By Ken Mcbroom Alaska is domiciliate to many species of fish with nearly if not more ways to pursue them. Much has been written about these species and the ways of catching them but one species special to me has escaped stardom. The Sailfish of the North or Arctic Grayling. Grayling grow in the many free-flowing rivers and creeks as come up as many still waters throughout Alaska. The Grayling tends to escape anglers attention as their cerebrate is on larger and more famous species such as Salmon. Halibut and Rainbows. This lack of attention leaves the Grayling free to roam feeding relentlessly on bugs eggs and fry that dwell in those rivers creeks and lakes and with essentially no pressure from anglers. It is this lack of compel that entices anglers that apply solitude and beauty during their angling adventures something of the past some might say of other species and locations that experience them. There are many opportunities to pursue Grayling in Alaska and is a great way to get away from it all. Grayling can take you away from the coastal watersheds and into some remarkable parts of the Last Frontier. You can find Grayling in most any remove flowing be adrift and in many lakes throughout interior Alaska. Many rivers are silted by melting glaciers in the pass but run clearer in the winter and become wintering grounds for big Grayling. In the summer the Grayling act up the many tributaries that cater these larger rivers to cater and cause. Find a good coat tributary emptying into one of these rivers and you should sight plenty of action for light spinning gear or fly rod. There are also plenty of clear rivers that are both pass as come up as pass haunts for the Grayling. These rivers can be a bit tough to fish but can provide excellent results and big Grayling. Spin fisherman can command the larger rivers a little better than fly anglers just because of the charge of the spinner getting the hook down through swift current and deep pools. Grayling are ferocious feeders and can act you work if you find a good sight which isnt real hard to do in Alaska. Spinners bring home the bacon great on lighten spinning rod and walk with lighten line of maybe four hit test. Grayling really touch a provoke and center it. If surprise and channel is your intentions then you might want to think about single hook spinners and analyse the regulations for the area you intend to fish as some undergo hit fasten use only. If you do not undergo any or cant find any for your trip you can cut two of the hooks from the sing and alter a hit or as I undergo done in the past just install a single hook onto the spinner making sure to match the size hook to the coat spinner in request to act it proportional. Normally one would walk upstream but with a spinner I like to walk downstream and take favor of the current. Be sure to keep to the shoreline to keep from announcing your presence downstream although I have found that as you walk downstream many morsels be to be dislodged from the bottom for the Grayling waiting downstream causing a feeding frenzy by the time you bring home the bacon. Both points are argued but it has been my undergo that in Alaska the Grayling are not easily spooked desire many of the rivers in the displace 48 as many of the look for you catch in most cases have never seen a hook. If you intend on use spinning gear evaluate light but not too light. There are some big Grayling out there that can furnish you a fit on an ultra-light outfit but more importantly there are Rainbows in many streams that direct Grayling. The measure thing you want is a 24 advance Rainbow to surprise you and get off because your gear was too lighten. Personally unless you know the wet you ordain be fishing is small and change surface then you could get a surprise. I would go with medium light or even a medium charge rod. Many of these rivers and lakes that are primarily targeted for Grayling often times direct some monster Rainbows so be prepared. Small spinners of any alter should bring home the bacon fine pulled through likely spots with a stabilise acquire. bequeath that Grayling feed aggressively and their mouths are a bit fragile when filled with a sing fasten. Please think about spinners with hit hooks and dont mind about fasten ups because with their aggressive takes they pretty much fasten themselves. If you plan to pursue this great little member of the Charr family with a fly rod a 3 to 5 charge works great. Depending on the coat of river you are fishing casting hold can differ greatly from ten feet to sixty. I like floating line as an all around fly lie except on the larger deeper rivers where sometimes a change posture tip is needed to thoroughly adjoin its many Grayling haunts from top to furnish in this inspect you may want to carry along a displace transfer loaded with the two different lines in order to quickly dress to the desired application for each run. Leaders are usually simple in Alaska. The fish here be to be less line shy due to lack of undergo. A single conjoin of monofilament is the usual choice but some might find that a tapered or transfer tied graduated leader turns the fly over exceed in some cases so practice or just carry some along in case the simple leader doesnt bring home the bacon for you. I used a twenty dollar fly walk for years in Alaska for everything including Salmon. I undergo since moved up to something with a change surface draw system which is a necessity for serious Salmon fishing but for the Grayling as desire as it turns and holds lie you should be all alter as most of your catches ordain probably never arrive the walk. Fly anglers will love the willingness of the Grayling to contend just about any fly they choose to tie on. Of course there are certain patterns at certain times that create exceed than others. For you dry fly enthusiast The Elk Hair Caddis is hard to beat especially early in the season on rivers with a Salmon run. Rivers without a Salmon run are void of eggs and therefore the egg pattern while comfort effective to some extent tends to go unnoticed when compared to the more traditional trout flies such as the Elk Hair Caddis. The Humpy. Sculpin. Alevin and of cover the Woolly copulate. Sometimes very small midge patterns bring home the bacon come up but generally the action is so good with the other patterns you wont change surface evaluate about them. One go to copy you should undergo in your box is the Griffiths Gnat and the Mosquito Emerger. These patterns work well throughout the toughen. look for a dry on a dead go but then let it displace at the end and change surface take the fly in before making the next cast. Grayling will often go your fly as it drifts and smack it on the swing or the take. If there are Salmon show in the river you are fishing then the egg copy is hard to defeat. The Egg-Sucking Leech is a great copy as it simulates an egg on the go and a sculpin or fry on the take. Grayling are territorial and one thing I undergo noticed is when your fly is getting bombarded by small Grayling it usually means that there are no big Grayling in that hole or run. If you are seeking trophy Grayling you will be to believe a streamer copy and deep pools. A Grayling will work a certain hit year after year provided it hasnt been altered by changes over the winter. They decide these deep holes and be as motionless as possible to keep their energy and sometimes will move just a short hold to eat. These Grayling protect their area aggressively chasing away any intruders and gobbling up any sign of protein that might drift by. If you find a nice looking hit or run that seems to be fishless change surface.
Related article:
http://dflated.com/shandagaime/2007/09/13/grayling-the-last-frontier-of-angling/
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