# What type of fish is this?



## Munuscool (Jan 12, 2016)

Fished one of the local rivers and was happily surprised to catch two of these guys.


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Some history there...Congrats!


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

I’m thinking white fish?

Ran into schools of those on the AuSable just prior to mousing... I mean way up


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

Looks like the big fin subspecies of smallmouth to me. They prefer colder water and I usually catch them in the North Branch. Nice!


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

This thread could get interesting...


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## jonnyb (Oct 29, 2013)

Sure looks like a grayling in the one pic.


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

jonnyb said:


> Sure looks like a grayling in the one pic.


L.o.l.. The spots on the one in the lower pic and some color on top of the back fins (though minus a peek at them while backlit for spots)had me hoppin up and down thinking they were grayling out of a certain lake... Or grayling anyways.....Despite not knowing where to expect them in a stream here. Or wanting to see where posted if they were.


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## wadin' forever (Jun 22, 2018)

Munuscool said:


> Fished one of the local rivers and was happily surprised to catch two of these guys.
> 
> View attachment 322604
> 
> ...


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## mfs686 (Mar 15, 2007)

Waif said:


> L.o.l.. The spots on the one in the lower pic and some color on top of the back fins (though minus a peek at them while backlit for spots)had me hoppin up and down thinking they were grayling out of a certain lake... Or grayling anyways.....Despite not knowing where to expect them in a stream here. Or wanting to see where posted if they were.


I immediately thought about "that Lake" as well.


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## MapleRiverSalmon (Aug 19, 2007)

You trout guys are weird! So is it a grayling or not?


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

MapleRiverSalmon said:


> You trout guys are weird! So is it a grayling or not?


Yes, they’re grayling.


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

While we are on the subject, here are a few relevant links:

https://www.migrayling.org/

https://www.migrayling.org/about

https://www.migrayling.org/faq


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## wadin' forever (Jun 22, 2018)

I'm betting it is a whitefish. We used to catch them (a few times in many trips) in mainstream Au Sable in late 60's, early 70's, when still using bait. The elder folks said they were "Menominee" (sp) whitefish. Been so long ago I can't remember exactly what they looked like. Per photos of grayling and whitefish I've seen, looks more like whitefish which has a similar dorsal, not as long and high as a grayling.


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## triplelunger (Dec 21, 2009)

Creek chubs


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## don (Jan 20, 2001)

I see nothing in those shots that says Grayling to me, both are Menominee in my opinion.
Whitefish are not as streamlined looking in appearance as the Menominee is.


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## ridgewalker (Jun 24, 2008)

whitefish


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Arctic Grayling
















Menominee aka round whitefish
















Lake Whitefish










Whitefish and Menominee look nothing like grayling nor the fish in question.


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## don (Jan 20, 2001)

Our DNR will be very excited to know that the Grayling already exists in the state and well ahead of the proposed planting schedule, perhaps you should inform them and save them the trouble...Good luck
*When can I expect to see Arctic Grayling in Michigan streams?
Partners of the Initiative plan to source eggs from Alaska in 2019, but developing a healthy stock of eggs that are suitable for Michigan's waters will take approximately three years. 
Tentatively, eggs will be placed in in-stream Remote Site Incubators beginning in 2022. From then it will take three to four years before Grayling reach reproductive maturity.*


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## OnHoPr (Jul 21, 2013)

They planted Grayling in the Au Sable back in the late '80s or early '90s.


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## don (Jan 20, 2001)

Wonder why they stopped, survival issues ?
I don't get into pi..ing contests here, not worth the time and effort and nothing is ever resolved....that said, I sincerely hope that I am wrong, nothing would make me happier than to know that Grayling are indeed swimming in the Michigan rivers, now or at any time in the future.


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Colorado Grayling.
A type/source the state of Michigan has shown interest in(?)


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## OnHoPr (Jul 21, 2013)




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## OnHoPr (Jul 21, 2013)

I don't know about now, but they have been planted in waters in these counties in the 80s and 90s. 

alger, alcona, antrim, baraga, crawford, grand traverse, houghton, kalkaska, luce, marquette, montmorency, schoolcraft

I don't know if any reproduction was acquired during those periods. But, I have noticed on dnr fish surveys, for example, on some lakes in MI that ciscos seem to evade studies and then show up decades later in the same waters they inhabited before.


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## SJC (Sep 3, 2002)

wadin' forever said:


> I'm betting it is a whitefish. We used to catch them (a few times in many trips) in mainstream Au Sable in late 60's, early 70's, when still using bait. The elder folks said they were "Menominee" (sp) whitefish. Been so long ago I can't remember exactly what they looked like. Per photos of grayling and whitefish I've seen, looks more like whitefish which has a similar dorsal, not as long and high as a grayling.


The OP's pics are indeed Grayling. Prettysure they didn't come from the Au Sable, though. There are Menominee in the river, however.


