27 

 GRAYLING IN MICHIGAN. 



BY JOHN H. BISSELL, OF MICHIGAN. 



Having been asked some questions about this rare 

 member of the salmon family, I assume that the subject 

 may be of interest to your readers who are anglers. 



Where is the Michigan grayling found to-day ? Any 

 one really wishing to know may take a map of Michi- 

 gan to follow my answer. Begin at a jioint on Sag- 

 inaw Bay at the mouth of Saginaw River, and draw a 

 line west by southwest to the mouth of the Muskegon 

 River, on Lake Michigan, and all of the grayling waters 

 are to the north and west of your line. Let us start again 

 at the same point on Saginaw Bay and fo low the coast 

 northward towards the Straits. The first stream of any 

 size is the Rifie River. I am informed upon good authorityi 

 that grayling have been found within the past three or 

 four years in the Rifle and its triliutaries. I am not 

 sure that the appearance of the fish there is of so recent a 

 date as my infonuant believed, but with a fairly extended 

 knowledge of such matters I had never before heard of 

 their being there. There is no reason why they might not 

 live and flourish in the Rifle, as its waters are suitable. 



The next river to the north is the Au Sable, where gray- 

 ling have been known since 1841. This is one of the most 

 famous of fishing-grounds. While to those wdio fifteen 

 years ago used to kill from one to two hundred grayling a 

 day, this river seems to be " fished out ; " it still furnishes 

 fair sport to the humble philosoi3her who is satisfied with 

 a moderate reward for his day's work. 



To the north, in Presque Isle, Montmorency, and Alpena 

 counties, is the Thunder Bay River, with its numerous 

 branches of fine water. I have never heard of grayling in 

 any of them, but from their situation and the character of 

 the waters, I should want good proof that grayling were not 

 to be found in the head-waters of this system. This is des- 



