Identification.
Adipose fin present. Body flat sided and moderately deep, but with a small head and pointed snout. Dorsal fin high (especially males) and many rayed 17-24 rays. Scales moderately large on Grayling.

Grayling coloration on the back steel blue to greeny brown, sides silvery but with faint violet stripes. Dorsal fin with rows of dusky spots.

Habitat.
Grayling live in clean, cool, well oxygenated rivers, can also be found in some natural lakes, often in mountainous regions.

Food.
Bottom living insect larvae, crustaceans and even molluscs. Grayling aslo eat insects and other animals that fall into the water from the bankside or over hanging trees.

Breeding.
Spawns in spring on gravelly shallows. The coloration of the male grayling is brighter at spawning time and there is some display, the males dorsal is wrapped over females back.

Statistics.
Can be found through out the UK, mainly in rivers. The current UK grayling record is 4lb 3oz.