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Posts: 292
Location: SW MI | Wanted to introduce myself. I just got into muskie fishing and I must say I am obsessed. I hope to catch muskies with conventional tackle as well as with my fly rod. I'll be asking lots of questions so you'll all get used to seeing me on here. | |
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| Do you have any experience with muskies on a fly? | |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Welcome aboard, I assure you most here are as afflicted as you... | |
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Posts: 1764
Location: Ogden, Ut | Got my first muskie on a fly rod...I really need to do that again.
S. | |
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Posts: 457
| I still love to flyfish muskies, One of my favourite things to do.
(On that note, Sorno, I'm going to be in Utah this summer, Green, Strawberry, Currant...) It's therefore your ongoing responsibility to keep me up to date on flows, current hatches, and patterns. Sound good?
Edit: Welcome. Generally a decent bunch of guys here in the forums.
Edited by Whoolligan 2/19/2008 11:10 AM
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Posts: 159
Location: Stevens Point, WI | Welcome! I'm new to the site too, and it's a blast-tons of experienced guys to talk to. I guide a bit and have a client that tries each year to catch a musky on a fly-3hits and misses so far, but it's a rush each time a musky looks at it! | |
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Posts: 401
| I am in the process of building myself a fly rod to give it a try. I know of a couple spots that I would like to have a fly go through it first. I have never caught even a perch on a fly rod but this could be my new addiction.
Keith | |
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | Welcome to the muskie madness!!!
I have caught lots of species on a fly rod but never a muskie. That also is something I would like to do. Maybe this Spring. | |
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Posts: 275
| It will be nice to see others out there chucking and ducking! It is a great way to fish.
Tom | |
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Posts: 350
Location: WESTERN WI | Welcome! I have not had my fly rod out since I was in the Rockies in 2006. I have taken a fly tying class and am kinda psyched thinking about a musky inhaling a large wooly bugger. A new goal for 2008! | |
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Posts: 1636
| Mike said it best...welcome to the madness!
Plenty of good people here to learn from and I'm sure you can teach a couple people a thing or two.
Goodluck this season. | |
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Posts: 457
| Esox, skip the buggers. I'll get some patterns out, and post picks in the next couple days.
Stay tuned... | |
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Posts: 350
Location: WESTERN WI | Whoolligan - 2/20/2008 6:53 PM
Esox, skip the buggers. I'll get some patterns out, and post picks in the next couple days.
Stay tuned...
Some very realistic patterns and silohouttes could be acheived such as a a blackbird(ala MH cover from a fews back), duckling, or baby loon. Okay enough of my crazy ideas, I am staying tuned. | |
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Posts: 292
Location: SW MI | Thanks for the warm welcome everyone! I have not yet fished for muskies on the fly. I'm still in the process of getting my equipment together so I can. I do plan on this year being very productive for me. | |
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Posts: 1287
Location: WI | Pike are a blast on a fly, so I can imagine muskies being totally crazy. If the wind stalls down, I plan on trying it this spring. | |
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| Whoolligan - 2/20/2008 6:53 PM
Esox, skip the buggers. I'll get some patterns out, and post picks in the next couple days.
Stay tuned...
I would still like to see some of what you have tied!!! | |
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Posts: 457
| Had to go to the lake, and get my bags. Planned on being there over the weekend anyhow.
As a point of reference, the largest pattern there is about 12". The cutting board is 22".
Have to resize pics, sorry.
The shart/grizzly and orange/grizzle flashtails, are a sort of variations on blantons punch, the whistler's are a Dan Blanton pattern as well.
The Billfish flies are of a Puglisi design, with variations added.
Divers are just upsized Dahlbergs. The clousers, again, just tied on 4/0 and 5/0 hooks. Oh, and the rat is a jointed beast of a muskrat skin, tied on a 6/0 front, 5/0 rear.
The most productive flies for us are the Punch flies, followed by Whistler, then the billfish flies. Clousers take their share of 'skis, but are even more deadly on Pike. I don't have any half and half's up there, but that's another patter we do well on. I keep the bunny strip flies in about ten colors, and range anywhere from 5" to 12" in length, using Tyger as a method to join the rear hook to the front.
