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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Fishing Forum :: Grayling
 
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old_salt
01/06/2018 03:37PM
 
walllee: "Caught many in Alaska."


Many drive to grayling fishing opportunities in Alaska. And, you can drive to Alaska! I’ll do a presentation on it at the Spring Outdoor Expo in Mpls.
 
Forrest75
01/08/2018 09:24AM
 
I too have caught them in Yellowstone. Hiked a long way back to get to them, and when I got to the steam they were not difficult to catch.


I'm hoping the "next" effort to re-establish them in the UP of Michigan gains some ground this time. https://www.migrayling.org/


I remember reading about the last attempt when I was a kid back in the 80's and always thought it was an exciting prospect.


While they have been lost to the winds of time, and I have never read accounts of them, I wouldn't be surprised if grayling were present in some of the streams in northern Wisconsin and the north shore of Minnesota a couple centuries ago.





 
walllee
01/06/2018 09:26AM
 
Caught many in Alaska.
 
mastertangler
01/06/2018 09:12AM
 
Elizabeth lake in the Belly River Valley out of Swiftcurrent in Glacier National Park. My guidebook had made the eyebrow raising claim that the Belly River Valley was one of the most beautiful places in North America. That would of course include the Canadian Rockies and places such as Banff. I was dubious but I can safely say it was the most gorgeous place I have been to thus far.


The Grayling in Elizabeth lake are plentiful and are probably the stupidest fish I have ever encountered. I could walk the bank and with 8ft of line out I could false cast a small fly out to the fish of my choice. It was literally laugh out loud fun. If all Grayling have this intellect I can understand why they are in short supply where fishing access is easy.


Bear in mind that Grayling are primarily an insect eater. You can catch them on spoons and the like (my first Grayling came out of Yellowstone on a count down rapala) but flies will beat hardware probably 10 to 1. If you don't fly fish a clear bubble and a fly (wet or dry) can be cast out and just drifted with the waves with no additional action imparted. When the bobber slides its game on. They are a very beautiful and sporty fish.


Elizabeth lake is about an 11 mile hike from the trailhead in Swiftcurrent through Tarmigan Tunnel. The tunnel opens most years around the 4th of July. The year I went however the tunnel was still blocked. I was rerouted through the desolate Kennedy River valley and through Red Gap Pass which added an additional day. But the hike was stellar and Red Gap Pass is not to be missed.


Additional fishing opportunities present themselves within easy flat walking after you access the Belly River Valley. Several lakes as well as the Belly River offer excellent fishing for Lake Trout, Rainbow, and one lake has a sizable population of large brook trout.


This is bear country and a plaque commemorated an unfortunate grizzly encounter at Elizabeth lake in the 80's. I personally had to run off black bear on 2 separate occasions.


If anyone is interested in going be sure to contact me as I have more to add concerning the fishing, both strategies and spots. I remember standing in an inflow (I brought waders in) and connecting with 3lb lake trout and looking around and thinking "it doesn't get any better than this".



 
Lotw
01/05/2018 04:36PM
 
My son has expressed some interest in catching grayling. Why not I said, let’s plan it. Where would be a good place to plan a trip? If I can avoid a float plane I’d be happy.
 
walleyevision
01/05/2018 04:58PM
 
I've caught them in two places, the Northwest Territories and Yellowstone NP. Frankly, I was lucky to catch one in Yellowstone. In the NWTs find moving water and you'll find grayling...but you'll need to hitch a ride on a float plane most likely.
 
Fizics
01/05/2018 05:32PM
 
I used to catch them all the time in Montana where I'm from. Look up the Big Hole river, go for your Big Hole Grand Slam in fly fishing. Brookies, cutthroat, grayling, brown trout and rainbows
 
boondock
01/08/2018 11:26AM
 
apparently they tried to introduce them in a couple of lakes in northern MN in the 70's but those populations didn't take hold.
 
zika
01/06/2018 07:58PM
 
Time your AK or Canada grayling trip when the Arctic Char are running. Yukon Air out of Ft Yukon AK will set you up.
 
zika
01/06/2018 09:11PM
 
A great thing about Grayling fishing is the remoteness and the water you catch them out of.



A beautiful fish.





Coleen River, ANWR, Alaska, 2013
 
WHendrix
01/05/2018 07:59PM
 
I have several friends who regularly go to Mawdsley Lake in northern Saskatchewan to fly fish for Northerns. I was told by them that Grayling are plentiful in the Haultain River below the lake. The Haultain is a tributary of the Churchill River. There is a road that more or less follows the river all the way to Mawdsley Lake and then on up to Key Lake. You would also have some really good fishing for Norhters there.