DWR stocks reservoir with grayling, says go get ’em

Photo: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

They're 3-inch fingerlings now but will quickly grow to more than a foot long

PARK CITY, Utah — Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources stocks fish in high mountain lakes, including grayling, which DWR has just resupplied in the Smith and Morehouse Reservoir.

They’re 3-inch fingerlings now but will quickly grow to more than a foot long — and, says DWR, then they will “taste very much like trout and salmon!”

October and November is a great time to fish for grayling, according to DWR. “They’re trying to pack weight on for the winter, making them more aggressive and willing to take larger flies and lures.”

DWR has compiled tips for catching grayling this fall:

• Grayling are usually found in shallow water. Areas where tributaries flow into the lake are great places to fish for this species. You can also try areas along the shoreline.
• Because grayling have small mouths, using small flies and artificial lures is the best way to catch them.
• If you are fly fishing, try nymphs in sizes 20 to 10. A Woolly Worm is a great nymph for grayling this time of year.
• For spin anglers, casting and retrieving small Mepps spinners works great. You can also fish the flies mentioned above by running your line through a casting bubble and tying the fly 2 to 3 feet below the bubble.