I fish almost all my musky patterns on an 8 WT Shooting taper, with the exception of the larger hair flies. Those are on a 10WT. I also fish a LOT of my clousers, and strip flies on two different 6 weights, and have never enountered a problem, with landing fish, or handling the flies. Don't listen to anyone that would tell you you need a 10-12 weight in order to catch muskies on the fly, It isn't true.
Oh, almost forgot, there is one other pattern that is wicked good, and that is the Tequilly, I don't have picks, cause I must have left that box in my other boxes, but it's sort of a go to pattern for hard days. (It catches everything from Pike and muskie to Smallies, to gills, to carp.)
Anyhow, there's a few of the patterns I tie and use.
Edited by Whoolligan 2/25/2008 11:21 AM
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| With at least 4 false casts, (unless you use a roll cast), this is now the fish of 40,000 casts with a fly rod!! The nice thing about musky on the fly is that your lure (fly) stays in the strike zone much longer. I have clients use a 9' 10 weight rod with Cortland 555 sinking line. I like to use a 9' 12 weight tarpon rod - talk about a workout! - It's like throwing a pounder or a Double Cowgirl all day. It's worth it when it happens. Biggest so far on a flyrod is 47"er. Capt. Andy's Lake Michigan flies work great. They have 2 hooks - 1 up - 1 down and are effective, inexpensive and easy to throw. I'll be trying to get one to bite on the fly on film this year - almost did it last year.
Kevin Moore | |
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Posts: 457
| If you're saying that a 9' 12WT is tough to cast all day, get a better rod. I'd rather throw my BL5 12 WT than my Xtr 7Wt. I've got a 1480 Xi2 that will punch big flies, with more ease and less effort than any of my 8 Wts. The problem, however, is that you lose accuracy, and feeling of the cast.
Furthermore 12wt is overkill. The most knowledgeable musky fly-guides I know, (and some of the most knowledgeable fly casters/guides in general- for that matter) will tell you that even a 10weight is overkill in 95% of the situations. Not to mention that the majority of the population can't manage to handle a 10wt, unless they are EXTREMELY familiar with flycasting. Shouldn't take four false casts, either, on a 12 weight. 45-60 yard casts, pick up- false cast, shoot. Let the line do the work. No reason to false cast for hours on end, we aren't trout fishing, water for the right point in the surface film that our 14 foot 8x tippet is going to pull just right to get a natural drift, without puling, and before throwing mends. Toss that out the window.
You want to fish a 12, waste, IMO, you're overpowered. The 40" fish aren't nearly as fun, nor are they as easy to drop a short cast on, in a throwback situation. | |
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| Very cool stuff! Gave me a bunch of ideas and might adjust my methods a little. You tie with a lot more flash than I have been, even on your natural patterns. Are the heads on the punch pattern just crystal flash palmered? Do you always use red for the heads on the whitlers and do you actually use the bead chain eyes? Do you use any double bunny patterns or is that not necessary and too heavy? I got my first set-up this winter and I went with the 10wt. I hope I didn't go to big.
Thanks for posting these pics and I would love to see any other patterns you use. Good Stuff!
Edited by muskydeceiver 2/25/2008 1:51 PM
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Posts: 457
| The heads on the punch flies is would on ice chenille, you want a nice build, so that it moves more water. Same thing with the collars on the whistlers. On their collar, I always use red/orange. The bond is ultrachenille. As far as flash, these are somewhat dull, compared to many. Sometimes I trail red flashabou for 6" out the butt, mainly on pike patterns.
I use a ton of double bunny patterns, in lengths from 4 inch sculpin to 9" perch patterns. It just varies. I've had more success on single bunny, with cross cuts on the hook, ripped, and fished the same as you would a creature.
The Punch patterns are great, the fuller you build the fly, the better off you are, plain and simple. I'll go through about one xxl northern bucktail per three or four flies, depends on the hair quality of the tail. I use a LOT of peacock and Orange flash on the orange, and a lot of peacock/green chart on the chart. It keeps the weight of the fly down with adding a lot of bulk in the water. Lastly, yup, just xlarge beadchain eyes.
Like I said, 10wt is fine for super large patterns, but I prefer my eights for the majority of it. | |
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| I guess since I will only be running one set-up this year I was probably better going too big instead of too small. I might wear out sooner, but I didn't anticipate throwing it all the time anyway this year.
Do you use baitcasting gear as well or do you do all of your fishing with a fly rod?