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

OK. So before anyone gets too riled up here, I'd like to point out that the OP posted a video on July 15th where he says he was going overseas.

https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/...out-and-pike-1-week-fishing-challenge.619306/






The first 20 seconds of the video explains everything.

The fish pictured in the OP were most likely _not_ caught in Michigan.



Munuscool said:


> Fished one of the local rivers and was happily surprised to catch two of these guys.


The 'local rivers' were most likely local to Europe or elsewhere with fishable populations of grayling. *Not* Michigan.

Sorry to be a buzzkill but, that's my two cents.


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

PunyTrout said:


> OK. So before anyone gets too riled up here, I'd like to point out that the OP posted a video on July 15th where he says he was going overseas.
> 
> https://www.michigan-sportsman.com/...out-and-pike-1-week-fishing-challenge.619306/
> 
> ...


So what are you saying ,whitefish or grayling? L.O.L...


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Waif said:


> So what are you saying ,whitefish or grayling? L.O.L...


Grayling. But, we would have to taste them first to know for sure...


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

Mushy at best!


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Shoeman said:


> Mushy at best!


Reminds me of the joke about the CO who busted a guy for killing loons an a back lake in the forest. The CO let him off with a warning because he could see the guy was homeless and hungry. Before he left he asks the guy out of curiosity what the loons tasted like. Dude says, "A lot like Bald Eagle..."


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

Oh, you know my dad....


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

I caught a LOT of grayling while living in England. I prefer them to trout, by far. More flavor, firmer, etc. Fun to catch. They take dry flies like they had never had a meal.


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

I hear they’re even more gullible than cutthroat, easy fishing attracts more people to the sport and that ain’t bad. Hope the reintroduction goes well this time. Not going to bet on it quite yet. If it does I’ll shop for a tweed jacket so I can fish for them in traditional costume.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

I did not wear a tweed jacket, or a tie, when I fished for them. I did fly fish for them.


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)




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## BillBuster (Apr 25, 2005)

PunyTrout said:


> While we are on the subject, here are a few relevant links:
> 
> https://www.migrayling.org/
> 
> ...


Thanks for sharing these links Puny!! Very interesting. I hate to be negative but I’m doubtful they will take. I also hope it doesn’t restrict our fishing for other trout.


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## Munuscool (Jan 12, 2016)

Well looks like I opened up a can of worms! Yes, sorry for the confusion. By local river, I mean one of the local rivers here in Finland. I usually post on this site so I figured I'd ask what you guys thought since I figured you all would know best. Coworkers have confirmed they are Grayling. Have caught probably about 10 up to 14 inches these past few days. Baked two of the legal ones and they taste just like whitefish, but with a hint of trout flavoring. I hope they catch on in Michigan too!

Also they fight and act just like trout. Have caught all mine on panther martin spinners thus far.


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## don (Jan 20, 2001)

That explains pretty much everything, thanks for clarifying.
Hopefully we will also have a fishable population of Grayling in some of the rivers designated for planting at some point in the future. Keeping the fingers crossed that it will happen iduring my lifetime.


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

Munuscool said:


> Well looks like I opened up a can of worms! Yes, sorry for the confusion. By local river, I mean one of the local rivers here in Finland. I usually post on this site so I figured I'd ask what you guys thought since I figured you all would know best. Coworkers have confirmed they are Grayling. Have caught probably about 10 up to 14 inches these past few days. Baked two of the legal ones and they taste just like whitefish, but with a hint of trout flavoring. I hope they catch on in Michigan too!
> 
> Also they fight and act just like trout. Have caught all mine on panther martin spinners thus far.



So after a week of us contacting several Bio’s within you come out and mention Finland?


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## zig (Aug 5, 2009)

Devil's in the details here.... Ha! This thread's hilarious.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Munuscool said:


> Well looks like I opened up a can of worms! Yes, sorry for the confusion. By local river, I mean one of the local rivers here in Finland. I usually post on this site so I figured I'd ask what you guys thought since I figured you all would know best. Coworkers have confirmed they are Grayling. Have caught probably about 10 up to 14 inches these past few days. Baked two of the legal ones and they taste just like whitefish, but with a hint of trout flavoring. I hope they catch on in Michigan too!
> 
> Also they fight and act just like trout. Have caught all mine on panther martin spinners thus far.


Oh, the Finland that is in the "Yoop?" That explains a lot. 

I caught Grayling in Alaska. They are pretty much suicidal for dry flies. Beautiful fish.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

BillBuster said:


> Thanks for sharing these links Puny!! Very interesting. I hate to be negative but I’m doubtful they will take. I also hope it doesn’t restrict our fishing for other trout.



First off, grayling are not trout. Second, they are native in Michigan and belong in our waters. Third, when I used to fish for, and catch, grayling, I would often catch native brown trout at the same time. That was in an area where brown trout where truly native, which Michigan is not.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Fishndude said:


> caught Grayling in Alaska. They are pretty much suicidal for dry flies. Beautiful fish.



