Grayling Fishing Tips.

Quote: "There's a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore looking like an idiot." Steven Wright

Arctic Grayling Fishing Tips.
This has to be my personal favorite in the midst of all the great fishing available here in Alaska. Some say that grayling are to small to be very exciting to catch, well, just put those tuna sticks down and pick up an ultra-light spinning rod and see what you have to say then. Never have I heard a complaint from an avid trout fisherman about these feisty cousins to the Arctic Char as their hot in the middle of landing one after another of these one of a kind beauties.

But what we are looking for here is some tips on how to catch Grayling. As to the amount of excitement derived from the experience, that will speak for itself. Just take my word for what ever it’s worth, Grayling fishing in Alaska is a real hoot. And now for some pointers on the tackle and techniques we have found that consistently produce strikes from these voracious eaters.

Note: Arctic grayling have small soft mouths so the use of single barbless hooks is recommended for catch and release fishing.

My Favorite Grayling Fishing Rods

I have a number of rods that I take on the fishing trips depending on the area I'm planning to fish and the method of which I will use to get there. No matter which one I do choose, they all share some common elements that make for a great trout rod.

• First off I note they all are in the ultra-light category.
  • In open areas have a 2 piece, 7½ foot Berkley spinning rod, part number TXTS762UL, rated for 1-6 lb line. This is an IM-7 composite rod with a medium fast action that is outstanding considering the price of $29.95 at TrueValue Hardware in Soldotna.
  • I also have ole trustworthy and loyal friend in an old Fenwick FS-53, 5¼ foot S-Glass rod that has to be 25+ years old as I have had it longer then I've been married to the Boss around here. This is my preferred rod on flyout fishing trips as it's also a 2 piece rod that stores easily. Again, this rod is rated for 1-6 lb test line, perfect for Grayling, Bull Trout, Cutthroat and the smaller rainbow of the mountain streams and lakes.
  • As for those days when I go fly fishing for Grayling, I picked up a nice little 7 foot, 4 wt flyrod, at Soldotna Trustworthy Hardware for a meager $39.95 that has served me very well on trips around Alaska and into the Yukon. This rod is from a rod maker I was previously unaware of, W.W. Grigg. Cheap it was but the rod is of reasonably good quality and well suited for its intended purposes. I've fished with this rod for going on three years now, no problems at all. Not bad for a $39.95 investment.

So that basically covers the rods I use. As you can see, there is no need to deplete the family budget on fishing rods for Grayling fishing. Just grab your favorite light or ultra-light rod and your set for some great fun. So lets turn our attention to the terminal tackle for a second before we get into the lures themselves.

Reels To Match The Rods

Trout fishing reels work well for Grayling fishing and you will find that the same criteria for trout fishing is going to apply here again. Do not skimp on the reel as all reels are not the same. You should give preferential treatment towards reels that utilize several sets of ball bearings in their construction. You don’t need he best reels available, just a good quality reel like those made by Diawa, Shakespeare or Shimano. I picked up some Shimano Sahara SH750FB reels from Tackle Direct that work excellently for just $59.95 each. More then enough reel for Grayling fishing.

• Spinning Reels -
  • Sized for the rod. Minimum 80 yds of 4 lb test line is recommended.
• Fly Reels -
  • My good ole Cortland 60, still fighting after all these years.

I’m a firm believer that my trout fishing success greatly depends as much upon the proper line selection as the lures themselves. Heavy line with small spinners or spoons hampers the natural action you are trying to represent and to light a line will not stand up to the rocks, weeds or snags it may encounter. I like to choose a line size based upon the type of lure, lure size, and most common obstacles to be encountered in the waters I will be fishing. It’s important to note though, due to the increased drag in the water, heavy lines reduce the depth a given lure can effectively be fished without additional weight or the use of downriggers. With ultra light tackle, especially in the “00” or “0” sizes, you need to limit your line to four or six pound test. For size “1” and “2” sized lures I like a six or eight pound test in a good quality line like Maxima Ultragreen or Trilene XL. I seldom exceed the 10 pound test even on bigger water and bigger fish. You can catch very big fish on moderate test lines depending upon your rod and reel plus your skill level. Long rods act like giant shock absorbers making it less necessary for the heaver lines. This is where my little 7½ foot Berkley spinning rod, rated for 1-6 lb line really shines.

Updating this page today - May 3, 2008 8:54 AM - Alaska Time.

Included in the trout fishing tips on the following pages is an area dedicated to those grayling fishing lures that work well in our opinion as well as from information gathered from our readers. Also we will be adding an area for fishing lures that work for multi-species of trout, char and grayling found here in the waters of Alaska.