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Posts: 457
| I used to fly-fish primarily. actually, I used to fish salt mor than fresh. In the past five years or so, I've done more castring than fly fishing. I'd say that now, I'm about 60-40 casting versus flies. | |
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| whooligan - Thanx for your input.
My 9' 12 weight is a GLoomis - not a Sage - but a High quality rod. As far as that being overkill - that is MY rod. I'm 6'4" 240# my clients (as mentioned) usually throw a 10 wt. I fish cisco forage lakes with Monster Muskies. I like to be equipped to handle the biggest fish in the lake. If a 50#er hits - I want to be ready for her - not just the bothersome 40"ers!! Bigger equipment stresses fish less - that's also why I use it.
Question - how do you manage your strip ? I find that laying my net on the boat floor in front of me works great. | |
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Posts: 457
| I tend to wear a stripping apron in the boat, it just keeps things from getting all out of sorts. I also carry a five gallon bucket to strip to, if I'm fishing billfish flies, I like to use that, so I can strip HUGE pulls, fast. It also helps with shooting line.
I hear you about using the 12, but I've bumped into 70lb tarpon with my ten, and it is more than adequate. I guess it's just preference. Didn't intend to sound overly critical.
Which series of Loomis are you fishing? If it's the GLX, I've actually found that the 12 is more like a ten, and the 10 is closer to a tip-light 8. I'm not terribly fond of Loomis rods because of the tip, it always seems like they overload, and I almost always under-line them by one, sometimes two even three weights. I fish more Winston rods, now, than anything. The new Winston Boron rods are just sweethearts of a rod. The ten is as light as the XTR 8 that I have. It's really incredible. | |
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Posts: 457
| Oh, one other thing, on bigger equipment-
THere have been studies done that show trout have a higher chance of lactic acid build when being caught on rods TOO heavy. They aren't allowed to play the lactic acid out of the tissues like they would be on a corect wt rod. Something that I really found interesting. I can't say, though, that a 12 would fall into the TOO heavy category, and I'm not entirely sure that a 'ski would have the same problem with build unless it is extremely warm. | |
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Location: Kodiak, AK | mskygyd - 2/27/2008 7:46 PM
I'm 6'4" 240# my clients (as mentioned) usually throw a 10 wt. I fish cisco forage lakes with Monster Muskies. I like to be equipped to handle the biggest fish in the lake. If a 50#er hits - I want to be ready for her - not just the bothersome 40"ers!! Bigger equipment stresses fish less - that's also why I use it.
Question - how do you manage your strip ? I find that laying my net on the boat floor in front of me works great.
Agreed. (I'm 240, but only 6'!) I don't mean to jump into the foray here with my first post, but I go heavy as well. Not for the sake of the fish, but for the sake of the fly. I like to cast a line between 500 and 600 grains to move the flies I tie. I know smaller flies will catch pike and musky, but dangit, I like to fish tandem 6/0's with double size five spinner blades and a 6" grub tail!
mskygyd, I salute you for fishing the 12. I consider a 10 wt to be the heaviest good "casting" rod. Beyond that they're designed to be "fighting" rods, as in for billfish and tarpon, with more lift built in and less action (typically speaking). They're not designed to be cast all day long, but rather once or twice, and then fought on for a good while. I've built a 13 and a 14 for flyfishing halibut and I'd kill myself casting those all day long. People think I'm batcrap crazy for fishing my 10's so often, so if you're fishing a 12, go for it!
As for me, I've flyfished for esox for several years. I haven't owned conventional rod for the last ten years. Nothing against gear, but I just enjoy flyfishing; especially for the larger species. I'm in the thick of the wild steelhead run right now in Western WA, but I'm transferring back to Michigan this summer, where I'll be stationed on Lake St. Clair, and I've already got my boat shopped for and taken care of. I've leave tomorrow if I could.
Jeff | |
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Posts: 457
| I dunno, like I said, I'd rather cast my Sage 14 than a couple of twelve weight rods I've got. Heck, I'd rather cast it than many of my 8''s. It's just just a nice shooting rod. It's certainly a LOT easier to load.
