So I've been spending my Sunday getting the Musky Boxes filled up and finishing up orders for our sponsor Sidling Hill Hackle, and the Keystone Fly Fishing Giveaway. I am going on a Musky float this Sunday and couldn't be more stoked for it. It's a new moon so the big girls should be out to play. Hopefully we can boat one!
If you're planning on chasing some toothies here are a few tips that I've picked up along the way.
1. Presentation
How you present your fly, just like any species, is the most important aspect of getting a Musky's attention. Musky are an ambush style fish and whether they are feeding or protecting their territories, when they hit your fly it's aggressive. You want to get their attention with a fly that pushes water, flashes a lot, or contrasts with the water color. Using a spun deer hair head helps push water without making the fly too bulky for casting.
That brings me to my next point.
2. Casting
For those like myself who never fished for anything other than trout before this, the casting stroke is different. If you try keeping your fly in the air like you would when you present a dry fly, you're going to beat yourself up and won't last a full day. A guy I work with taught me a much better, effective way to cast. The double haul. If you get your fly wet, shoot 20-30 feet of line out, keep another 60 feet or so next to you, then pick all of that line up and "load" the rod with your left hand by pulling the fly line as you are casting forward. With this method, you can shoot 4x the amount of line out and cover a ton of water. This is especially useful for lake fishing when you have tons of room. The key is finding the sweet spot in the rod where the perfect amount of line loads it to it's max.
3. Retrieving
Varying your retrieves is always a good idea, especially when you are first starting out. What you want to remember is that they hit out of aggression. I find that speeding up when you see them following makes their aggression rise, because they love the chase. When you get your fly to the boat, make big figure 8's and circles with your rod tip in the water. The noise from your rod tip and change in direction makes them crazy.
4. Hookset
Stripset stripset stripset. I lost a mid 30's musky last year because I didn't stripset. It was a false hookset and I lost it after a minute or so. The first thing a musky does usually when you hook it is swim at the boat. Get it on the reel and hold on. It's going to start shaking its head, doing rolls, and maybe even some jumps! Keep your hooks sharp, preferably barbless, and big. Some flies we tie have hooks as big as 8/0!
5. Landing & Release
These fish take years and years to get into the 50s, so treat them with care! They might seem like big bad creatures but they can be extremely vulnerable. Try to keep them in the water as much as possible. If they lose their slime, it can severely damage them, plus it reiks. Also refrain from using Boga Grips to hold them; instead, put one hand under their jaw (not on the gills!) and another holding the tail. If you don't grab it like a maniac, it won't want to freak out on you...usually haha. Watch out for those teeth, and bring long pliers and hook cutters. They are essential. Lift your greased pig out of the water and take some shots! Then revive it, and release it. There is no reason to not keep these fish healthy and thriving in our waters. PA is lucky enough to even have Musky, and as anglers we need to preserve that.
Good luck folks! Don't get discouraged if you fish a whole day without a single follow or sighting. These fish are called the fish of 1000 casts for a reason. Every cast brings you more Musky Mojo as we like to call it, and means you're just that much closer to sticking a monster.
Ty
 |
| Those zonkers are going to dance |
 |
| Water Pusher eh? |
