Muskie Fly Fishing the Alleghany River?

[PatriotFly26]

Alright now I understand to some this topic is still taboo. Muskie fishing with a fly rod. I'm wondering what if anything anyone knows about muskie fishing in the Alleghany River.

If anybody knows colors to use, the type of flies to tie up, special patterns, and just an understanding of the water around West Monterey or around 20 miles north and south of route 80 on the river.

I am from the Adirondacks in New York and will be in PA for a few days and have been welcomed to go fishing for muskie on the Alleghany with a fly rod. I would love to take up the offer and I just would like some background knowledge if anyone could share anything they know about the river on that section.


Thank You,
Hugh

 

[tomgamber]

Not taboo at all. If you go down to the Warm Water forum you might even find a pre-existing thread on the subject.

 

[jeff]

Had a muskie follow my streamer last year while I was bass fishing a river in eastern Pa. This thing was a monster and was not even the slightest bit intimidated. In fact he followed my retrieve numerous times up to with in a foot of where I was wading. Talk about heart thumping!!! I estimated him to be around 40 inches. Couldn't get him to take it... Probably didn't help that I was up to my *** in rocky water and with all the excitement fell in! Not to mention if I would have hooked him I only had my 5 weight with a 5x leader. Would have never landed him..

Here is what I recommend for a set up through some research I have done. Cause I will catch one this summer/early fall on the fly! At least a 9 weight rod and a reel with a good drag system. You should be able to get away with a short 6 to 9ft hard mono leader tapered to a 15 to 20 pd tippet. A direct wire (Tyger wire) connection of 12 to 15 inches to a big popper or streamer will help land a big one. The bigger and lighter the fly the better!

I would concentrate on tribs flowing into the alleghany. Also areas of the river that have rock bars or weed beds.


1 Cover Water
2 Change flies
3 Change your retrieve
4 Do a figure 8 with your streamer if one follows your streamer into you

If you hook into one hold on and post some pictures!!

 

[bam]

Patriot. I'm not familair with the river at all, but I'd just stick with big heavy rabbit zonker streamers. All colors... especially white, olive or pink. A red throat and some flash wouldn't hurt.

Don't make em pretty... they'll eat anything, just get their attention. Tie em or buy em as big as you can.

 

[Fishidiot]

Patriot,
The Allegheny is a first class muskie river. While an ardent warm water FFer who fishes muskies fairly frequently, I've never fished for 'em in the Allegheny and only know what I've read or heard. Are you experienced at river FFing for muskies? If so, I'd stick with your tried and true methods. Most muskies guys on this river fish the upper sections rather than down by Pittsburgh. When are you coming? To some degree, your tactics will depend on water conditions and time of year. You can fish this river for muskies year round although many Allegheny muskie enthusiasts focus on the colder months of the year. There is some info on muskie fishing on the PFBC website that covers this river.
www.fish.state.pa.us

The guru of Allegheny muskie fishing is Howard Wagner. Do a Google search and there are some amazing pics. He's not a FFer (to my knowledge) but knows musky fishing in the river probably better than anyone.
Good luck with your trip. Have lots of Advil for that sore casting shoulder afterwards. 🙂

 

[pcray1231]

Well, I'm not a big musky fisherman, but my brother is. The Allegheny is a musky paradise. But its musky fishing, so even at its best your talking 1 or 3 a day, and it's big water, so it takes some knowledge to narrow it down.

As far as places. I know Tionesta Creek, from the dam down to the river, is excellent musky water. A similar situation occurs much farther south with Crooked Creek, which is also good musky water. I've heard the lower end of Oil Creek can be good. If you're wading, these tributaries are probably your best bet. If you're in a boat, then you have more options, but the bottom ends of tributaries are still good ones.

Also, the spillway of Kinzua Dam is famous musky water. Most spillways are, really. As far as near 80, I know of nothing specific. You could think about fishing the mixing waters where the Clarion meets the Allegheny, that might be good. Or right around the mouths of trout stream tributaries...

Big Streamers (like 7-10" long) worked real fast with a jerky strip retrieve. You want them just below the surface, maybe from 0-3 feet.

 

[Badger2119]

I've never fly fished for Muskie, but I've included a link to a website of a fellow that has extensive experience with muskie. My 70-year father & I were hunting grouse in Wisconsin 2 years ago and we stopped in this fly shop in the town of Hayward. The owner was on the phone with a buddy relating his story from the previous day where his client had chances at 7 different fish but wasn't able to land any. He talked to us later about how he targets muskie with a fly rod. So although this is not direct info on NW PA, I'm sure a lot of the advice he might have would be applicable. If you like to fish for muskies he might be worth a call.


http://www.haywardflyfishingcompany.com/

 

[Ramcatt]

http://www.muskycountryoutfitters.com/index.html

Brad is THE authority when it comes to Musky on the fly...
he took (and released) the world record musky on the fly last year
and he is a solid dude

lots of good info on his site
and tutes on how to tie some flies

 

[PatriotFly26]

Thanks everybody for all the advice. I'll be down there July 6th and I know that muskie like the colder water so it will be a little more difficult, but I'm used to catching pike all summer long on huge flies on rivers and lakes in a kayak.

So thanks again and any more info anybody has is always greatly appreciated.

 

[FarmerDave]

I never fly fished for musky, but it is on my bucket list.

One of these days.

 

[pngsolduc]

Patriot,

It's been a few years, but the muskie fishing 4-5 river miles upstream of Emlenton, PA, the town visible and immediately North of the I-80 bridge over the Allegheny, had always been a reasonably consistent producer.

One preferred section was locally referred to as "Dotter's Eddy". It was a deep cut of the river upstream of a nice run of rapids wherein "the Eddy" had access to shallow bars, runs, and a weedy point.

From Google Earth, this general area is distinguishable as an Omega-shaped bend in the river with the Eddy on the right outer edge of the shoreline.

I suspect the river has changed quite a bit since I fished that stretch, so you might want to inquire with the real locals in either Emlenton, or further downstream in Parker, PA.

Good luck.