I fish big flies, too, as you can see from above, all of them, except just a couple weigh in at an ounce or two. That's a LOT of fly, doesn't matter what size rod. My billfish flies are beasts, as are most of my hair flies. I tend not to fish any spinner type flies, because I've never had any luck on them. I guess if I want to fish grubs/platics/bucktails, I'll pick up a casting rod, too. One of the patterns that I don't have up there, is a 10" skater. Great fly. 4" cork head in a pencil popper sort of style, squared off low to the water. Overall diameter it is about 1.75" big bunch of rubber legs, and tandem wire tie in back. It move so much water, and creates so much commotion. It's actually a billfish pattern, sort of adapted and upsized for 'skis.
Regardless of rod preference, fly size, or anything else, it certainly is a fun way to fish them.
Catch a big hen for me Jeff, since I won't get to this year, and kiss her on the nose.
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I know smaller flies will catch pike and musky, but dangit, I like to fish tandem 6/0's with double size five spinner blades and a 6" grub tail!
Jeff
Isn't that a bucktail???? 
Edited by muskydeceiver 2/28/2008 9:04 AM
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Location: Kodiak, AK | Whoolligan - 2/28/2008 2:04 AM
Catch a big hen for me Jeff, since I won't get to this year, and kiss her on the nose.
I'll do my best. | |
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | muskydeceiver - 2/28/2008 7:03 AM
I know smaller flies will catch pike and musky, but dangit, I like to fish tandem 6/0's with double size five spinner blades and a 6" grub tail!
Jeff
Isn't that a bucktail????
Based on, yes. But not exactly. Not as much metal, no treble hooks, no barbs. I'll get some pics, but here's a couple of other flies I use along those lines. I dunno, you can still tell they're "flies."
Jeff
Edited by esoxfly 2/28/2008 12:52 PM
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| What do you guys do for leaders?? | |
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | I run level 3'-6' of 40# mono for my leader and have been running braided steel bite tippet, but am going to flouro this year. I like to keep the whole thing short enough that my fly line stays outside the rod tip as the fish is boatside in the event of a last ditch run there's nothing to hang up.
Jeff | |
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Posts: 457
| I run pretty much the same rig for leaders, depends on the flies I'm heaving. Only thing different, is that I use Tyger. I tried fluorocarbon, for tarpon bite tippets, and I just didn't like it. | |
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Location: Kodiak, AK | Whoolligan - 2/28/2008 5:27 PM
I run pretty much the same rig for leaders, depends on the flies I'm heaving. Only thing different, is that I use Tyger. I tried fluorocarbon, for tarpon bite tippets, and I just didn't like it.
I tried the Tyger. It's nice stuff, but it's almost too limp for me. I use Cortland Toothy Critter. Still knotable, but has more backbone.
I'm just giving FC a shot this year after seeing so much of it being used. I've been a wire guy since I can remember. Why didn't you like it?
Jeff
Edited by esoxfly 2/28/2008 7:41 PM
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| Too stiff, and too hard to tie with relative ease on a change.
The other thing, is that tying it in as a bite tippet, it's almost impossible to tie in as a Bimini. | |
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | Whoolligan - 2/29/2008 9:07 AM
Too stiff, and too hard to tie with relative ease on a change.
The other thing, is that tying it in as a bite tippet, it's almost impossible to tie in as a Bimini.
Well that might just about wrap that one up for me. I live off of Biminis, and I was wondering how it'd fare with them. If 80# FC won't take a Bimini, I'll just stick with the steel. | |
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Posts: 457
| Yeah, it's a bugger for it. Think about tying a bimini with 150# hard mono, and you've got about the same as 80# Fluoro. | |
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| Thought I would post this. I thought it turned out well. That is a 9" ernie below the fly. This is the BP design that Bill Sherer ties. Supposed to dive anywhere from 2-10" with the plastic lip. Anyone use these before? The hard water prevents me from testing this out no matter how bad I want to.
Edit: I added a rattle in the body of this one as well!
Edited by muskydeceiver 3/10/2008 3:11 PM
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | Did you tie that? I like the perch stripes.
I'm at work right now (workin' hard), but I'll post some fly pics tonight when I get home.
Jeff | |
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| Yes, I tied that one. The tail is Puglisi fibre and it takes marker very well. I have tied some other streamers with this material and they turned out well. The middle is all marabou and the head is foam colored with marker.
I found some open water on a local lake and tried out some of my winter experiments. This one didn't wiggle as much as I hoped. I think I might have had too much terminal tackle in front of it. I am going to try tying directly to the leader and see if that helps.
