Little Smokey River Aug 28, 2011

[carterM]

I made the trip from Edmonton up to the Little Smokey with a friend for the day yesterday to try to get our first graylings. Well, we were both successful, about 60 times between the 2 of us. The fish averaged around 10 inches with the biggest being about 13 or 14 inches. I had read somewhere that the average sized grayling in that river would have been about 14 inches. I'm wondering, was this information wrong or were we too early in the season for the larger fish to be there?

Either way, getting out into that country is fantastic and the fishing was alot of fun. They're a truly beautiful fish and always willing to take a fly, sometimes even seem to figh over it!

[Unknown303]

I made the trip from Edmonton up to the Little Smokey with a friend for the day yesterday to try to get our first graylings. Well, we were both successful, about 60 times between the 2 of us. The fish averaged around 10 inches with the biggest being about 13 or 14 inches. I had read somewhere that the average sized grayling in that river would have been about 14 inches. I'm wondering, was this information wrong or were we too early in the season for the larger fish to be there?

Either way, getting out into that country is fantastic and the fishing was alot of fun. They're a truly beautiful fish and always willing to take a fly, sometimes even seem to figh over it!
Pics or it didn't happen.:fighting0074:

[carterM]

Pics or it didn't happen.:fighting0074:

I really, really, REALLY need a waterproof camera. I have a tendency to umm...how do I say this...sink up to my arse in mud and fall into water...ya that'll do, when fishing. So now the phone stays in the car when fishing :angry3:

[BGSH]

Carter, thats awsome man, sounds great, come to hermatige tomorrow night??

[fishman]

Average size use to be 14 inchs over 10 years ago............size has gone down and fish numbers to........i took my youngest son there when he was `12 years old and we caught 17 fish under the bridge before we even hit the river..the ones under the bridge were smaller most 10-12 inchs but when we it the river caught lots of fish in the 14 inch range and some bigger.......we even caught a few bulls

[mikeym]

the big ones are still there, its just that they are spread out a lot in summer and you have to hike to find them. but they are still there. the bridges don't seem to turn on till late fall when the fish start to pool up for winter.

do a lot of hiking and hit every riffle and corner pool and you will do okay.

rgds
Mike

[carterM]

the big ones are still there, its just that they are spread out a lot in summer and you have to hike to find them. but they are still there. the bridges don't seem to turn on till late fall when the fish start to pool up for winter.

do a lot of hiking and hit every riffle and corner pool and you will do okay.

rgds
Mike

Ya we never even bothered trying under the bridge. We just started walking but only covered about 2 km of river I'd say. It's entirely possible that whatever I was reading was from 5 or 10 years ago. Do the bigger ones tend to gather more later in the fall?

[Speckle55]

Ya we never even bothered trying under the bridge. We just started walking but only covered about 2 km of river I'd say. It's entirely possible that whatever I was reading was from 5 or 10 years ago. Do the bigger ones tend to gather more later in the fall?

yes to the fall but to catch a 16 inch to 17 inch you have to work or you get lucky at a hole. this is Alberta a 17 inch grayling is like catching a 5 # rainbow

[1/2 oz Bucktail]

16 inchers can be very common in Alberta, you just need to know what rivers to hit and when. Fish found within eastern slopes rivers are extremely migrational and rarely stay in one section, pool, or run for very long. The key is to do your homework and determine the seasonal, water quality, and water temperature changes that trigger the migrational movements of each species.

[Dark Wing]

16 inchers can be very common in Alberta, you just need to know what rivers to hit and when. Fish found within eastern slopes rivers are extremely migrational and rarely stay in one section, pool, or run for very long. The key is to do your homework and determine the seasonal, water quality, and water temperature changes that trigger the migrational movements of each species.

Hit the river at the bottom of the hill in your back yard and you can catch em' up to 19". It's cast and blast time on the big Smokey river , C&R for grayling and also nail some Ruffies with the 22 on the way into the honey holes.