Grayling Bonanza

[Shawn Ryan]

I fish infrequently, mostly on an annual backpacking trip into a new wilderness each year. This year, we had the opportunity to catch grayling. I've tried in AK with no success. They are incredible fighters, beautiful, iridescent fins, and good eating--firmer than rainbow, brook, cutthroat, etc. This lake produced 7-10 per hour.

[WapitiTalk1]

Excellent!  You can tell when you have a grayling on the tip of your line for certain.  Used to target then in several lakes in NW Montana back in the day. Such a great fish.

[Karl Blanchard]

Man I'm jealous! Those guys are on my bucket list right below coastal brown bear

[85yota]

Was this in washington? Last year in island park idaho we saw some guys on the border of Montana fishing small creeks for them. Man grizzleys were think but unfortunately we didn't have a chance to try

[luvmystang67]

Caught one in an idaho mountain lake off the st joe.  Was small, but pretty!

[Jake Dogfish]

Nice fish!
Grayling are still on the bucket list.

[jackelope]

The last thing I want to do is hotspot a lake, but what state?

[KP-Skagit]

I'm only aware of one lake that sustains grayling in WA and they are nowhere near that size. When the miles of bushwhacking surpass the length of grayling.... something like that.

[boneaddict]

I've checked that box on my bucket list, but man I'd like to keep cheching.    FUN!

[Alchase]

Beautiful fish!

Man I'm jealous! Those guys are on my bucket list right below coastal brown bear

OK that was funny 

[luvmystang67]

To help without really giving it away: https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/00939/wdfw00939.pdf

Grayling (Thymallus arcticus) were stocked in a number of locations as early as the
1920s, but only survive in one (high) lake in Skagit County. Attempts were made in
the late 1980s to develop a high lake near North Bend as a grayling brood stock lake,
and several fry introductions were made. The effort failed due to predation by the wild
rainbow reproducing in the lake. There is currently no brood stock in Washington, nor
plans to develop one.

https://www.uwb.edu/news/2020/09/09/arctic-grayling-cascades

[luvmystang67]

Also, Idaho stocks quite a few lake with Grayling...

https://idfg.idaho.gov/ifwis/fishingplanner/stocking/?stock=19610&search=

[TeacherMan]

LOVED getting them in Crescent lake on the Kenai Pen. in AK. We’d get them up to 22-23”. Biggest I’ve ever seen.

[Boss .300 winmag]

To help without really giving it away: https://wdfw.wa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/00939/wdfw00939.pdf

Grayling (Thymallus arcticus) were stocked in a number of locations as early as the
1920s, but only survive in one (high) lake in Skagit County. Attempts were made in
the late 1980s to develop a high lake near North Bend as a grayling brood stock lake,
and several fry introductions were made. The effort failed due to predation by the wild
rainbow reproducing in the lake. There is currently no brood stock in Washington, nor
plans to develop one.

https://www.uwb.edu/news/2020/09/09/arctic-grayling-cascades

Pretty cool read.

I fished lower granite quite a bit when I was younger, loaded with cutts. Only fished the upper once, I knew there was grayling in it but never caught one.

Those lakes are hard to get to know.

[Stein]

I've never caught one and they are one of two fish on my bucket list.  Those and dolphin, kind of opposite ends of the spectrum.

Looks like a great trip.   

[passman65]

I've never caught one and they are one of two fish on my bucket list.  Those and dolphin, kind of opposite ends of the spectrum.

Looks like a great trip.   

Bull nose dolphin, dorado, mahi-mahi? I’ve caught many off of Baja, tons of fun and the best tasting fish hands down.

[nwwanderer]

Should be able to do the mahi and grayling without life altering expense. With a little planning in the same week.  Yes for me but decades apart.  Mahi with my daughter and grayling with a now passed top notch friend. 

[Shawn Ryan]

Slow to drop the lake name publicly, but PM me if you're serious and I'll share. Hope you have a chance to catch a few. Not WA. About 11 easy miles in with a little bushwacking.

[Shawn Ryan]

LOVED getting them in Crescent lake on the Kenai Pen. in AK. We’d get them up to 22-23”. Biggest I’ve ever seen.

Those had to be amazing fights!

[Mtnwalker]

LOVED getting them in Crescent lake on the Kenai Pen. in AK. We’d get them up to 22-23”. Biggest I’ve ever seen.

That is huge. We had a good lake in CO where we could have 30 fish days at ice off but they topped out around 16”

[boneaddict]

It sounds like the area is a bit smokey at the moment.   I saw pics of it and it looked like it was burning this weekend.  Not sure how big the fire got.  THat might clear out some skeeters and some underbrush