arcitc grayling/yukon tips

[JuBy]

Hi there,

I am going north (to the yukon) for the summer to work and I plan to drag along my fly rods (4 and 7 wt) and I was looking for some tips on what flies work the best for lake trout and arctic gray ling on the fly...should I use floating or sinking line etc?

cheers,

juby

 

[MRWood]

When I lived up there as a kid in the mid 70's we used to always use the famous "mosquito" as there are a few of those around. Tom thumb was another and you couldn't go wrong with the doc spratley. We always used smallish flies, 12 to 14's. We never used flies for the lake trout it was always plugs or spoons, generally trolling, not unlike salmon fishing, no flashers though.

You can always go down to Haines, Alaska and fish the rivers in the summer and fall for salmon. Also used to catch lots of sea run dollies there in the spring.

Were abouts are you going, Whitehorse or one of the smaller towns?

 

[JuBy]

Im headed to Dawson city but i will also be spending time in whitehorse.... I will be out in the bush for the most part and wont have a chance to be on big water for lake trout so im only focused on fishing rivers and small creeks Im assuming my targeted fish will be the grayling but maybe ill hook into some lake trout as well

 

[Justfish]

With the exception of recently stocked pothole trout (anything that floats or moves) Grayling were i think, the least fussy about dry fly's that i ever fished, particularly in remote areas. Black Gnat or Mosquito size 12-16, or that whatchamacallit that has been in the box forever, good to go.

 

[Kristo]

An ulta-lite spinning combo with small Mepps or Panther Martin spinners works well on the larger lakes in the NWT.
Fishing off rocky points on the islands can be quite productive.
Seems to me that black gnats or similar on fly rod would be productive as well with sinking line.
Fishing outflows of rivers into lakes can provide good action for grayling and smaller lake trout.
If you are able to get to anywhere near the arctic coast or where there are Arctic Char take along a spinning rod and some Blue Fox Pixies.

 

[Bassblaster]

Did a trip to Namur Lake in northern Alberta as a kid. The grayling there would kill anything that hit the water. As long as you aren't fishing in an area that gets high pressure I think you're good with pretty much anything you'd use for trout. We were also catching them on Mepps spinners and the fish were averaging almost 3 pounds, so don't be afraid to throw something a bit bigger their way.

 

[Steelhead S2]

Some of the most fun I've ever had fishing was for grayling in the Yukon. As others have said, they are not fussy. If you get tired of dry fly action switch to a small nymph and carry on. Floating lines is all you need, wet or dry. When you find a spot it will keep on producing too. And best of all, they are super yummy!

Are you going gold mining?

Have a blast!

 

[JuBy]

Hh yes I am soil sampling for a gold exploration company. Would a 4/5 wt suffice or should i bring my 6 wt. I also thought about bringing my ultralight rod but from what I hear the fly rod will do just fine. Do you catch lake trout in the rivers or in creek mouths feeding into lakes or are they in the larger water bodies?

 

[Steelhead S2]

the light fly rod will be good. if you get there at ice off, cast spoons from shore and work them high in the water column for lakers, otherwise, you need a boat. But the light rod would be handy for pike.

 

[JuBy]

Yea i hear the lakers cruise the shallows right after ice off for a week or two ill be up there next week..when does ice off normally hit?

 

[Steelhead S2]

You'll be there in time.

 

[Saxe Point]

I lived in Yukon for 10 years and the earlier posters are right, grayling will hit almost anything, surface or otherwise. Woolly worm is a great all purpose fly to explore a river for grayling. When lake trout are in there as well (usually spawning), they are happy to grab it as well. Nothing fancy required.