THE MONTANA GRAYLING. 



(^Thymallus ontariensis tnontanus.) 



I wind about, aud in and out. 



With here a blossom sailing, 

 And here and there a lusty trout, 



And here and there a Cirayling. 



And here and there a foamy flake 



Upon me, as 1 travel 

 With many a silvery waterbreak 



Above the golden gravel. 



—Alfred Tennyson, 



The Broiik. 



The Graylings are among the most 

 beautiful of the fishes. Bright in color 

 and graceful in form, they have been 

 called "the flowers of the finny tribes." 

 There are about five species and all are 

 fascinating to look upon. Two of the 

 species and one variety are natives of 

 North America. The Graylings fre- 

 quent only the rivers of cold water in the 

 I'.orthern temperate and Arctic regions. 

 They are active and gamy, and some 

 anglers claim that their game qualities 

 are fully the equal of those of the brook 

 trout. The food also is like that of the 

 trout and consists of insects that light or 

 fall upon the surface of the stream. 



The generic range of these fishes is 

 quite extensive : they are found in Lap- 

 land and England ; throughout Europe 

 as far southward as Italy ; in Northern 

 Asia and in the rivers of Alaska and 

 British America. In the United States, 

 however, Graylings are found in but two 

 localities, certain streams of Michigan 

 and the tributaries of the Missouri River. 

 Those of the Missouri region are consid- 

 ered a variety of the Michigan species 

 and differ but little from that form in 

 general appearance. The characteristics 

 of the two geographical forms are so 

 nearly alike, the following account of 

 Mr. James W. Milner, regarding the 

 Michigan Grayling, will give a very ex- 

 cellent idea of the Montana Grayling. 

 He says : "The experience of the two 

 days on the river (the Ausable of Mich- 



igan ) proved them to be free, strong 

 laters, eagerly taking the fly, and with 

 all the gaminess in resisting the effort to 

 take them from the water with a hook 

 that is the special quality demanded by 

 tlie anglers. They were decided to be 

 quite equal to the brook-trout on the 

 table ; and for grace of form and beauty 

 of color on the body and the great dorsal 

 fin that is the peculiar mark of the genub, 

 they surpassed all of the so-termed game- 

 fishes." 



The Grayling, as a rule, does not leap 

 out of the water when the angler is try- 

 ing to "land" it, but rather flounders 

 about in positions that are even more 

 liable to tear the hook from its tender 

 m.outh than would the act of leaping. 

 By the active use of its beautifully tint- 

 ed and large dorsal-fin, which is one of 

 the most distinguishing characteristics 

 of the Grayling, it may escape at a point 

 ill the combat when the success of the 

 angler seems assured. 



The Graylings have a peculiar odor 

 which led the ancient peoples to give it 

 the name Thymallus because of its re- 

 semblance to the odor of thyme. Some, 

 however, have likened the odor of the 

 Graylings of the Old World to that of a 

 rucuml)cr and the Australian species is 

 frequently called the cucumber fi.sh. 



The average size of the Montana 

 Grayling is from ten to twelve inches 

 and the weight from one-half to one 

 pound. Individuals have been taken. 



