Going to Tavel the Denali Highway This week

[Doug from Anchorage]

I was hoping to catch a grayling since I never have. All I have is a small spinning reel and some tiny mepps spinners. Will this do? Any advice on good bodies of water to find them would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[BIGAKSTUFF]

I was hoping to catch a grayling since I never have. All I have is a small spinning reel and some tiny mepps spinners. Will this do? Any advice on good bodies of water to find them would be appreciated.

Thanks

Spent a lot of time out there growing up in Cantwell, which side are you coming from? Brushkana is a good place for grayling if you are coming from the Cantwell side, its a fair drive down the road though. You can fish the campground, but if you are feeling adventurous, walk upstream of the bridge for a mile or so and there are some big rocks with nice pools behind them.....great fishing. A mepps #1 or #0 will be fine. Silver or gold, grayling around there will bite anything. Bring a gun if you walk upstream, lots of bears up there.......Good luck!

 

[BIGAKSTUFF]

I forgot to tell you, make sure you drive at least 20 miles past Cantwell down the Denali Highway before you try any streams or ponds, its all Ahtna land on either side of the road for the most part all the way to 20 mile hill.:banned:

 

[twilliams.907]

I was hoping to catch a grayling since I never have. All I have is a small spinning reel and some tiny mepps spinners. Will this do? Any advice on good bodies of water to find them would be appreciated.

Thanks

I am sure others have some suggestions, but I stopped by Tangle Lakes on the way to work last Sunday and couldn't help but catch grayling. I was out canoeing but saw a group of injured veterans doing quite well at the outlet. There is a pullout with lots of parking marked "Delta NA&SR" and it is right next to a creek full of em (also some on the opposite bank at the mouth of the creek). Heading west its one of the first pullouts after the gravel road begins.

 

[MacGyver]

State lands extends at least a ¼ miles on both sides of the hi-way, and the ground under lakes, rivers and streams are also state lands. As long as you fish next to the road (¼ miles) you will be find.

 

[walk-in]

How is the road this year? Haven't been down yet, but I'm planning on doing it in the next week or so.

 

[Brian M]

State lands extends at least a ¼ miles on both sides of the hi-way, and the ground under lakes, rivers and streams are also state lands. As long as you fish next to the road (¼ miles) you will be find.

Are you sure about that? I'm pretty certain that the land that BIGAKSTUFF is referring to (the first ~20 miles of the Denali from Cantwell) is Ahtna land immediately off of the highway. It's posted as such, anyhow, and is reflected as such on their maps posted on their website.

 

[BIGAKSTUFF]

1/4 mile or not, (its not) all the good holes that are not 'fished out' yet, such as the ones on Fish Creek, are well onto Ahtna land that first 20 miles anyhow. If you really want to fish that area Doug, just get a day use permit from Ahtna, PM me, and I will point you towards some good holes..... And if you get the chance to buy one, a Panther Martin spinner, silver pan and a yellow body with three red dots on it-----will slay them. Panther Martin sizes are strange, get the one comparable in size to the mepps #1. ( I forget exactly what the Martin size is)

 

[iusckeeper]

I'll be up there next week too. Are you taking an ATV? I know of a couple spots that hold plenty of grayling. Then again, I hear pretty much any clear stream up there will. Don't forget the black flies.

 

[justin262]

You guys hit it spot on with black flies and panther martin yellow body with red dots. That is all I use for grayling on the Denali highway. Although I only fish one stream up there. Heading up to camp for four nights today.

 

[summitx]

mouth of Wendy creek is good, stop by Apline lodge, sure they will give some good advice

 

[windvane]

I am headed up Sunday for 3 days, will have ATV's and an Aire Traveller with us. Should I bother bringing the canoe?

Thanks

Robert

 

[walk-in]

I am headed up Sunday for 3 days, will have ATV's and an Aire Traveller with us. Should I bother bringing the canoe?

Thanks

Robert

I'm thinking the opposite. We're bringing the canoe for when we get to Tangle Lakes and I'm contemplating whether or not to bring the ATV.

 

[Doug from Anchorage]

Thanks for the advice guys. We got back on Satuday. We stayed at Brushkana and Tangle lakes had a blast. It's amazing how ferocious greyling are. I didn't expect that.

 

[BIGAKSTUFF]

Glad you got a good time in, did it rain on ya out there? Yes, grayling will bite just about anything, did you try out the panther martin? That lure will make even the full and hesitant one bite....