Here is what I know about grayling (observations, not proven facts)
The one in the photo is a beauty, 18 inches is about as big as you can expect, too bad the dorsal fin is not up, it is impressive for a small fish!
Frequently the first one you catch is the largest in that hole, kind of like a big bull Dorado and his harem.
They are frequently caught in small streams, sometimes in large numbers, but they aren't there all the time. They move to larger bodies of water to
winter over and return to the streams after break up.
They are tasty, but I still prefer trout!
Footnote, I have seen salmon and Dolly Varden attempting to spawn in drainage that goes dry when the rain stops, grayling might do the same.
edit Skipjack is right about being a beginner fish, they are so willing to bite that kids won't get bored! My favorite fall back when the bite is
slow is an ultralight spinning rod and a small, black Panther Martin! Grayling, trout or Dollies can't resist them when you cast upstream and
retrieve quickly.
[Edited on 2-11-2015 by AKgringo]chavycha - 2-11-2015 at 12:43 PM
There are plenty of lakes with grayling around too - they're not just a stream fish. Of course you have to be pretty far north to find them in either
lakes or streams. Biggest one I've ever caught was about 20" from a small creek in northern Finland. Neat fish. Very surface oriented if you're a
flyfisherman. Tons of fun. Bob53 - 2-11-2015 at 12:56 PM
Beautiful picture's, Skipjack. Thanks for sharing.
You get a sense of their subtle coloration here ...
Skipjack Joe - 2-11-2015 at 12:58 PM
woody with a view - 2-11-2015 at 01:06 PM
^^^That one is beautiful!^^^
And the large dorsal fine here ...
Skipjack Joe - 2-11-2015 at 01:06 PM
I personally don't like pictures of fisherman stretching out this fin to show them off. But that's just me.
This is one of those fish that you go for the scenery, not for the fish. Nobody books a trip to Alaska to catch grayling. They're sort of an
intermission fishery for guys that get tired of pulling on salmon.
And that's fine because you get to fish in magnificent country with noone in sight. Pompano - 2-11-2015 at 01:15 PM
The grayling is known as the 'sailfish' of the North. We have caught them at many streams along the Alaska Highway. Seems the scenery is always
beautiful, too. Truly a fun and easy fish to enjoy...and it helps to make the long road trip a success.
Here's it's 'sail'. (sorry, Igor...didn't mean to make you grit your teeth..)
[Edited on 2-11-2015 by Pompano]Skipjack Joe - 2-11-2015 at 01:42 PM
