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Posts: 624
Location: Bloomington, MN | FFS will bring the so called new go-to 55" back to the old or 48 real quick! I've seen it, these folks are really good! I'm actually envious of them getting these huge fish .The amount of little ones or big ones don't always make it through. Too many fish hooked!
Edited by Clark A 9/27/2024 11:22 PM
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Posts: 648
Location: Duluth | Far From Sporting is good.
Spent Saturday knee deep in a stream chasing steelhead and bumping birds with my dog. Not super inclined to get back in the boat and rerun spots that have been fished to death by the scope crowd. Might stay that way for the rest of my fishing life. |
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Posts: 359
Location: Selkirk, Manitoba | Larry Ramsell - 9/25/2024 3:33 PM
THIS IS DIFFERENT!!!!!
It is NOT fair chase...PERIOD!
https://www.outdoorlife.com/fishing/world-length-record-muskie-westo...
Legally caught, but... I mean would be nice if was actually caught by someone who could appreciate what muskies are and what musky fishing is, not this... |
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Posts: 648
Location: Duluth | Its a farce. At least one bad apple loves all of the attention. |
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Posts: 561
Location: WI |
Agreed. Hiring a guide to catch a big fish and claiming personal success is weak. |
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Posts: 1296
| In today's Star Tribune.
https://www.startribune.com/anderson-is-it-muskie-fishing-or-muskie-...
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Posts: 648
Location: Duluth | Glad that guides feel they have enough public support to speak up.
Also, lol, ego's in muskie fishing....never |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | "The fish of ten thousand cash" - I likes it. m |
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Posts: 781
Location: Ames, Iowa | I'm very old scool, and I know my lake well enough to know there are big fish everywhere on it. Given that, I have to use the old Lindner F + L + P formula to catch fish. I have to think about the sun, the water temperature, the wind direction, the condition of weeds, depth, my baits, my boat and boat control to catch fish.
To me FFS is akin to spotlighting deer. |
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Posts: 206
| There appears to be a fly fishing mindset that has spread to portion of the musky community. That is 'I really don't care if I catch a fish; i just need to do it right and look good doing it." instead of a funny hat and cute vest with flies hanging on it the musky crowd points to the foot locker full of custom baits. I only went sharp shooting once and that happened to be under the tutelage of a MN Guide.
I don't sharp shoot and the lakes I fish are not conducive to it anyway. I'm using the FFS to follow weed lines and locate schools of bait. I any event I offer the following.
Fishing For Success |
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| Interesting article from the Star Tribune, in particular the views of veteran guides.
Really wish I had talked to my guide on Eagle Lake this past summer about FFS. I saw he had a mount on his boat for it, but not in use. We fished all day, mostly on wind blown structure and maybe 20% of the time on a couple weedy bays. I caught two nice fish, he had a couple of follows he was not able to convert and I had a swing and a miss by a decent fish. His game plan before we left the dock on a day with winds over 20 mph was wind blown reefs, rock points, rock bars. He guides full time on Eagle, really wish I had thought to talk to him about FFS while we ate our sandwiches. Guy in his late twenties, so I am sure he is at least interested in the tech. |
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Posts: 1296
| pstrombe - 12/27/2024 7:53 AM
There appears to be a fly fishing mindset that has spread to portion of the musky community. That is 'I really don't care if I catch a fish; i just need to do it right and look good doing it." instead of a funny hat and cute vest with flies hanging on it the musky crowd points to the foot locker full of custom baits.
I found this interesting, as over the last couple of years, I've spent way more time patrolling trout streams in the driftless area, than I have in my boat, fishing for muskies. I feel like after so many years chasing muskies, it can get a little old. I'm satisfied with the successes I've had, and as I get older, hooking up and hauling the boat around is a bit tiresome. Plus all the people on the water. I almost never see anyone else on the trout streams. Now that I've been having success learning and catching trout on conventional tackle, I have a weird feeling that it's too easy, so I"m shopping for fly equipment, to make it more challenging. |
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Posts: 781
Location: Ames, Iowa | Exactly the same thing I'm doing. |
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Posts: 648
Location: Duluth | TCESOX - 12/29/2024 11:56 AM
pstrombe - 12/27/2024 7:53 AM
There appears to be a fly fishing mindset that has spread to portion of the musky community. That is 'I really don't care if I catch a fish; i just need to do it right and look good doing it." instead of a funny hat and cute vest with flies hanging on it the musky crowd points to the foot locker full of custom baits.