My favorite dry fly for grayling in North Yorkshire and Scotland, the
"Tups Indispensable"


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

DecoySlayer said:


> First off, grayling are not trout. Second, they are native in Michigan and belong in our waters. Third, when I used to fish for, and catch, grayling, I would often catch native brown trout at the same time. That was in an area where brown trout where truly native, which Michigan is not.



Think it was Patrick Mcmanus who wrote about brown trout arriving at America on a ship called the "Mayfly".


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## Stand By (Jan 23, 2015)

Always thought the DNR should look at European grayling to introduce here. The river condition there are probably closer to ours than Alaska. They are thought to be a lesser fish though, I believe.


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## dead short (Sep 15, 2009)

DecoySlayer said:


> First off, grayling are not trout. Second, they are native in Michigan and belong in our waters. Third, when I used to fish for, and catch, grayling, I would often catch native brown trout at the same time. That was in an area where brown trout where truly native, which Michigan is not.


Not trout, but in the same Salmonidae Family as trout/salmon and whitefish. They are separated from trout/salmon and whitefish at the subfamily group.


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## IluvMichigan (Jan 14, 2012)

It's a grayling!! Lol

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

Munuscool said:


> Well looks like I opened up a can of worms! Yes, sorry for the confusion. By local river, I mean one of the local rivers here in Finland. I usually post on this site so I figured I'd ask what you guys thought since I figured you all would know best. Coworkers have confirmed they are Grayling. Have caught probably about 10 up to 14 inches these past few days. Baked two of the legal ones and they taste just like whitefish, but with a hint of trout flavoring. I hope they catch on in Michigan too!
> 
> Also they fight and act just like trout. Have caught all mine on panther martin spinners thus far.


Well, here is a shocker. Grayling were planted in several tributaries to Lake Superior in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. There was also a secondary plant in two lakes in the U.P. The lake plants took. One of these lakes still has grayling in it.


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## capper (Sep 3, 2015)

The fish pictured are Grayling. While living in Alaska - I caught literally hundreds of Grayling and they are very unsophisticated and easy to catch. I caught just as many on a #2 Mepps spinner as I did on Mosquito and Black Gnat dry flies.
Because of them being so easy to catch - it is my opinion, that if they are planted in streams and lakes with easy access they can be (fished out) quite quickly if take limits are not strictly enforced. 
Case in point: I worked in the high Arctic for over 12 yrs. and had access to several streams where the fish had probably never seen an artificial lure. When we first started fishing these streams - it was common to have hundred fish days - (catch and release for me) but we had one or two fish hogs in the camps who caught and kept as many as they could and froze them and sent them to their homes in town just for the bragging rights - as the fish do not freeze well - they go all mushy when thawed. They are best eaten fresh caught.
Anyway - After just a few years - in all of those streams - I saw the Grayling population drop like a stone - to where you might - on a good day - catch 5 or 6 instead of dozens, and the fish were also much smaller.
I saw this happen in Yukon river tributaries as well as in the Sagvanirktok river drainage. All of those rivers were spawning streams. The fish went back to the main rivers for the winter.


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## Cork Dust (Nov 26, 2012)

capper said:


> The fish pictured are Grayling. While living in Alaska - I caught literally hundreds of Grayling and they are very unsophisticated and easy to catch. I caught just as many on a #2 Mepps spinner as I did on Mosquito and Black Gnat dry flies.
> Because of them being so easy to catch - it is my opinion, that if they are planted in streams and lakes with easy access they can be (fished out) quite quickly if take limits are not strictly enforced.
> Case in point: I worked in the high Arctic for over 12 yrs. and had access to several streams where the fish had probably never seen an artificial lure. When we first started fishing these streams - it was common to have hundred fish days - (catch and release for me) but we had one or two fish hogs in the camps who caught and kept as many as they could and froze them and sent them to their homes in town just for the bragging rights - as the fish do not freeze well - they go all mushy when thawed. They are best eaten fresh caught.
> Anyway - After just a few years - in all of those streams - I saw the Grayling population drop like a stone - to where you might - on a good day - catch 5 or 6 instead of dozens, and the fish were also much smaller.
> I saw this happen in Yukon river tributaries as well as in the Sagvanirktok river drainage. All of those rivers were spawning streams. The fish went back to the main rivers for the winter.


Pretty accurate metaphor of what happened to the grayling plants in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, just a smaller initial stock size.....


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## cotote wacker (Jun 12, 2012)

PunyTrout said:


> Reminds me of the joke about the CO who busted a guy for killing loons an a back lake in the forest. The CO let him off with a warning because he could see the guy was homeless and hungry. Before he left he asks the guy out of curiosity what the loons tasted like. Dude says, "A lot like Bald Eagle..."


I thought more like Cormorant....Bald Eagle taste like Whooping Crane....


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