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The Complete Book of the Grayling by Ronald Broughton

Reviewed by Terry Lawton

I caught my first-ever grayling in Sweden this year. I smelt it but it did not smell of Thyme. I had always understood that the grayling, Thymallus Thymallus, smelt of the herb. The grayling is held in much higher estime throughout Europe - my companions in Sweden all talked about the challenge of catching a 50cm fish - than in the UK currently. Will this state of affairs change? Ronald Broughton's new edition of his original work Grayling: The Fourth Game Fish (1989), The Complete Book of the Grayling will go a long way to increasing the popularity of fishing for this often abused fish.

"There is no doubt in the minds of anglers in the south-west or in the north, from the Welsh Borders to the Yorkshire and Derbyshire Dales, and an increasing number who fish the chalk streams, as to the true worth of this noble fish. From somewhere about late July, right through the autumn, well into the spring when the dark Olive appears again, the grayling is a fish fit to be hunted and taken." Ronald Broughton writes in the introduction. And again: "It is fascinating in how many places grayling are to be found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, and to what lengths the intrepid angler will go to find his quarry."

The book has chapters on fishing for grayling in virtually every country where the fish is to be found, including Belgium, Sweden, Mongolia and arctic grayling in North America and Russia. I enjoyed paryicularly the gentle humour of Stanislaw Cios' chapter on grayling in Poland. He also had some interesting historical notes on grayling in Poland and fishing back in the Middle Ages. He also describes how to fish the Polish rolling nymph: "Very simple to write, but harder to learn, and much harder to catch fish."

There are recipes for cooking grayling, locating fishing and accomodation outside Britain (in Appendix 1) and biographies of all the contributors in Appendix II. The bibliography contains some wonderfully incomprehensible Polish titles. I liked the chapter heading Flies that catch grayling - straight to the point and no nonsense! There is also a thoroughly sensible chapter on bait fishing and details of the extraordinarily stupid and complex rules and regulations in Germany. A case for the European Commission to sort out?

The author, Ronald Broughton, who is president of the Grayling Society, is an authority on grayling and was a founder member and first chairman of the society.

One or two small criticisms: the list of contents does not include the name of the contributor which is a shame, as reading the biographies, does not always make it obvious which chapter the author concerned has written. Also there are some annoying typographical errors which is surprising from a publisher of well produced, quality books. Although it is not a criticism, I am surprised that John Roberts was not asked to provide a contribution on Mongolia. Maybe he was asked and refused.

A heavyweight book in both the literal - it weighs over 2lbs (950gm) - and the figurative senses. I commend the book to anyone who has the slightest interest in discovering more about game fish that can be caught on a fly as well as to all would-be grayling anglers and regular pursuers of grayling who want to know more about this fine and, so far, often misunderstood and abused fish.

The Complete Book of the Grayling by Ronald Broughton. Published by Robert Hale. Hardback 304 pages.