Grayling fishing

[pyrohobie]

First of all- I would like to thank everyone who helped out for Reds and Halibut for my son and myself. My son caught 4 halibut on the Alaskan costal charters on the double overnight charter. Didn't get any reds-they weren't that many to get caught.

I am heading up to Fairbanks in September. Can anyone give me any tips on catching 1. Will be on the Richardson, Steese, Dalton, and parks highway.

What would a person use for spinners, flys, or any tips.

PM me-I don't want to piss anyone off

Thanks

[BlueMoose]

First off the purpose of the forum is to share information so if anyone is getting whizzed off they might wish to do something else. That being said the Highway Angler does a good job of breakdown the road systems and as far as I know if you plan on fishing the road systems there are not that many secret places everyone else has not or does not fish. Now if you get off the road that is a different story.

IMO the Parks is or does not have outstanding fishing for Grayling stream wise however lots of lakes heading toward Cantwell that do harbor decent Grayling fishing. Really nothing stellar above Cantwell IMO yes there are places to fish and they do have Grayling just there are better places to be wasting your time.

The Richardson from the Gulkana up to Fairbanks has ample places to chase Grayling Paxson Lake, Fielding Lake, Tangle Lakes etc... as well as the East Fork of the Gulkana, and in Delta Junction Delta Clear Water Creek then up through Fairbanks you have the Chena, Pile Driver Slough etc... If your fishing the Chena you will have contend with Road hunters through the 15th of Sept however anything from 26 mile through 50 Mile CHSR has reasonable fishing that time of year. We do get a little Green Stone Mid Sept some people call them Yellow Sally's but they are a true Green hew Stone Fly size 10-12.

Fishing the Steese your on the Chat which will have the same issue as the Chena lots of hunters through Mid Sept Lots of Hunters! LOTS!

Dalton - Just about anything deep enough and clear enough will have Grayling. Once your past Coldfoot the Sag the Sag the Sag.

Standard stuff for spin fishing , 4-6 lbs test, spinners just about any type size 1-2-3 blades so Rooster Tails, P Martins. Meps etc....

Fly's anything Bead Head size 8-14 some people like the Hares Ear which does work but considering we have prolific Caddis Hatches LaFontaine type flies tend to work very well. Standard Elk Hair Caddis size 10-16 I guess what I am saying is K.I.S. Fishing the Delta Clear Water is a little different actual Spring Creek. Mid Thorax may Flies work well they have a decent Gray Slate Drake or Western Gray Drake hatch. Local term is Blue Sparkle Dun however it is actually a Haystack invented by Fran Betters back int he 50's with a trailing Antron shuck. Size 10-12-14

Sorry for adding useless data however you asked!

Have a great trip!

Regard

RMM
BMR

[jaeger33]

Chena (near Fairbanks) hot spring road is good plus delta Clearwater Chena is pretty full right now giving lots of places for fish to hide, delta good but harder without boAt

[Bushwhack Jack]

First of all- I would like to thank everyone who helped out for Reds and Halibut for my son and myself. My son caught 4 halibut on the Alaskan costal charters on the double overnight charter. Didn't get any reds-they weren't that many to get caught.

I am heading up to Fairbanks in September. Can anyone give me any tips on catching 1. Will be on the Richardson, Steese, Dalton, and parks highway.

What would a person use for spinners, flys, or any tips.

PM me-I don't want to piss anyone off

Thanks

Richardson Highway - Gulkana River, and the Delta River, but both rivers will be hard to fish from the highway.

Steese - Can't give you any advice cause I've never driven it, but I've heard Birch Creek is good for grayling. But again access from the road is limited.

Dalton - lots of good holes to fish for grayling. In fact, almost every river you cross past the Yukon will have good to decent grayling fishing. My personal favorites are Fish Creek, Jim River, Kuparuk River, and the Sag (Sagavanirktok) River. Bring dry flies for sure. Mosquitos, gnats, adams, blue duns, elk hair caddis, griffith's gnats etc. Wouldn't hurt to have a selection of nymph patterns like prince nymphs and hare's ears. And small forage fish patterns work well too, like thunder creeks. For spinning tackle, panther martin and mepp spinners work great.

Park's Highway - Almost all the streams that run clear (such and Willow and Montana) are good. Same flies and lures listed above. Good luck.

[danattherock]

Fly fishers Guide To Alaska literally has a road map in it as where to fish, how to get there, etc. by Scott Haugen, great book. My favorite grayling fly is an olive beadhead woolly bugger. Most my grayling fishing has been in NW Alaska, but I suspect this fly would be effective on grayling elsewhere. In either case, generally speaking, the deeper I fish the bigger grayling I tend to catch. Don't hesitate to dredge the depths of deep holes with a type III sink tip. I think grayling are a blast to fish for and are very underrated as a sport fish.


