Whilst the headline-grabbing fish in the Derwent can be its huge barbel in the lower reaches or stunning wild brown Trout in the higher end of the river, the Grayling is one of the most interesting fish that live in the river.
The Grayling is a wild and indigenous fish to the UK and was originally thinly spread in a handful of rivers through the UK – including the Derbyshire Derwent, Wye & Dove. There were originally no Grayling in Scotland and the current Scottish population were stocked in the river using English broodstock.
The Graying is quite a feminine looking fish, beautifully coloured in shades of silver purple, grey and red. In the book Grayling Fishing by W. Carter Platts, the Grayling is described as “oxidised silver mail, fading into milk-white on the belly and shading off into dark olive on the back”
Grayling feed even through the coolest of winter months and spawn during the Spring. The Grayling is an ‘indicator’ species and will not tolerate pollution or acidity, if Grayling disappear from a river, it usually means trouble!
As part of their role looking after the rivers in Derbyshire, anglers, clubs and river keepers monitor Grayling stocks, protect spawning grounds during Spring and undertake habitat improvement work to maximise the spawning population in Derbyshire rivers. They also, liase with the enviroment agency with regards to water quality and any other issues which affect the habitiat in Derbyshire rivers.