# Another try at reintroducing Grayling



## detroitjim (May 9, 2016)

Just ran across this today.

Remote Site Incubators are being tested in Michigan streams to determine their feasibility for rearing
Arctic Grayling. Check out this field research, conducted by Grand Valley State University and the Little
River Band of Ottawa Indians on behalf of the Michigan Arctic Grayling Initiative.


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

Would be very cool if they can get it to work. There's a couple threads from last year or the year before on it somewhere, probably in the NW or regs forums. Initial efforts to reintroduce will be done in the Manistee watershed above Hodenpyle. 

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/CRSC-Minutes-April272017_575584_7.pdf


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

They've tried it many times. From what I have gathered, the most confidence is being put in this effort. I sure hope it works out. 

Fishing in AK I remember they were so aggressive you end up getting irritated having hooked one rather than a trout just because you wasted a cast on a grayling lol. Not a horrible problem to have.....


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

I would love the see the grayling restored to Michigan. That is a good use of my fishing license money.


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## Steve (Jan 15, 2000)

I think and hope that it will work this time with what they have learned over the years.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

That would be a good thing. Restoring long gone native species should be a high priority. Grayling are better tasting that trout too!


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

DecoySlayer said:


> Grayling are better tasting that trout too!


They sure are! If this works out, I think we'll have to wait a while before we can start keeping them tho lol.


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## steelslam (Apr 8, 2001)

they are a fun fish to catch on a fly rod. i'm thinking it was back in the late 80's i was fishing them in a northern michigan lake. they were gone in like two years an it was a catch n release regs on them. i guess they just died off.


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## andyotto (Sep 11, 2003)

steelslam said:


> they are a fun fish to catch on a fly rod. i'm thinking it was back in the late 80's i was fishing them in a northern michigan lake. they were gone in like two years an it was a catch n release regs on them. i guess they just died off.


Yup. My Dad and I tried fishing that lake once. Never did get anything.


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

I caught a bunch of them. Kind of a nuisance when we were rainbow fishing. I hope their plan works


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

We should try reintroducing narrow deep streams/rivers again. Then try to reintroduce Grayling. Without the right habitat, they won't take - again.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Fishndude said:


> We should try reintroducing narrow deep streams/rivers again. Then try to reintroduce Grayling. Without the right habitat, they won't take - again.


We could start by removing the dams on the rivers.

Funny, everywhere I fished for grayling the rivers were not all that narrow, or deep. All were shallow enough to wade most areas on them.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Right, but they were very clean, clear, and cold. And in MI, most of our northern rivers _*were*_ much narrower, deeper, cleaner, clearer, and colder before logging. After logging, river banks eroded, and fell into the rivers. And the sand they took with them covered a lot of gravel. And the rivers got wider, shallower, and warmer. 

You can't grow decent vegetables in the desert, and you won't have successful reintroduction of Grayling without suitable habitat. It has been proven quite a few times.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

I think that, over all, the water temps where I have trout fished in Michigan were generally colder than where I used to fish for grayling in England and Scotland. The rivers in Northern England rarely had ice.


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

They have done some work on the rivers, removed dams in upper stretches, habitat Restoration etc.

Not saying it's perfect, but improved since the last attempt.


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## flyfish (Dec 4, 2001)

Caught quite a few of them when they introduced them into the upper Manistee in the 80"s, very aggressive, did get to be a pain when you couldn't get a fly to another fish. First dozen were fun though. seems like they were 8 to 10 inches. Big browns got fat on them.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Browns and grayling to well together. If water will support browns, it should support grayling. They are aggressive and very good on the dinner table. Far better than trout to my taste.


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## andyotto (Sep 11, 2003)

DecoySlayer said:


> Browns and grayling to well together. If water will support browns, it should support grayling. They are aggressive and very good on the dinner table. Far better than trout to my taste.


I know they are related to whitefish. Do they taste similar?


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

Doubt their relationship to whitefish is any closer than it is to brooks, browns and ‘bows. In general I think stream char taste the best, brooks around here but dolly varden are the tastiest I’ve had. Grayling were awesomely popular table fare before they got extirpated.


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## WILDCATWICK (Mar 11, 2002)

When I moved to Montana it was on my bucket list to catch a Grayling. They pod up on the Big Hole and now have caught plenty on the dry. The novelty has worn off quickly. They are gullible and fight like wet socks. Now when we come across them we move on quickly. I have always wanted Michigan to reintroduce them. It would be neat but Now I think they may be too gullible and wonder about the cost for not much sport. Not sure it’s worth it. Just a thought but maybe they should just stock some lakes annually so people can check it off their bucket list and eat some? It would probably bring tourism money to the areas that get stockings. 


Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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