Post some flies when you get a chance. Always like to see other people's work. | |
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | Sweet. I've always liked EP fibres. I've tied alot with rabbit, but made the switch to marabou this year for my heavy hitters. I still use rabbit on smaller flies, but I can throw alot more bulk for the same or less weight as with rabbit.
I'll have some flies posted for you in a few hours....provided the helos come back tonight in working order.
Jeff | |
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Posts: 65
Location: De Pere Wisconsin | I have fished with the BP flies with the lips. They catch a whole lot of wind in my opinion. that little lip is like an airplane wing(but it doesn't help it fly). Huge muddlers and Dahlberg Divers are enough to get you bit. I personally think that if you want to throw what amounts to radically oversized flies you might as well pick up the conventional gear at that point. The appeal to me to throwing flies is that they are a totally different look than what the muskies are seeing especially on heavily pressured spots/lakes and are especially useful when they(fish) are up shallow as that is where the fly rod is deadly.... great fun for sure!
http://www.haywardflyfishingcompany.com/ for Hayward area they guide the rivers up there and I have heard very good things.
http://www.tightlinesflyshop.com/ in DePere. they have some footage on their you tube site you can link too of muskies on the fly.
I see flies and tying gear out and about at Eagle Sports in Eagle River as well and the Complete Guide to Musky Hunting by Heiting and Saric has a chapter on fly fishing with the owner of Eagle Sports. | |
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| I have never liked the way marabou looked in the water. I don't know.....it doesn't look like it moves much. I used it on this one to try and keep the bulk down and still give the fly a "tube" look to make it look like a perch. How do you get your length on a marabou fly?
This is the first time I have messed with EP and it is really cool stuff. Really like the way it is hydophobic and I think it looks really good in the water.
DavidD.......what do you use for flies then if you don't go oversized? Just muddlers and Dahlberg's? How big? The whole different look for the fish is why I wanted to try fly-fishing this year. I thought the movement of a large fly might help.
Edited by muskydeceiver 3/11/2008 10:35 PM
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Location: Kodiak, AK | davidd - 3/11/2008 8:30 PM
I personally think that if you want to throw what amounts to radically oversized flies you might as well pick up the conventional gear at that point.
For me, the large flies are a big part of the appeal. I enjoy the creativity that super large flies allow me. Yeah, I can catch pike and muskie on a 2/0 or 3/0, but I enjoy fishing, and just as much, tying my larger flies. I got started with super large flies while I was stationed in Kodiak, and flyfished for halibut. I suppose I could catch a 'but on a 3/0, but it's a big ocean, and they're big fish and I wanted to catch their attention. So I got into spinner blades, rattles and the such. It got more and more fun to tie and experiment with very, very large flies, and I've not stopped since.
Tying flies, large, small or in between is not a requisite for being a committed flyfisherman, but I think that the attention, energy and "love" one puts into their flies, gear and technique says alot about their love of the fishing itself. Again, not a requisite, but for me, my pike and muskie fishing starts months before I ever get in a boat when I take so much enjoyment from dreaming up and tying the flies I use. I think about new fly patterns while driving to work, taking a shower, eating dinner or splitting wood. Like I said, I enjoy the flies themselves almost as much as I enjoy fishing itself.
Halibut on a fly; note large fly in it's mouth.
Edited by esoxfly 3/12/2008 6:21 AM
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | muskydeceiver - 3/11/2008 8:30 PM
I have never liked the way marabou looked in the water. I don't know.....it doesn't look like it moves much. I used it on this one to try and keep the bulk down and still give the fly a "tube" look to make it look like a perch. How do you get your length on a marabou fly?
I know I have to let marabou "breathe" for it to look right to me. It's used extensively in steelhead flies on the swing, not the strip. On a swing or drift, it breathes and pulsates like a champ. I know that fished on a strip, I have to "strip-strip-P A U S E..." If I strip too fast and don't let it settle a bit, it does just all lay down and not do much. If I want a faster retrieve with little or no pause, I'll use flies like what I have posted above with splayed hackle that will react more favorably to water, and is more resilient against a steady, constant strip. Yak hair works well too, and holds it's form well on a sustained strip with little or no pause.
As for length with marabou, or most any of my flies, I use tandem hooks. Sometimes up to three of them.
