Fly Fishing for Muskies

After viewing the Fly Fishing show on the VS channel the other day, it
got my sporting blood flowing. The 2 guys were fishing for Muskies on
a lake in Boulder Junction Wisconsin. I've never fished for Muskies,
as there are none in Oregon! I asked a question about the epoxy head
fly they were using on the Fly Tying Newsgroup, and Ken suggested I
post on here to get info about Muskie fly fishing and flys. So here it
is. Suggestions????

Hey, at least I learned how to tell the difference between a Muskie
and a Pike!

Stan

Stan wrote:
After viewing the Fly Fishing show on the VS channel the other day, it
got my sporting blood flowing. The 2 guys were fishing for Muskies on
a lake in Boulder Junction Wisconsin. I've never fished for Muskies,
as there are none in Oregon! I asked a question about the epoxy head
fly they were using on the Fly Tying Newsgroup, and Ken suggested I
post on here to get info about Muskie fly fishing and flys. So here it
is. Suggestions????

Hey, at least I learned how to tell the difference between a Muskie
and a Pike!

Stan

Big rods. 9, 10 wts.even 11 wts.
Floating & sinking tip lines with front ends shortened..
Very short leaders & strong wire tippets.
Big flies 6", 8", even 10" long on big hooks size 1, 2/0, even 4/0..
Tandem flys to add length.
Bright colors, reds, yellows, charteuse, blacks, with white in
combination.
Super long hackles, hair, or rabbit strips for action.
And pray like hell for NO wind when out on the lake.
Have fun!
Joel

I watched that episode too. Pretty cool.

Does anyone know why after they made a cast and were stripping the fly
back in, they had their rod tips in the water? Was that to give the fly
the right action? I suppose I imagined the fly moving in a more or less
parallel motion to the bottom, when stripped in that manner, in stead
of it being brought to the surface?
Is this the correct assumption?

Anyway I'd never seen that technique before, any thoughts?

thanks,
-Ethan

Stan wrote:
After viewing the Fly Fishing show on the VS channel the other day, it
got my sporting blood flowing. The 2 guys were fishing for Muskies on
a lake in Boulder Junction Wisconsin. I've never fished for Muskies,
as there are none in Oregon! I asked a question about the epoxy head
fly they were using on the Fly Tying Newsgroup, and Ken suggested I
post on here to get info about Muskie fly fishing and flys. So here it
is. Suggestions????

Brian posted the URL of the Muskie guide's website over in rofft

http://www.wetieit.com/

and I was so impressed with it I gave Bill Sherer a call.

Disclaimer: I know nothing about fly fishing for muskie, I've
never even tried to catch a muskie ever in my life and when I
accidentally caught a northern pike while fishing for smallmouth
I was scared half to death of the damn thing and cut the fly
rather than try to deal with that slimy, toothy thing in my canoe.
Everything I'm posting here is info I got during a forty-five
minute phone conversation with Bill Sherer.

Rod- 9' 9wt, the faster the better. Winston Boron, Sage TCR,
St. Croix Legend are all OK but their tips are too wimpy. Bill
has designed his own rod specifically for muskie, The Muskie
Master,(he'll sell you one for $495.;-) The rod needs to be
able to toss huge windeaters 60 feet while at the same time
having a tip strong enough to withstand that figure 8 move you
do right next to the boat. Most muskies are caught after they've
chased the fly right up next to the boat.

Flyline- He likes a 9wt intermediate sinktip with a clear tip.
Cortland Ghost Tip is OK but he really likes the Airflo Forty Plus.
He says he very rarely ever uses a floating line.

Leader & Tippet- Just a 2-3ft piece of straight 30lb mono for the
leader and a 2 or 3ft piece of 30lb titanium wire for a tippet.
Tyger Wire is no good because it kinks too easily, pay a little
extra and get the titanium. Use an Albright knot to attach the
titanium tippet to the leader and a clinch knot to tie on the fly.

Flies- His own designs, of course. ;-) But Bunnies are OK and
big Deceivers too.

That's about it. It sounds like a hoot so I signed up for this:

http://www.wetieit.com/blog/index.php?category=5

Me, Kristine and Kipper are going to spend that whole week up in
Boulder Junction, does anybody have a recommendation for vacation
rentals in the area that take dogs ?

--
Ken Fortenberry

"Ethan" wrote in message
oups.com...
I watched that episode too. Pretty cool.

Does anyone know why after they made a cast and were stripping the fly
back in, they had their rod tips in the water? Was that to give the fly
the right action? I suppose I imagined the fly moving in a more or less
parallel motion to the bottom, when stripped in that manner, in stead
of it being brought to the surface?
Is this the correct assumption?

Anyway I'd never seen that technique before, any thoughts?

Muskies are known to follow a bait right up to the boat. Like other
predatory fish, they will frequently single out prey that is injured.
Dragging the lure around in a figure eight or a circle near the boat (the
only place you can do this) is intended to imitate the erratic behavior of
an injured baitfish or other critter. Noise and motion are both believed to
be effective triggers. Sticking the rod tip in the water helps to create a
bigger ruckus, so it probably helps, but it is also necessary to keep the
bait under the surface.....otherwise it would simply hydroplane on top.

Wolfgang

Muskies are known to follow a bait right up to the boat. Like other
predatory fish, they will frequently single out prey that is injured.
Dragging the lure around in a figure eight or a circle near the boat (the

Wolfgang

How cool! I bet seeing one of those monsters chasing your fly right up
by the boat is pretty exciting. Thanks for the info...

-Ethan

Ken Fortenberry wrote:

That's about it. It sounds like a hoot so I signed up for this:

http://www.wetieit.com/blog/index.php?category=5

Me, Kristine and Kipper are going to spend that whole week up in
Boulder Junction, does anybody have a recommendation for vacation
rentals in the area that take dogs ?

--
Ken Fortenberry

Remember Ken,
Musky fishing is very iffy. You can catch 3 or 4, even a half dozzen
in a day
Or not even get a follow or see one in a week.

Joel *DFD* wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
That's about it. It sounds like a hoot so I signed up for this:

http://www.wetieit.com/blog/index.php?category=5

Me, Kristine and Kipper are going to spend that whole week up in
Boulder Junction, does anybody have a recommendation for vacation
rentals in the area that take dogs ?

Remember Ken,
Musky fishing is very iffy. You can catch 3 or 4, even a half dozzen
in a day
Or not even get a follow or see one in a week.

Yeah, that's what I heard. Muskie fishing is something I've
never tried and the three-day clinic costs less than hiring
a guide for two days so I figure if I can catch a clue it'll
be worth it. Thing is, I'm gonna need a bigger net. I hope. ;-)

And there's plenty of real nice brook trout water up in that
area too right across the border in the Yoop. I plan to give
my 3wt a workout too while I'm up there.

--
Ken Fortenberry

"Stan" wrote in message
...
After viewing the Fly Fishing show on the VS channel the other day, it
got my sporting blood flowing. The 2 guys were fishing for Muskies on
a lake in Boulder Junction Wisconsin. I've never fished for Muskies,
as there are none in Oregon! I asked a question about the epoxy head
fly they were using on the Fly Tying Newsgroup, and Ken suggested I
post on here to get info about Muskie fly fishing and flys. So here it
is. Suggestions????

Hey, at least I learned how to tell the difference between a Muskie
and a Pike!

Stan

We've got a river here in Southern Ohio noted for it's spring
Muskie...perfectly suited to a kayak.

john