black Hopper and Claret midge fished through the fast water, pool tails and structure will do the job, and my catch records back that up.

When the fish are rising, match the hatch with a CDC olive emerger, or switch to a Griffith’s Gnat or F-fly if they’re taking midges. If the small dry is hard to follow, pair it with an Elk Hair Caddis as a sight fly. When the fish are feeding on the bottom, a Czech-nymphed Pheasant Tail or Hare’s Ear shell-back will get down to them.

These patterns come from my own fishing log, so treat them as a proven starting point rather than a rule. Tie up a few, try them on your next trip, and let me know in the comments what works for you.

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

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