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Mountain Whitefish

mtmuley

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Joined
Jan 11, 2009
Messages
14,107
Location
montana
Anybody here fish for them? Specifically in rivers? My Father used to catch the crap out of them and I really didn't care to so never learned how. I have all his gear but am looking for tips. He used maggots I believe. I am all ears to any info. mtmuley
 
Used to catch the heck out of them this time of year on the upper section of Rock Creek when my cousin lived in Anaconda. Bead headed prince nymphs and San Juan worms did the trick for fly patterns. I imagine you could bounce them along the bottom with some light spinning tackle as well.
I have one of the really long poles that are typically used to get out past the ice. No ice on the Root right now. I've always meant to try it. Weather is great so gonna give it a go tomorrow. mtmuley
 
They will take a single salmon egg, a chunk of worm, or maggots. Have also caught them here on the Crooked with dry flies.

Just remember whitefish have a relatively small mouth compared to trout so think small with your hooks…nothing RUM sized!

Ive had my best luck at the end of pools and in deeper runs below riffles. They tend to congregate right near the bottom.
 
Yep. I want to smoke them. The Root is closer than a lake I like to ice fish. mtmuley
Grayling are great fried fresh but barely edible if frozen and thawed. Dog turds taste great if soaked in the right marinade and smoked. Or so my dad said. I took his word for it.

Grayling love dark dry flies with white wings. They go for the wings so it's hard to set a hook. The Alaska variety seem to be very territorial. Fish always go back to the same spot in the stream, even after feeling the hook.

Edit: My bad. For some reason I misunderstood this thread to be about grayling. Apologies.
 
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I used to pick them up while nymph fishing for trout in Rock Creek. Usually along the seam in deeper pools. I don't think I ever caught one in your home river, mtmuley, but I'll bet they're in there.
 
I catch them just about any time I’m nymph fishing the smaller rivers around here for trout. I need to keep a few sometime.
 
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Never really targeted them either. Grandpa told me storied of them getting after them on the yellowstone back in the day, he had said his brothers used to smoke them?
What you planning on doing with them @mtmuley ?
 
Never really targeted them either. Grandpa told me storied of them getting after them on the yellowstone back in the day, he had said his brothers used to smoke them?
What you planning on doing with them @mtmuley ?
I’ve caught quite a few out of the Yellowstone around Emigrant. They are excellent smoked.
 

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