Musky Flies: No Exact Science

 Mooser here...before I begin I would just like to say this post is just my thoughts and opinions on tying muskie flies.  There are going to be those who disagree and those who take it as food for thought. However which way you take it, I hope there is something you can take from it.

      I've been tying muskie flies for a good while now and have had the chance to fish for them quite a bit. However, to say I am as good as Brad Bohen at catching these fish , or tying these flies as any of the forefathers of hollow tying have done, such as Bob Popovichs, would be blasphemous.

      Are there many other tiers still better at this craft than me and more experienced? Absolutely yes! These are the people I have learned and are still learning from till this day. I will say , and, I thank those who have gotten into this microcosm of fly tying and fly fishing. I still see myself as a beginner or novice musky fly tier and fisher since I have not boated one or found a specific "go to pattern"that peaks the interest of this specific subspecies of fish. I have , however, had three hook ups and I don't know how many follows but that has caused me to pursue these fish.  The first time my eyes gazed upon this fish, I knew it was over.

       With Bohen's adage of fur, feather, and flash and the others I have learned from, and their patterns, I started. I started tying muskie flies that were, at least to say...okay. As time progressed, I found myself becoming more and more obsessed. I kept tying and tying only to find myself troubled by these fish. I.E. "When I am going to fish for these fish, how do I go about it. is there something I am doing wrong, what do they want, how do I present it, what should I look for ?" All of these thoughts poured into my head then I contemplated, "How do I land one of these fish?!"

      As I tied, I played with this adage, I flipped it and twisted it to see how many different combinations I could come up with.  I then realized how many combinations you can come up with, and that any one of them could be successful.  The flies are almost like Kramer in Seinfeld, if any of you are familiar with this show, you just never know what your gonna get or what crazy thing could come of it.  In regards to Kramer and the relation to musky flies, there are no rules, let go and just do whatever you want basically be yourself and tie.

      When at the fly fishing show in Lancaster, PA I over heard some guys talking about and I quote,"those long jawns, those bright beastly looking flies, they some shark meat!" As I continued listening in, they went on and talked about how hard it must be and how it, "at least takes three days to tie one." They could not be farther from the truth with this statement but bring up a very important point.
   
      Do I recommend you go out and buy your first vice and start with a musky fly as your first spun bug? No. Basic principles of tying are far more important in the beginning and to continue success. These will benefit you in the long run and help you be able to tie all types of bugs up, with consistency, professionalism, and pattern production.

      These three things do not come right away. For some people they can just hop on a vice for their first time and spin a mean bug just from the materials they have in front of them.  I admire these people, they have a gift that they should stick with. Although, if this is not you, a musky fly may very well take three days.

Three key things, that I feel are important, to focus on if you decide to get into this area of fly tying. (Predator Patterns) :

      Basics      

      The basic principles of tying such as; your idea, thread base, skill, etc. are most important in designing your own musky fly.  Think back to a whooly bugger. I am sure this is the most common first fly for any novice.  Simple, with basic materials and steps anyone can tie this fly.  You are taking in with this fly, am I using too much material, is my spacing even, is my tail too long, are my wraps of the chenille for the body loose or are there gaps?  All of these same questions will end up being asked while tying a musky fly.  Just stick to fur feather flash as your basic guide for starting out then play with it to see what you can create.

Always ask those questions to your self, but do not be too critical, and do not over analyze just tie.


     Design      

      When designing one of these flies it is important to get an idea of what you want to accomplish. Do you want a simple pattern consisting of a little bit of flash and a lot of feathers and some fur.  Do you want more flash and fur with only a couple of feathers ?  The possibilities of your design are endless due to the design being yours!  Once you know what you want, hold that idea in your head and stick with it.  Just like casting to a rising fish, don't have doubts of whether your going to spook him or not be confident in your casting ability, the fly, and be confident your going to catch him.  Be confident in your plan and stick with it.

    Taper         

      Taper what is a taper? Think of carrot.  It goes from fat at the top to skinny at the bottom.  The taper of your flies can look well like a carrot or be more stout and beefy.  This all depends on where you get your hair from and how much you use of it.  I have found out through trial and error of how to get the taper to where I want it.  I do this by looking at the buck tail and seeing which section of it I want to take the hair from.  The top of the buck tail, you have the more dense fur which does not flair out when spun.  This type of hair is perfect for the beginning and up to the half way point of your hook.  It forms that back portion or the ass end of your fly which if done correctly with the right type of hair will look like the bottom portion of a carrot when wet.
      The other section of the buck tail where I get my hair from is the bottom.  I choose this type of hair to start the middle up to the head of the fly to give it some profile and a water pushing effect. The hair down at the bottom is hollow and will flair out.  This is great hair for making a bigger profiled fly such as a sunfish or crappie pattern.

      For the taper and over all design of the fly do not use too much hair.  Using too much hair will cause your pattern to bulk up too quickly leading to some wasted deer hair and an unhappy and frustrated tier. With hollow tying I have found the sizes of every two clumps you use (about the circumference of a pencil for each) should equal to about the circumference of a sharpie. For starting the back small clumps taken from the top of the buck tail are more preferable to those of a bigger stature and of less density of the bottom hair.
      Folding the first small clump back then throwing in your feathers and your flash is the next step. After that is done tie in your next small clump and fold back onto the previously tied materials.  You will see that with the second clump pushed back you have a good amount of deer hair that you just put down and did not even notice it.  The two clumps still make up for the amount even though placed in different areas. When they join they improve in amount and protection ability for those brittle feathers and the flash.  When progressing up the hook you can increase in clump size if you feel comfortable enough.

     The slimmer the pattern, take your hair from the top,  The beefier the pattern, take your hair from the bottom.

Do not be afraid to  mix the types of hair together to see what you can come up with!

Like I said this is not stating an exact science on how to tie them.  These are just some tips to keep in mind that have helped me and I hope they help you

Mooser.