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Arctic Grayling

The Arctic grayling [Thymallus arcticus arcticus] has been stocked into some of the high lakes of the Boulder Mountain and Aquarius Plateau for several decades. These fish are not indigenous to this area, but do very well in high elevation sub-alpine lakes. Winters are very harsh at elevations over 10,000 ft. Small shallow lakes where trout have struggled to survive the winter, producing only marginal trout fisheries, have since become very good grayling fisheries.

There are several forms of Arctic Grayling that occur naturally; fluvial populations that live and spawn in rivers, lacustrine populations that live and spawn in lakes and potamodromous populations that live in lakes and spawn in tributary streams.

 

The tail of an arctic grayling is very different than that of a trout. In their natural environment; places like Alaska and Canada, grayling are known to reach twenty four inches in length and weigh upwards of five pounds. 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.

 

 

 

 

Grayling are custom made for the dryfly fisher. They will always hit a small nymph but a dryfly is perfect. Callibaetis mayfly and mosquito patterns work especially well, as do caddis dries like the elk hair or the Goddard. When grayling are feeding on the surface, they are constantly cruising.

They will cruise the shorelines of the small shallow sub-alpine lakes slurping Callibaetis duns. They do tend to be leader shy and will turn away from a cast sent too close to them. However, with a little practice the angler learns to lead them more with a soft presentation. The result is a take nearly every cast, once you get it right!

There are several lakes on the Boulder Mountain and on top of the Aquarius Plateau that can be reached either by vehicle, usually on a decent road, or by foot with a short hike involved. The casting opportunities are easy, often from a slightly elevated position along the rocky shoreline. This is definitely sight fishing and is perfect for anyone just learning to cast and wanting to see the fish take the fly.

Grayling are very colorful. They are built differently than trout and have a completely different scale pattern as well. The colors of grayling include hues of blue and purple with a silvery base and bronze highlights. The dorsal fin of the grayling is the most striking feature. This fin is more like a sail than a fin. The larger and more mature the grayling, the larger and more dramatic is the dorsal fin.

Grayling are very soft mouthed fish. Their mouths are comparatively smaller than those of trout and the lips are quite delicate. As such, the initial hook set must be gentle and great care must be taken in playing these fish once they are hooked. You must also handle them gently once you bring them to the net. They fight very well and will often succumb to rough handling and will go belly up shortly after being released. One cannot resist the urge to photograph them. After all, they are some of the most beautiful fresh water fish you will ever see. If you are compelled to take pictures, as with all other fish that you catch and photograph, make sure that you keep their heads and gills submerged at all times other than briefly when you are taking the shot.

 

Cutthroat trout such as the Bonneville cutthroat [Oncorhynchus clarkii utah] and the Colorado River cutthroat [Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus] and the brook trout [Salvelinus fontinalis] are also stocked into most of the lakes on the Boulder Mountain and the Aquarius Plateau. Therefore it is reasonable to expect to see either of these two cutthroat sub-species present while you are fishing for the grayling.

It is a safe assumption that if the grayling are cruising and feeding, the cutthroat will be doing the same. At such times you can expect to hook and release many cutthroat like the fine Bonneville in the image above and grayling of all sizes. If you own a very light flyrod such as a two or a three weight, this is obviously the time and place for it. Find more information on this native transplant at the Nonindigenous Aquatic Species [NAS] website at: nas.er.usgs.gov

Because of the higher elevations at the lakes where grayling are found on the Boulder Mountain and on top of the Aquarius Plateau [usually over 10,000 ft.], trips to these locations should be planned for mid to late summer. July, August and September are perfect. Access is quite easy by vehicle and hiking distances from the parked vehicle are generally very short. In many cases the designated parking area is within sight of the lake. A trip like this is just right for young fly fishers. If you would like to book a guided trip to fly fish for grayling and cutthroat this summer, keep in mind that space is definitely limited and plan on booking early.

 

 

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