When you spend enough time on the river, you start to realize something simple: trout and grayling may share the same water, but they don’t share the same personality.

Over the years I’ve adjusted my flies depending on which fish I’m targeting.
Trout are violent. They attack. They move. They dominate their feeding lane. But at the same time, especially in clear water, they are incredibly spooky. If your fly doesn’t get down fast and drift naturally right in front of them, the chance is gone.
That’s why I’ve always liked fishing short, heavy patterns on the 450BL wide gap Jig Superb by Hanák Competition. It drops quickly, hooks well, and gives me confidence when a trout eats aggressively.

The purple PT tied on H 450 BL for trout.

Grayling, on the other hand, are elegant. Softer takes. Less aggression. But unbelievably fast at rejecting a fly. They can inhale and spit in less than a second. For them, I’ve preferred longer, lighter patterns tied on H230 BL or H130 BL hooks — something that presents more delicately and drifts naturally.

The purple PT tied on H130 BL made for grayling 

But this past season, I started testing something new: the H460 BL Jig Superb RS.
At first, I was skeptical. I don’t change hook models easily. When something works, you stick with it. But after tying a few patterns and fishing them during my regular summer grayling sessions in Slovakia, I started noticing something interesting: the 460BL sits right in between.

Not as compact and aggressive as a pure jig hook.

Not as long and light as a classic grayling hook.

It behaves like a hybrid.

Size 18 and 16 with 3mm and 3.5mm RS+ bead.

Combined with the new RS+ beads, the fly balances beautifully. It sinks quickly, but it doesn’t feel “too heavy.” It presents naturally, but still reaches depth fast enough for deeper runs and faster current. It’s one of those small technical adjustments that you don’t fully appreciate until you fish it in difficult conditions.

The real confirmation came later that year at the European Fly Fishing Championship in Italy. Under pressure, when you need to reach deep spots fast and convert every single take, the 460 BL performed. It helped reach spooky trout holding deep and still converted those subtle grayling takes. That balance is rare.

The fly that worked well in Italy.

Now, what really excites me is how effective this hook could be in North American waters.
Think about technical tailwaters and big pools in the Rockies.
Clear freestone rivers with pressured fish.
Deep slots where trout sit just a little lower than you expect.
In many North American rivers, especially where fish see a lot of pressure, you need:
Fast depth control
Natural drift
Strong hook penetration
Confidence when a fish eats softly

The 460BL offers exactly that balance. It allows you to tie patterns that aren’t overly bulky, yet still get down quickly. It’s not extreme in one direction — and that’s precisely its strength.

For me, this isn’t about promoting a product for the sake of it.

If you follow what we do at Smart Angling, you know the whole point is simple: we test first. We fish it hard. We use it in real conditions. 

Only then do we talk about it.

Smart Angling is about bringing you the news after we’ve tried it ourselves — on competition rivers, on home waters, in summer low water and autumn depth. No hype. Just experience from the river.

And after a full season of fishing it, the H460 BL has earned its place in my fly box.

Not because it replaces everything else. 

But because sometimes, having a smart middle ground is exactly what the river demands.

Ciprian Rafan, February 2026