# Grayling Question



## brfisherman17 (Jan 21, 2011)

I'm planning on going up to the Uintas this July and have never caught an Arctic Grayling on fly rod. So I thought I'd get prepared early. What are some good lakes up there that have a descent population of Grayling? And what flies should I use? I really want to hook up on one of my favorite fish species so any help would be great!


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## campfire (Sep 9, 2007)

The DWR has in recent years increased stoking efforts for grayling in the Uintas and there are quite a few lakes that have pretty good grayling fishing. Try Helen and Marjory lakes from the Cristal Lake trail head and, Sand and Dollar lakes in the Weber drainage. I am sure there are more that others will mention. But you might also try China Lake on the north slope. I caught some surprisingly big grayling there last summer.


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## brfisherman17 (Jan 21, 2011)

campfire said:


> The DWR has in recent years increased stoking efforts for grayling in the Uintas and there are quite a few lakes that have pretty good grayling fishing. Try Helen and Marjory lakes from the Cristal Lake trail head and, Sand and Dollar lakes in the Weber drainage. I am sure there are more that others will mention. But you might also try China Lake on the north slope. I caught some surprisingly big grayling there last summer.


Thanks!


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

You should be able to get them out of Marjory. We did well last year at the end of June.


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

brfisherman17 said:


> what flies should I use?


In my experience, I have found grayling to not be very picky when it comes to flies. They will be hungry after those long winters in the high country. I've done best with small mosquito patterns and have even caught them on small crankbaits. Take a look at what's on and around the water when you get there and pick something that looks similar.

Good luck!


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## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

Beadhead Prince nymphs are good ones.


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## kochanut (Jan 10, 2010)

im predicting the new UT state record grayling to come out of a lower elevation, very well know res either this year or next!


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Any fly will work, just put a mealworm on the end of it.


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## Frito (Feb 29, 2008)

kochanut said:


> im predicting the new UT state record grayling to come out of a lower elevation, very well know res either this year or next!


Does Smith-Morehouse count as lower elevation?


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

brookieguy1 said:


> Beadhead Prince nymphs are good ones.


+1 I also did well on pink/grey scud patterns.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Beadhead Girdle Bug, black with white rubber legs, heavily weighted.


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## madonafly (Dec 27, 2007)

Mirror Lake:


















And Washington ( I was fishing from shore)










I agree anything will work. I like Ants, Renegades, Royal Wulffs, and Haresears. Plus Muddlers.


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## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

kochanut said:


> im predicting the new UT state record grayling to come out of a lower elevation, very well know res either this year or next!


I tend to disagree, but time will tell. I'm thinking not well-known and around 10,600'. I do agree on this year or next though.


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## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

wyogoob said:


> Beadhead Girdle Bug, black with white rubber legs, heavily weighted.


Black Panther Martin, right Goob?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

brookieguy1 said:


> wyogoob said:
> 
> 
> > Beadhead Girdle Bug, black with white rubber legs, heavily weighted.
> ...


Yes, that is the best, but the guy is talking flies.

Hey, post yer grayling picture dangit.


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## campfire (Sep 9, 2007)

brookieguy1 said:


> Hey, post yer grayling picture dangit.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Those are gooduns campfire.

Sawsman and brookieguy1 have gooduns too...........Post up fellas!


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

I wish I would have taken more pictures of the grayling I have caught. I didn't always take the camera with me a few years ago. Plus, I was too busy having fun and catching the darn things to worry about it. :mrgreen: 









I honestly believe I caught and *ate* the record a couple of years ago. I didn't give it much thought at the time, it had a few inches over the one in the above pic. It was big and tasty though!


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

Great pics guys, and good luck to those of you going for the record this year. I've never caught any real big ones but love fishing for them. Here is a pic from one of my all time favorite trips. Mainly because my little girl was a trooper and hiked with daddy the 2 1/2 miles to get there and had fun while we were fishing.

[attachment=0:1fq29d3y]100-0100_IMG.jpg[/attachment:1fq29d3y]


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## tuffluckdriller (May 27, 2009)

Whatever fly you use, make sure it's small....those ugly little mouths can't eat much big things...I really don't like catching grayling. 

Do they taste like any other trout?


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## madonafly (Dec 27, 2007)

This one was on a good sized Tarantula. Think it depends on area and how hungry they are.


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## campfire (Sep 9, 2007)

If you look closely at my picks you will see that these grayling were caught on a good sized lure. That said, if I were to target grayling I would definitely use a fly but I was targeting some good sized brook in that particular lake and I just didn't take time to rig up a fly, I caught several grayling on lures.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Black Panther Martin #4, black with yellow dots, gol blade, trust me. Rig it with a sliding egg sinker 24" above the lure, use a #12 snap swivel to stop the sinker and to prevent line twist. Throw the lure out and let it sink to the bottom. Count to 10. Crank the reel handle 1/3 of a turn, stop, count to 5, crank the handle 1/3 of a turn, stop, count to 5 and so on. If you think you are reeling in too slow; go slower. I don't know how they get it in their small mouths.

