Grayling

Grayling are awesome.  In a year when most of our western Montana rivers are running perilously low and "hoot owl" restrictions have been stifling our fishing activities for the better part of a month, getting up in the mountains is that much more appealing.  I like to make the hike to a local grayling filled lake at least once a year, I don't always make it but I try.

 

If you've never fished for grayling it's worth a try.  Grayling have an unnatural enthusiasm for dry flies and I never get tired of watching them rocket out of 6 feet of water to smash a dry fly.  When I arrived at said lake yesterday, cruising fish were gently sipping midges off the surface of the water.  What do I do?  Throw on a huge red Turk's Tarantula of course.  Match the hatch?  Grayling don't care about that.     

Freshwater sailfish.



Now you see him.

Now you don't.