I found this interesting, as over the last couple of years, I've spent way more time patrolling trout streams in the driftless area, than I have in my boat, fishing for muskies. I feel like after so many years chasing muskies, it can get a little old. I'm satisfied with the successes I've had, and as I get older, hooking up and hauling the boat around is a bit tiresome. Plus all the people on the water. I almost never see anyone else on the trout streams. Now that I've been having success learning and catching trout on conventional tackle, I have a weird feeling that it's too easy, so I"m shopping for fly equipment, to make it more challenging.
Last two seasons I have been checking the fly fishing trout boxes, still looking for that 3lb Brook Trout. My sentiment mirrors yours: the places it takes me, the lack of pressure and the attention to detail required to get big fish to eat is a superior draw at this time in my life.
I really pick my days musky fishing now, and do well. |
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| Have gotten to know several hard core trout fishermen at the YMCA I belong to. They are some happy guys. And in great shape. I was shocked to find out one of them had been a combat medic in Vietnam in 1965. A lot of guys in their 40s and 50s would have a hard time keeping up with him. His face just lights up when he talks about finding a new stretch of river/stream that produces brookies. Another guy just had his hip replaced. Timing of the surgery was so he would be fully ready to hit the streams when spring comes. He was still lifting weights two days before surgery. |
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Posts: 3149
| Well then c'mon over to the twin cities trout unlimited chapter,,they alternate their meetings between fat pants brewery in Eden prairie and the wild boar in Oakdale,,you just missed a good one a seasoned veteran showed how to plan a fantastic trip to Montana.. |
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Posts: 359
Location: Selkirk, Manitoba | pstrombe - 12/27/2024 7:53 AM
There appears to be a fly fishing mindset that has spread to portion of the musky community. That is 'I really don't care if I catch a fish; i just need to do it right and look good doing it." instead of a funny hat and cute vest with flies hanging on it the musky crowd points to the foot locker full of custom baits. I only went sharp shooting once and that happened to be under the tutelage of a MN Guide.
I don't sharp shoot and the lakes I fish are not conducive to it anyway. I'm using the FFS to follow weed lines and locate schools of bait. I any event I offer the following.
Fishing For Success
Fishing for Success => Fits the acronym - but hope that is not your definition of success.
As far as the fly fishing crowd, in the fly fishing realm that I exist in, (as well as musky fishing) if I even see any other anglers I (or we) move on. Musky fishing I am going to put my rod down and pick up a spinning outfit to prevent burning some less obvious or ephemeral spots. Fly fishing (the places I fish anyway), there is a certain amount of courtesy with regards to fishing a known pool or productive riffle/run where you don't camp. You are always going to get exceptions with a slob angler or someone who just doesn't get it that hogs a spot or flogs it so the fish sulk permanently. Fish a spot and move on, which is typically the best strategy anyway. You are not putting on a show for anyone.
Fly anglers certainly do have "a look." The look you are referring to though is because as a fly angler you are carrying everything you need with you, and as with any pursuit, the more sturdy, better built (higher end materials) etc, the more expensive - and hence perhaps someone that is particularly into fly fishing is going to have an appearance that sets them apart. I doubt they give one sh-t what anyone thinks of what they look like though.
I highly recommend folks that are thinking about fly fishing to take it up. I probably do it once or twice a year now (last year for wild brown trout in Germany - Bad Wuttemburg). Basically has similar experience to this fellow although I had to leave prior to the evening hatch:
https://youtu.be/50iGXYO6L4c?si=VCuWGI_MQEfwHpS3
Fished the exact same stretch - amazing how the beavers have come back there. They were extirpated until pretty recently - beavers were considered "fish" so the monks of the region (Catholic) could eat them during Lent (Fridays).
The reality is that there are a lot of places in the world where one can fly fish but other methods not possible. Fly fishing gear is light (waders not so much).
Success in fishing is the entire experience, the catching I think for most is only one small part of it. The Grosse Lauter trip and I fished the nearby Blau, I did catch some nice native brown trout and some rainbows, but a big part of the success was everything about the struggle to get a license to start with and actually getting to fish some streams there. The food, beer, talking with other anglers and picking up some big rubber for muskies in a German fishing store were definitely a bonus. The fact that I can reflect fondly on it now and it is an indelible memory makes it a success. The fish catching is a miniscule part of that memory.
Bottom line: whatever FFS brings to the table, it won't bring you any closer to what success really is.
Edited by Angling Oracle 1/9/2025 11:47 AM
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