Dan

[Sid]

SePT. ????? it all depends on the date's an temp was in Fairbanks a few years back about the 20th there was foot of snow on ground an cold ,
when it is cold the fish go to deeper water an bite slow I think SID roud:

[Michael Strahan]

Fly fishers Guide To Alaska literally has a road map in it as where to fish, how to get there, etc. by Scott Haugen, great book. My favorite grayling fly is an olive beadhead woolly bugger. Most my grayling fishing has been in NW Alaska, but I suspect this fly would be effective on grayling elsewhere. In either case, generally speaking, the deeper I fish the bigger grayling I tend to catch. Don't hesitate to dredge the depths of deep holes with a type III sink tip. I think grayling are a blast to fish for and are very underrated as a sport fish.


Dan

We have that book in our store AT THIS LINK. Another winner is Pudge Kleinkauf's "Fly Fishing for Alaska's Arctic Grayling". I know Pudge personally, and she's a die-hard fly-fisher who has become one of Alaska's best. She volunteers a lot of her time teaching women how to fly-fish. Great lady.

-Mike

[Ak Laker Hunter]

It dont take much to catch Grays i normally catch them by accident fishing for salmon. it gets frustrating you see a nice salmon and cast over to it than bam a silly Gray eats my #6 vibrax meant for salmon. dont go out and spend a ton of money on gear.they are a dime a dozen. once you catch one cool . no big deal. You will catch tons once you figure where to look. some places got bigger ones but normaly its because they are protected or in remote spot

[pyrohobie]

First off the purpose of the forum is to share information so if anyone is getting whizzed off they might wish to do something else. That being said the Highway Angler does a good job of breakdown the road systems and as far as I know if you plan on fishing the road systems there are not that many secret places everyone else has not or does not fish. Now if you get off the road that is a different story.

IMO the Parks is or does not have outstanding fishing for Grayling stream wise however lots of lakes heading toward Cantwell that do harbor decent Grayling fishing. Really nothing stellar above Cantwell IMO yes there are places to fish and they do have Grayling just there are better places to be wasting your time.

The Richardson from the Gulkana up to Fairbanks has ample places to chase Grayling Paxson Lake, Fielding Lake, Tangle Lakes etc... as well as the East Fork of the Gulkana, and in Delta Junction Delta Clear Water Creek then up through Fairbanks you have the Chena, Pile Driver Slough etc... If your fishing the Chena you will have contend with Road hunters through the 15th of Sept however anything from 26 mile through 50 Mile CHSR has reasonable fishing that time of year. We do get a little Green Stone Mid Sept some people call them Yellow Sally's but they are a true Green hew Stone Fly size 10-12.

Fishing the Steese your on the Chat which will have the same issue as the Chena lots of hunters through Mid Sept Lots of Hunters! LOTS!

Dalton - Just about anything deep enough and clear enough will have Grayling. Once your past Coldfoot the Sag the Sag the Sag.

Standard stuff for spin fishing , 4-6 lbs test, spinners just about any type size 1-2-3 blades so Rooster Tails, P Martins. Meps etc....

Fly's anything Bead Head size 8-14 some people like the Hares Ear which does work but considering we have prolific Caddis Hatches LaFontaine type flies tend to work very well. Standard Elk Hair Caddis size 10-16 I guess what I am saying is K.I.S. Fishing the Delta Clear Water is a little different actual Spring Creek. Mid Thorax may Flies work well they have a decent Gray Slate Drake or Western Gray Drake hatch. Local term is Blue Sparkle Dun however it is actually a Haystack invented by Fran Betters back int he 50's with a trailing Antron shuck. Size 10-12-14

Sorry for adding useless data however you asked!

Have a great trip!

Regard

RMM
BMR

THANK YOU-

When you said about the Highway Angler- I had to dig for it- I bought it 3 years ago and dug it out.

[mlshore]

Can't speak to the other rivers but grayling fishing on the Chena in late September is not much like grayling fishing on the Chena in early September. I think my fly choices are not much like Blue Moose's, but to be honest I think grayling fishing, particularly late season, is more about presentation than fly selection. Anyway, if I hadn't done a lot of grayling fishing before I would shoot for earlier in September.

[BlueMoose]

:-) So as not to scare you toooo Much the snow storm in Sept as mentioned was Many Many Moons ago like 1992 and yes what what what a mess.

Mlshore much respect to you and your advise as always you post an honest opinion and invaluable information but I have a feeling the thread is Morphing a little.

Never has any mentioned Late Sept just the month of Sept. Sound advice on early versus late I have floated in several times from 50 mile through the Flood Projects and on average the a majority of the larger fish have been below mile 37 down through Rose Hip mid to late Sept as well as several spawning chums with lots and lots of Bear tracks. In fact the 2nd biggest Grayling on the Chena I have ever seen caught was directly across from the South Fork 15 Sept was a sight to see a Grayling that large in the Chena.

Any Who! You all take care! Tight Lines and Best Wishes!

RMM

[Caribou1]

I'm late to this thread, but just in case you haven't seen this video about fishing for grayling, it's worth the watch.

Also, has anyone been fishing on the Upper Chena in the last week or so? Is the water still really high?

Thanks.

[mlshore]

Water's still really high but you can catch fish. Mostly it makes for more difficult wading.