Grayling and the City
by Martin Freed and Ruta Vaskys
Our canoe slid around the bend in the river and if it wasn’t for the moving forest on the shoreline, it would have appeared as though we were on a perfectly calm north country lake. Only the tiny eddies from our paddles disturbed the water’s surface. Though it was late July, early morning steam was rising off the stream because the calm and clear Interior Alaska night resulted in sub-freezing temperatures and the water was relatively warm. Due to slight variations in heat over very short distances, the haze dipped and darted like a freeform dance troop dressed in flowing white and grey-blue loose robes made of fine cotton and silk. We were looking for a likely spot to drop a few flies and get a grayling or two for breakfast.
The sow was waving back and forth attempting to zero in on us to determine what we were. Though it would have probably gotten us into more trouble, we were both starting to regret having given up carrying big guns for bear protection. Reaching into our waist pouches for the bear spray, we really did not want to learn whether the stuff was effective or not.
We made lots of noise and waved our arms and thankfully the good mother figured out that it was a couple of humans floating at her and the cub. She didn’t know that no gun was present in the canoe and demonstrated to her baby how to be a good bear: Run off whenever humans are spotted. She came out of the water within 25 feet of us and keep going passing into the mixed aspen and spruce forest sounding like a derailing freight train and then disappeared.
It was obvious that bear was doing the same thing we were: Trying catch a fish for breakfast. However, she might have been after the spawning king salmon while we were looking for grayling.
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We took these excursions a few times each summer. Some were day trips, others were overnighters or two-nighters. Grayling were abundant and we never had trouble catching a few for our meals. We barbequed them over a wood fire then sat around listening to and watching the river.
Over the years, the human population of the North Star Borough, the greater Fairbanks area, increased significantly. In addition, tourism in Alaska exploded. The Chena grayling population was in trouble. Unlike many other Interior Alaska streams, this river passed through a very populated area. Not only that, but access was quite easy all along its route because decent roads came to its banks at a number of points. It was determined that the population just could not sustain the pressure and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game declared the river a catch-and-release area.
Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus (Pallus)) are found in the cold water streams and lakes of the north country. From the tributaries that feed Hudson Bay in northern Canada all the way to Ob river of mid-Siberia, these fighters are one of the dominant species in freshwater aquatic ecosystems. Contrary to popular belief that they are only found in clear water, grayling also inhabit many glacial and partially glacial streams.
Grayling are a cousin of trout and some think that they look like a cross between salmonids and whitefish. The most striking feature of this fish is its elegant sail-like dorsal fin which is dotted with purple to red iridescent spots. They have varying numbers of black spots scattered along the anterior portion of both sides. Except for the pelvic fins which are lined with red to orange stripes most of the others are usually darker than their bodies. Body color ranges from a startling bright silver to dull grey to almost black. It appears that many of the lake and slow moving slough fish are of the darker variety.
Over fishing is the biggest problem with grayling populations because they bite so readily. We always say if you have something in the bottom of your tackle that has not been used in years and is rusting out, that lure is good for grayling as long as it is not too large.
We have many anecdotes that illustrate this point. One day while drifting down the Chatanika, we actually got tired of catching the mini-sailfish and decided to just steer the canoe and enjoy the scenery. The fly rods were laid up against the gunnels of the boat with the terminal end of our lines at least three feet above the water. Fish were rising and swirling around a hatch that was taking place at the time. Suddenly, a splash and one of rods bent over in half. It was grabbed just in time before winding up in the drink. Apparently, a grayling leapt three feet out of the water to grab the fly. But that’s not all. The other line was also dangling. While fighting the fish, another took a swipe at the other fly, missed but wound up flopping in the canoe. When grayling decide to feed, they are really serious.
We’ve had tourist tell us that no grayling are present in the local rivers. “We get no hits and don’t even see any.” No matter how much we try to explain, many refuse to understand. Grayling feed when they want to and very little can be done until the time is right. We’ve fished for many hours without success only to have fantastic action later on. And this turning on of the action is so sudden that one has to experience it to believe it. You can make several hundred casts without a rise then have 10 hits on every cast for an hour then nothing again.
