Montana Grayling 



Lake, 14 miles in lengtii, and through the lake itself to the in- 

 lets at its head. After spawning they return through the lake 

 to the rivers below, none stopping in the lake whose waters 

 seem wholly unsuited to them. 



At spawning time Elk Creek is fairly alive with grayling on 

 the gravelly shallows, where their large and beautiful dorsal fins 

 are to be seen waving, clear of the water, in the manner of 

 sharks' fins on a flood tide. 



The artificial propagation of the Montana grayling was begun 

 at Bozeman in 1898 and, under the able direction of Dr. James 

 A. Henshall, the superintendent, has proved very successful. In 

 1899, 5,300,000 eggs were taken and 4,567,000 fry were hatched 

 and liberated. The number of eggs varies from 2,000 to 4,000 

 to the fish. 



As to game qualities, Dr. Henshall regards the Montana gray- 

 ling as fully the equal of the brook trout, or red-throat trout, 

 putting up as good a fight, and often leaping above the surface 

 when hooked. It takes the artificial fly, caddis larvae, grass- 

 hoppers, angleworms and similar bait. The best artificial flies 

 to use are those with bodies of peacock harl, or yellow-bodied 

 flies, as: Professor, Queen of the Water, Oconomowoc, and Lord 

 Baltimore; or Grizzly King, Henshall, Coachman and the like. 

 Small flies should be used, on hooks Nos. 10 to 12. Grayling 

 may be taken from May to November, the best time being in 

 the summer. 



The average size of this fish is 10 to 12 inches in length 

 and ^ to I pound in weight. The largest Dr. Henshall reports 

 were 20 inches long and weighed 2 pounds. 



At present good grayling fishing in Montana can be had in 

 the tributaries of the Smith or Deep River in the Little Belt 

 Mountains, and in the upper parts of the Gallatin, Madison and 

 Jefferson rivers. The best fishing is near the upper canyon of 

 the Madison, and in Odell, Red Rock and other creeks at the 

 head of Red Rock Lake, the sources of the Jefferson. 



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