Matthew Fernandez has recently been fishing the lower River Itchen in Hampshire targeting grayling using traditional trotting tactics.

“I fished a spot where I knew there was a few big grayling. Conditions were less than ideal, the river high and coloured from recent rainfall, but with the slight chance of a big grayling I had to give it a go,” said Matthew. “First trot through the swim and I connected with this lovely grayling.”

He fed red maggots and trotted the swim with the aid of a 2.4g Drennan Loafer with a size 16 Super Specialist Micro-Barbed hook.