Grayling=a different question...

[Groundhogger]

Hey guys-the only grayling I've had the privilege to fish for were in the mountains in Alberta, in a body of water that I believe is stocked. I suspect you all know where I'm talking about, though I seldom see it mentioned here. Great experience, over 10 years ago mind-you. I fished it from a 1-man inflatable, cast small beadhead nymphs on a long leader and walked them back slowly. Pinned about 3 fish in an hour, 2 of them very decent-sized...considering I wasn't expecting to actually hook one in the first place!

There is an Alberta/Grayling thread a few down, but the purpose of this thread is to discuss the best places TO fish for them in N. America? I could see building a trip around grayling fishing in the near future, but in Canada my impression is that it's the pond I fished....some streams in NW Alberta for small ones...or Alaska? Do I have that right?

I joined an FB group called "Grayling Fly Fishing" that has been an eye opener to how many great rivers there are in Europe, and to how large these fish can get. Awesome.

So, I guess this is mostly an Alaska question...maybe Nunavut-have any of you been up there and tried for them? Missing any Canadian options? There are other species I like fishing for, and certainly Alaska opens up some options. Just get the sense they're the side-gig up there, people target them on the days they need to rest?

[FCLightning]

There are grayling in N. Sask.

[mikeym]

they are pretty prevalent in Alberta. any stream or river that flows into either the Athabasca or Peace River is going to have grayling in them. and a lot of these rivers and streams have some pretty decent sized grayling in them. i have caught up to 20" grayling (not a lot) but there are lots in the 12 - 18" range in most bigger streams.

that being said they are pretty common anywhere north of the Athabasca. never fished in the territories but people i know who have said they are pretty plentiful and decent sized especially around Great Slave Lake. even Northern Sask and Manitoba from what i hear have a decent population of grayling in most streams.

many a day if you get onto a good pool where they are stacked up, 50 - 100 fish in one day is not that uncommon. they are one of the funniest fish to fish for as they usually put up a good fight for their size and for the most part are not that picky.

[McLeod]

Originally Posted by FCLightning

There are grayling in N. Sask.

Not in the North Sask system.

[FCLightning]

Originally Posted by McLeod

Not in the North Sask system.

The North Sask River system is a long way from North Sask.

[smitty9]

Originally Posted by FCLightning

The North Sask River system is a long way from North Sask.

Yes, grayling are found in "northern Saskatchewan" (note lowercase 'n'). But, in McLeod's defence, most us will read N. Sask as North Saskatchewan river. It's a common colloquialism around these parts.

Smitty

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Groundhogger

Hey guys-the only grayling I've had the privilege to fish for were in the mountains in Alberta, in a body of water that I believe is stocked. I suspect you all know where I'm talking about, though I seldom see it mentioned here. Great experience, over 10 years ago mind-you. I fished it from a 1-man inflatable, cast small beadhead nymphs on a long leader and walked them back slowly. Pinned about 3 fish in an hour, 2 of them very decent-sized...considering I wasn't expecting to actually hook one in the first place!

There is an Alberta/Grayling thread a few down, but the purpose of this thread is to discuss the best places TO fish for them in N. America? I could see building a trip around grayling fishing in the near future, but in Canada my impression is that it's the pond I fished....some streams in NW Alberta for small ones...or Alaska? Do I have that right?

I joined an FB group called "Grayling Fly Fishing" that has been an eye opener to how many great rivers there are in Europe, and to how large these fish can get. Awesome.

So, I guess this is mostly an Alaska question...maybe Nunavut-have any of you been up there and tried for them? Missing any Canadian options? There are other species I like fishing for, and certainly Alaska opens up some options. Just get the sense they're the side-gig up there, people target them on the days they need to rest?

NWT is good early in the year, and Yukon is also good through the early summer, the run seems to last a bit longer there.

My biggest was a 19" grayling I caught somewhere in western Yukon, we were gassing up and I just decided to throw a couple casts into a pool near the gas station. Fished for about 20 minuets and caught the 19, an 18 and a couple 16 inchers. Which seemed pretty good to me.

The biggest ones I've caught in Alberta were on canoe trips on the upper Athabasca. No 18 inchers, but the average size was usually around 12- 15".

[HL_transplant]

Kakisa has a run of large ones early in the spring. Can easily drive there. They can surpass 4lbs in that run.

[fishpro]

Definitely some big ones in the Stark River in the NWT. Fly-in only though

[SouthWestRanger]

There are grayling in Northern BC, northern and western AB, Northern SK, all the territories and pretty much any arctic draining waters west of Ontario. Don’t know if they exist out east but dealing are all over the north. Are you looking for guided or DIY, fly in or drive to?

[jednastka]

Lots of good suggestions here, but I question in your original post on a "stocked grayling". I spoke with Craig Copeland of Cold Lake, Alberta's godfather of stocking this past weekend. They are beginning to experiment with this, but he says grayling is one of the most difficult fish to raise in a hatchery, and there are very, very few success stories.


Vic

[HL_transplant]

Originally Posted by jednastka

Lots of good suggestions here, but I question in your original post on a "stocked grayling". I spoke with Craig Copeland of Cold Lake, Alberta's godfather of stocking this past weekend. They are beginning to experiment with this, but he says grayling is one of the most difficult fish to raise in a hatchery, and there are very, very few success stories.


Vic

Grayling were successfully stocked in bear pond for quite a few years. Winterkill was the main issue. The OP may have fished it.

[Dean2]

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...light=grayling

Good info in this one. If you search grayling you will find a ton af good posts.

[1899b]

Grayling are my favourite fish. I used to target them a lot up in McMurray having grown up there. Nowadays I have a spot 2.5 hours from home (Sherwood Park) that has been producing for me for a good 15 years now.
Not trophy caliber mind you but still fun nevertheless..

[New2Elk]

When the grayling are running here it’s hard not to catch them. I had the good fortune of working on a project along the Trout River in the southern NWT that allowed me to fish there in the evenings after work. I was just casting with a small spinner but hit the main grayling run there. It was almost one fish per cast. My best was 27 casts in a row with a fish each time before I came up empty once. Most in the 14”-16” range but the occasional one getting to 18”. What a blast that was. I’ve never been to the Kakisa during the peak run but something I definitely need to make some time for.

[TheHotChili]

Just last summer we fished a river up near Hinton....We fished a couple of small lakes about 45 minutes north of Hinton, and while I didnt catch anything these guys did. Next day, we fished the Wild Hay River with low expectations.....I caught at least a dozen Grayling the first day and another 8 the following day...My friends between them caught 6...

I spent some time in the Yukon, and the Liard river was an easily fishable river with tons of Grayling....