These are tandem 5/0 34007's and tandem 4/0 Gamakatsu Finnesse wide gaps.
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Location: Kodiak, AK | Here's a big tandem in progress. I use 60 lb steel, one hook up, one down.
Most of my large tandem marabous don't have blades, but I put one on this one to see see how it casts and how it fishes.
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Location: Kodiak, AK | The fly above has a size 3 blade, but I'll go up to a six sometimes. 3, 4 and 5 cast well for me. A six will cast, but I'm not going to win any distance competitions on them; not that you need to muskie fishing.
This is a single 7/0. And someone commented earlier in this thread, "isn't that a bucktail?" Well no. Inspired by yes. No treble hooks, not as much hardware, "tied" like a fly, weight like a fly, meant to cast like a fly (carried by fly line, rather than the line being carried by the fly.)
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Location: Kodiak, AK | And yes, I tie in colors other than black and blue! But black and blue work best for photos, as the colors don't wash out as badly under the close up flash.
Edited by esoxfly 3/12/2008 6:53 AM
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| RE: Hayward Flyfishing company.
Larry and Wendy are SUPER guides, and really good people. There are fewer that are better with a rod, and more knowledgeable of the areas fly fishing. They focus primarily on floating the Namekagon, and do really well there. Super guides, super knowledge, great little shop, with TONS of experience behind it. | |
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| Cool stuff esox. How far can you cast those larger flies? This is my second year casting a fly rod and I can get to about 40-50 feet as a limit on the big stuff. I am still working on my double haul. Why do you say you don't need distance when fly fishing muskie?
What do you use for the plastic tail on the fly?
Edited by muskydeceiver 3/12/2008 9:51 AM
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| Holy smokes! Those flies are insane. I have never seen anything like that! You must have arms like Schwarzenegger! Can you post pics of muskies caught on the fly??? | |
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | muskydeceiver - 3/12/2008 7:50 AM
Cool stuff esox. How far can you cast those larger flies? This is my second year casting a fly rod and I can get to about 40-50 feet as a limit on the big stuff. I am still working on my double haul. Why do you say you don't need distance when fly fishing muskie?
What do you use for the plastic tail on the fly?
By "distance" I mean something like 90' and shooting the whole fly line down to the backing. I'll shoot a Teeny 400 or 550 as far as it'll go while fishing salmon off shore. This allows me a longer retrieve in a big ocean to cover more water. Also allows the fly to sink (courtesy the line) 30'-40' so I can start my retrieve at the right depth. Same as with a spey cast for steelhead. You'll shoot, I dunno, 50' or 60' (I've never counted or measured) of running line, along with a 40' Skagit head for your swing.
I don't know how far I can cast them. Again, I've never measured or really thought about it. I'll shoot enought that I like to use a stripping basket (plastic trash can) to keep my fly line in order in the boat and not have a good shot line get tangled under foot. Get that double haul down. I double haul just as a matter of fact. Line speed is your friend. Also, if you haven't read one of the many casting instruction books or articles by Lefty Kreh or Ed Jaworski, you're holding yourself back.
The tails are just regular rubber grubs with the bodies cut off. It is tough to find unscented grubs, but a store in town has them. The skirt in the one pic is a squid skirt use for trolling for salmon.
Jeff | |
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Location: Kodiak, AK | esox50 - 3/12/2008 8:34 AM
Holy smokes! You must have arms like Schwarzenegger! Can you post pics of muskies caught on the fly???
Fly casting is all physics and mechanical advantage. If you're muscling a cast, you're just killing yourself.
I'm going to make an admission....I'm new to muskie. I'm a pike guy through and through though. I fish alone 99% of the time, so my good hero pics are few and far between. This is a decent fish, but it's the only time in the last five years I've fished with anyone, AND had a fish in the boat. This pic is probably five years old, and it's the most recent pic of a fish in the boat that I have; and it's a film picture that I scanned to put on the computer, thus the crappy quality.
Edited by esoxfly 3/12/2008 12:49 PM
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pike.jpg (192KB - 169 downloads)
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Posts: 457
| I'd have to agree with the most of it, though I find casting distance is essential, second only to accuracy. If you can't push 65' of line through the guides, you are going to be having troubles with fish. That's a minimum. For my sinking lines, I run a 30' head, and a 100' running line. Rarely do I have more than about 15'-20' on the reel or in the basket. Heads make it incredibly easy, as opposed to a wf line. They load better, handle better, and once you become used to it, will almost always perform better.