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Grayling have a very complicated natural history. Different populations use varying strategies for survival in a very harsh environment. Some populations of grayling never move very far from where they were born while others make relatively long migrations. Some even use different locations for spawning, rearing, feeding, and overwintering.
Migratory grayling begin their movement upstream to spawn in the early spring. Sometimes this occurs even before “breakup,” otherwise known as ice-out. Like salmon, these guys return to the same area where they were born but unlike the Pacific salmon species, they may make the round trip many times.
Unlike salmon, grayling do not build nests for spawn. The eggs are coated with a sticky substance and attach to rocks and gravel in the bottom of the streams. Each female deposits between 1500-6000 eggs. The fry hatch in about three weeks and spend most of the summer growing and feeding near where they were born.
After spawning, most of the adult grayling head to their summer feeding area. Distances of over 100 miles have been documented. Later in the summer a tendency to segregate by size and age seems to take place. The upper reaches of rivers usually hold the most mature fish with medium and small individuals occupying the middle and lower areas respectively. So in late July to early September if an angler finds a few nice fish in a section of a river, more are probably present.
One of the reasons why Arctic grayling are so easy to catch is because they have to feed heavily all summer. Spending most of the winter in very cold deep holes, if enough fat is not stored, they will not make it. In addition, the fish have to make eggs and sperm for next year’s spawning run before the streams ice up for the winter because they do not feed very much during the coldest months. These guys also have to have enough energy to make it up the river in the spring. This takes a lot of bugs and keep in mind how short the summers are in Interior Alaska.. But it is also advantageous for fly fishers.
As the water begins to cool in the early fall, the fish begin a slow migration, usually downstream to their wintering areas. Anglers should be aware of this activity and fish accordingly: The later in the season, the further downstream you should fish..
As mentioned previously, grayling have to quickly store enough energy to survive and perform other life functions. Most populations have developed a variety of habits to accomplish this. Though their primary food is insects such as mosquitoes, caddis and stone flies, they are quite opportunistic. When available they will feed heavily on salmon smolts and even eggs. They also take an occasional small mammal and anything else that falls into the water from the bank.
The fly fisher has to keep the above paragraph in mind when angling in grayling country. While they often can really be caught on anything in your tackle bag, at times they are picky. This is especially true of larger individuals. When the fish are feeding on smolt salmon, a silvery streamer is just the ticket. When salmon are spawning, brightly colored balls of fur work well.
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Grayling can grow quickly in the lower 48 but very slowly in the North Country. It takes a few years for them to reach six inches and do not spawn until they reach an age of 4 or 5 and are about 11 to 12 inches. In addition, young fish do not have efficient swimming equipment. If the water is high when they hatch, many will be swept away into areas where they will eventually die and therefore not be recruited into the fishery. Since it takes so long for them to mature, if anglers take too many small fish, it could significantly hurt the population. Add all this to the fact that the females lay relatively few eggs and the reason for aggressive management in areas with big human populations becomes obvious.
Because of the urban nature of a segment of the Chena, for a number of years it was the largest grayling fishery in Alaska. From 1979 - 86 the effort averaged about 33,000 angler-days. The population of this species was in trouble so a series of restrictive regulations were implemented. In 1991 the fishery was closed to retention by emergency order and the Alaska Board of Fisheries made it a permanent regulatory change in 1993.
The effort has decreased significantly from its high and the river now sports a fine fishery.
Many fine grayling are caught within the City of Fairbanks. If you are after large fish, perhaps a trophy, it is best to fish early in the season in the upstream portions of the river. The Chena River grayling population is a fine example of a fragile fishery that is highly managed for benefit of fish and angler. It appears to be working.
Any dedicated fly fisher should give this a try at some point in their lives. If not for the World Class size fish which are more abundant in some other remote areas, but for the history and knowledge that humans and quality sport fishing can coexist even in a fragile environment, with the proper management..
Sidebar I: Favorite grayling patterns:
Wooly bugger and worms, orange and white Klinkhammers, Fur Ants, Black Nymphs, Bead-head Nymphs, Adams, Royal Coachman, Caddis patterns, Black and white Gnats, Tennessee Bee, Hares Ear Partridge and Gray Hackle Peacock and anything that looks like a mosquito.