I also like a double Royal Humpy in #12 or #14.

The guides up Pinedale WY way used Muddler Minnows like Flyguy7 said.

For years we tried to break the Wyoming grayling record, 2.34 lbs, caught in '85 (I think). We carried a postage scale in the boat. My son caught one a little over the record weight and the following morning we we took it down to Falers Store in Pinedale WY and had it legally weighed. It was a little under the record. 2nd place means little.

Grayling are not the smartest fish in the pond by any stretch. Any fly will work, especially dries. Grayling just love terrestials, and I always done better on windy days versus calm days.

My favorite grayling fishing hole in the lower 48 got ruined by, of all things, crawfish.

The only way I like grayling is smoked or pickled.


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## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

campfire said:


> If you look closely at my picks you will see that these grayling were caught on a good sized lure. That said, if I were to target grayling I would definitely use a fly but I was targeting some good sized brook in that particular lake and I just didn't take time to rig up a fly, I caught several grayling on lures.


Yeah, when they're hungry they'll hit anything, even red Lucky Crafts, right Sawsman?


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

brookieguy1 said:


> campfire said:
> 
> 
> > If you look closely at my picks you will see that these grayling were caught on a good sized lure. That said, if I were to target grayling I would definitely use a fly but I was targeting some good sized brook in that particular lake and I just didn't take time to rig up a fly, I caught several grayling on lures.
> ...


Yes sir! I had no idea they would even try, with those small mouths and all. I'll have to dig up a picture of that one...


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

1986


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Nice ones *goob*! Great picture.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

If brookieguy1 doesn't post his picture, I might have to for him. :evil:


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

C'mon Brookieguy, lets see the picture.  :O•-:



tuffluckdriller said:


> Do they taste like any other trout?


I have eaten them a few times for "shore lunch" in the back country. I thought they were OK, but if the lake I was at had brookies as well, I'd target the brookies for dinner and C&R the grayling.


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## brfisherman17 (Jan 21, 2011)

Thanks for the help everybody! Keep 'em coming. I love to read all posts!


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## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

wyogoob said:


> If brookieguy1 doesn't post his picture, I might have to for him. :evil:


Please do, Goob, as long as it isn't the one with my half-shirt! I can't find my pics right now. (The mount looks good, but it's in storage)


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

A nice male grayling by brookieguy1:


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## brfisherman17 (Jan 21, 2011)

Was that caught in Utah? And was it state record size?


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## madonafly (Dec 27, 2007)

On the Boulder Mountain and other places in Utah where they have been introduced, grayling will grow to eighteen inches or more and weigh around three pounds. The Utah state record Arctic grayling is currently just over seventeen inches and around two pounds. The catch and release record grayling stands at nineteen inches and just over two pounds. It is surprising that both of these records were set elsewhere in Utah and have both stood for over a decade considering that grayling that size are often caught on the Boulder Mountain.


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Awesome fish brookieguy1! That dorsal fin is huge. 

I say Alaska. :mrgreen:


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## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

sawsman said:


> Awesome fish brookieguy1! That dorsal fin is huge.
> 
> I say Alaska. :mrgreen:


South of there, but NOT south of here!


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

brookieguy1 said:


> sawsman said:
> 
> 
> > Awesome fish brookieguy1! That dorsal fin is huge.
> ...


Nice 8) ... looks like a hybrid with a camel fish of some sort. Nice humpback on it. :shock:

Did you put it on the wall?


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

brookieguy1 said:


> sawsman said:
> 
> 
> > Awesome fish brookieguy1! That dorsal fin is huge.
> ...


i'm lovin this


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## brookieguy1 (Oct 14, 2008)

sawsman said:


> brookieguy1 said:
> 
> 
> > sawsman said:
> ...


Yup.


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## scott_rn (Sep 11, 2007)

tuffluckdriller said:


> Do they taste like any other trout?


I decided to read up on it a little. They're in the same family as trout, salmon and whitefish - but they do have their own subfamily. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salmoniformes

A lot of dudes in Alaska claim to love them every bit as much as halibut. We cooked a bunch over the fire last summer and I liked them, but I don't think they freeze well.


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

wyogoob- how long ago did that lake get crayfish- haven't been there in about mayve 5 years- fishing was incredible at that time- heck maybe it's been a few more years than that.


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## campfire (Sep 9, 2007)

"Taste" is a matter of .......well.......taste and every one to his/her own. But my experience is that grayling have light meat and eat very similar to planted rainbows. On the first day of a long backpacking trip they taste pretty good. By day 8 you turn the grayling and cutts loose and just eat brooke.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Packfish said:


> wyogoob- how long ago did that lake get crayfish- haven't been there in about mayve 5 years- fishing was incredible at that time- heck maybe it's been a few more years than that.


I have no idea. 1980s - 100 fish a day, easy. 2005 - 50 fish a day. 2009 2 fish a day and the lake is riddled with crawfish.

The lake is at 8,500' elevation; a little high for crawdads IMO.

There was a good number of 3" grayling in the lake in 2009, maybe it will recover.


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