That said, I throw a lot of wf lines when I am not fishing stillwater, (like floating the Namekagon) because accuracy is FAR more important that covering water.
Go out in your yard with some pie tins, and practice putting your flies on them at 30-40-50-60-70 feet. It becomes second nature. Then, do that with billfish flies, and you will be in like Flynn.
Edit:
Another thing that you will find is when fishing for 'ski as opposed to pike, you will want to absolutely RIP that fly sometimes, I take as much as 5' on line as fast as I can. Just ripping it. When you get a hot fish on, and they are waking behind your biat, get to rippin, it's JUST like a bait and switch for billfish. (an absolute riot, too.) I had a 36" fish last year that acted like he was a world record coming in on a billfish pattern. He couldn't get on it fst enough, and I couldn't move it away any faster. The water was churning and boiling till about 10' from me and he ate, then went haywire.
Wait till you nail your first muskie on the fly, you'll NEVER go back to fishing pike on the fly.
Edited by Whoolligan 3/12/2008 1:03 PM
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | Why are 100' casts needed? I agree in the use of heads, and I use a couple of billfish lines in my esox fishing, so I'm in total agreement about big lines. I like heavier lines for the sake of moving flies this large, rather than shooting distance. Are you just covering more water on each retrieve? I've never thought to myself pike fishing, "wow, I wish I had an extra twenty feet on that cast." I've never been left wanting to cover more water or get deeper, even in 15' of water.
Not debating with ya, just asking..... | |
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Posts: 457
| Two reasons. Covering more water, with less casting effort= more time your fly is in the water with less effort expended.
Second, it gives a following fish more opportunity, and you more opportunity to do more with it, provided you aren't running a 700grain sink. It give you that chance to really vary your retrieve to get that fish to commit. It also gives you the chance to reach where you might not otherwise be able to. Your mileage may vary, in what you choose to practice, and in how you fish. | |
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | Fair 'nuff. I see where you're coming from. Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating casting short, but like I said, I've never wished I could shoot the last 10' of line off the reel. I've only had but a handfull of long follows to the boat. The vast majority of my fish have hit at distance in the first half of the retrieve.
And I plan to get more into musky this summer when I transfer back to Michigan. The CG is sending me back to my first unit, which happens to sit on the shores of Lake St. Clair! I won't be able to help but be a musky guy then.
Jeff | |
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Posts: 65
Location: De Pere Wisconsin | I didn't mean to say that fishing with large flies is silly or anything like that. I generally prefer an 8 weight and water that would be more likely to get classified as "action" as I would be in serious trouble with a larger fish if I was lucky enough to tangle with one on an 8 weight . I was at one time an exclusive fly fisherman but became so enthralled with muskies that the whole culture of them kinda took over and I crossed over to the "dark side" as many fly guys tend of think of "gear" fisherman...let alone live bait (gasp!!  Now I fish however I want and it is cool. I love how guys like Dahlberg and Flip Pallot will toss flies and the moment the conditions warrant conventional gear they grab it and fish - no apologies. That is very appealing to me to not be constrained by any pre-conceived notion of what is acceptable or appropriate .
The big flies you guys are tying are really nice looking in those bigger sizes. Halibut on the fly! That is very cool! | |
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Posts: 457
| Flip, and Jose, are pretty much two of my heroes.
I do 95% of my musky fishing with an 8, and have popped fish up to 48" on 8wt with absolutely no problem. Whatever works for you, and you feel comfortable with, I guess, is the motto.
USCG, and you have time to fish? Sheesh, what's wrong with THAT picture. :P They need to keep you busier!! I'm sure once you get back to station, you'll be running the muskies ragged. Hope you have fun at it, too.
Lastly, I fish with what I want, when I want. I tend, now, to fish traditional gear, because your odds are so much better. That, and there's just something about working a jerk bait that is rhythmic and soothing. | |
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | Agreed. Flip is my hero as well. A class act all the way.
Don't worry about the CG keeping me busy. I've got a flight tonight, which is my third one this week! And then next week we've got a helo coming down hard for a boat load of maintenance, so yeah we're humpin'. | |
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