Michigan Grayling

Though now extinct in Michigan, the Michigan grayling belonged to a family also found in Montana, Europe, and the Arctic. Related to trout and salmon, it was distinguished by a thyme-like odor and a long wavy dorsal fin. Measuring twelve to fifteen inches, it lived in cold, swift streams and was valued as both a gamy fish and as food. Although fishermen had been catching it for years in rivers such as the Manistee, Pere Marquette, and AuSable, it was not classified as true grayling until 1864. As railroads entered northern Michigan in the 1870's, the excitement of catching it drew sportsmen from across the country, and the town of Grayling became the center for fishing trips on the AuSable. Habitat changes following deforestation made the fish rare by about 1900, and by about 1930 it was extinct.

Grayling, Michigan · United States