Early December Scramble
- This topic has 16 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated Jan 9, 2014 at 1:25 pm by
.
-
Posts
-
Thursday Night:
Stayed up too late tying new ideas on overpriced triple-articulated hooks with high expectations of Pre-cold front muskies.Tying station disaster…there’s a vise in there somewhere:
Friday:
Woke up at 4:15 AM to finish loading the gear and Crawdad and meet up with V Wake to journey to some remote waters. Gusty winds and spitting rain greeted us with muddy feeder creeks as the river began to rise up the banks…PERFECT conditions for chaos that brings good fishing. We slid the Crawdad down the bank and we were off:
VWake caught a good ‘un right off the bat that charged at the boat as he struggled to get tension on the strip set. A nice Musky in the first 10 minutes. We managed a few lagging follows…but not quite the aggressive charges I expected the murky water to bring.
A few hours later, watched VW lure a musky out of the muddy water into the clear where it paused for a second. A quick/perfectly sliced Keep-away turn caused the musky to charge and crush the fly…#2 in the boat.
We kept fishing strong, with a few more nice fish spotted; but our luck ran out, as the fading light dimmed the fish activity. The river was up, but still looked good; keeping our hopes high for the next day of fishing.
Day Two: after a coma-like sleep from the previous day’s exhaustion, we drove to explore some new river stretches I’ve been eyeballing on GoogleMaps. Even after tracing many miles to headwaters, the cfs flow had doubled, and the muddy waters were unwelcoming. We made the most of it and explored to find some of the most impressive river stretches I have ever seen…got some very scary hollows, though– hoping not to encounter some of the locals next time we return.
Plan B: We then headed towards home with intentions of fishing another drainage. Crossed a couple bridges–Nope, it’s flowing high and muddy with 2″ visibility. VW had some family obligations and decided it would be best to return home; so we returned to his truck and loaded up his gear.Jay called me and was up to fish, so we agreed to meet at a river hole that I’ve been wanting to fish for Years. I drove through the mountains…got to the water…MUDDDDY! Darn! I scramble back from the mountains and find Jay driving; and we settle on our last and only hope for clear water…BINGO!
We drug the Crawdad through some timber and launch into a perfect flat water hole with structure and stained/but clear water with 4 ft visibility.15 minutes on the water, my line gets tight off some deep timber…Damn, I’m hung up…Nope! the bottom starts moving and the choppy gray water reveals a massive slick boil that looks like a manatee tail wake. I sink the hooks in, and the battle’s on. Jay’s hollering out of excitement, and I am trying to keep my cool as this massive beast has me nervous as hell. Big head shakes, lunges under the boat, gator rolls spinng into the line: the whole package deal while trying to battle a big fish on a fly rod. We got her netted in the Frabill in a couple minutes, then off to the bank for some photos. A solid, very fat fish just over 48 inches. She kicked away with a strong splash.
No more hookups, but with the fishy conditions…every cast felt like it could happen again. We ate a good dinner on the ride home, and kept looking at the photos of this awesome fish. Truly a moment I’ll cherish with my brother.
Now the flies from 2 days fishing are drying for the next trip:
Travis
NICE! I love how with muskie flies, the equivalent to the rotating fly dryer is the full-sized oscillating fan. Hahahaha.
Zach
That fan gets it done. Too much $$$ in hooks,hackle and flash to let’em rust or allow the colors to bleed out.
For the record, I wasn’t trying to diminish my buddy’s fish with the smaller pics. When I uploaded them from online to my Photobucket, they just came up smaller.
Impressive beast you nailed Travis…..I know guys that have been hunting Musky a long time and never tied into a fish like that!
Good on you.
When you get a chance could you post some tight shots of your flies. Always interested in what else is on the menu.Thanks guys.
The best thing about musky flies is the lengths and amount of material options gives you an endless number of materials and color combos to choose from. I purposely try to keep my go-to patterns vague online so as to let the next tyer come up with their own ideas. I do find confidence in large profile flies about 12″ average.
I use 3 high quality hooks from 6-0 to 4-0 to 1-0 600SP’s linked with 60lb wire. I used to use quadrupled 60lb braid, but I had a few muskies bite through it.
Saddles, schlapen, bucktail, synthetic fibers, flashabou…if you can think it up…it works. Just got to keep the flies swimming deep, and fish like a maniac. Just when you start to doubt how crazy you are for going through the trouble…a fish reveals itself, and it will leave you with nightmares.Here are a few early patterns that produced. I change my fly patterns everytime I make one.
Here’s a video if it works:
<embed width=”600″ height=”361″ type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowFullscreen=”true” allowNetworking=”all” wmode=”transparent” src=”http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf” flashvars=”file=http%3A%2F%2Fvid140.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr22%2Ftraviswiles%2FVIDEO0004.mp4″>
Travis would it be possible to target those fish with Spey rods or would their feeding pattern just make it impractical?
Zach
Hey Zach, I’ve never used a Spey rod extensively, but my initial impression is that it would not be an ideal tool for muskies. The flies are bulky, waterlogged squirrels when you sling the first half cast to fling the water out. I brace the fighting butt into the muscular part of my forearm and use very rigid casts(mostly backhanded) to keep the high velocity casts low and parallel to the water. Most of the time, you’re landing right into bankside overhangs.I prefer a 400 to 500 gr sinktip to keep the flies deep throughout the retrieve, and I’m not sure how those rods would load the heavier tapers.
Most importantly, is the figure 8. I like a very fast action on a rod to slice fast turns when a fish comes in hot. If the rod has any flex in the middle, it will wobble as your digging it 6ft underwater trying to fire up a strike. I’ve seen several catchable fish not eat because the fig 8 turns were too lazy and slow…then the fish loses interest. I feel a limber Spey rod may handicap the boatside game which is where most of my fish are caught.
All that said…if you had a lighter hollow/reverse tied fly with a large profile but collapsible for long casts…I could see a niche for speyrods in open water scnarios. Aggressive fish on summer weed lines hang in the main channels, and a long cast would be an advantage.
Hope my 2 cents helps.Very interesting Travis. This figure 8 technique is the thing I heard Brad Bohen describe in his super-informative talk he gave at Cohutta Outfitters when he came down here. I guess the idea is to convince the muskie that you’ve caught something good to eat and get him to try to steal it from you? How many of your fish end up being caught while doing that maneuver?
You should really write us a muskie tactics article man. Although you may feel that would encourage more people to try, which I certainly understand… 🙂
Zach
How many of your fish end up being caught while doing that maneuver?
Not that you asked me but I’d say I get about 25-40% of my fish on a figure 8. It depends on the body of water more than anything.
And a spey rod is not a good tool for those fish. You can do it if you are dead set on it but what Travis (and what most other guys) is doing above would never work with a big rod. Some guys throw a switch rod but they are still just over head casting with a little help from the bottom hand at times. It’s almost impossible to lift those flies off the water after placing an anchor.
Most waters I Fish are quite clear, and usually there is a response time where I see the fish charge before a strike. I’d say 60 to 80 % of my fly annihilations occur within a rod’s length of boatside. Not always does this mean I spun the fish around chasing on several turns to get the bite, but Often, I tuck the rod in close and begin a fast sweeping arc through the water that leads the curious follow to a kill. I’ve had a couple pursuits last over 2 minutes, before the chasing fish finally bit. I’ve fumbled a lot of figure 8’s before my technique improved. Still, most fish will veer off if they don’t bite after the first turn.
In murky water, The strikes are more random and surprise moments without as much stalk, anywhere in the cast.
I’ve had a couple pursuits last over 2 minutes, before the chasing fish finally bit. I’ve fumbled a lot of figure 8′s before my technique improved. Still, most fish will veer off if they don’t bite after the first turn.
I’ve had several fish appear to veer off only to go deep and wait under the boat. Keep stirring the pot!!! They’ll come from below.
I had all but given up on this fish after she chased twice, followed a figure 8 for several turns, and seemed to have disappeared. A few turns later she came from under the boat and pounced.
I’d say the majority of my fish come two or three strips off the bank. Especially in dirty water. Clear water seems to bring more follows as Travis said. But who knows, you probably have the same amount of follows in dirty water but just never saw them.
So is the idea that they’re trying to snatch a fish you are catching or what? I don’t get how they apparently have no boat shyness. Or are they just like cats that can’t resist one of those feather toys?
So is the idea that they’re trying to snatch a fish you are catching or what? I don’t get how they apparently have no boat shyness. Or are they just like cats that can’t resist one of those feather toys?
The idea is that you’re keeping the bait moving. This isn’t specific to fly fishing, it was started by the gear guys. Turning the bait around in circles mimics a flight reaction of the bait and usually the fish pounces on it.
As for not being scared of the boat, these fish aren’t scared of anything. They are the apex predator. If they want something, nothing will stop them. Imagine the juiced up meat head at your local fitness center having a brain the size of a pee. Rational thought doesn’t enter into the equation.
These fish will steal fish off your stringer, they’ll attack your oars, try to take down full grown ducks, attack boat props…
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.