Muskie Flies

[TLoomis]

Here's what came off the vise tonight. I call the top one the Broadstreet Bully haha. It still needs a CCG or epoxy head though before I can fish it

 

[Crawdad31]

I like the colors on the top fly. Kinda looks like a creek chub when spawning.

 

[jay348]

Back in business after a visit from the hook fairy. 6/0 plus a big ole shank...more of the same.

 

[TLoomis]

Awesome tie jay! I need to get some quality hackle...

What do you guys suggest?

 

[turkey]

I resisted for 17 pages of this thread but I'm cracking. I'm going to tie some flies for muskie this year. I re-read the first 9 pages and it broke me. Thanks a lot guys.

I have a ton of bucktails for saltwater flies that I'll never fish, now I just need some saddles.

 

[pro4mance]

Welcome to the sickness !

 

[Crawdad31]

Just wait till the first Musky follows one of your flies..boom... full blown mental disorder

 

[turkey]

Can some of you guys talk about what hooks you favor for muskie/pike? I'm heavily biased towards Owner and Gamakatsu hooks because I use them on my Intruders for steelhead and they're sticky as...well they're damn sharp. I'm more concerned with how big these hooks are in the real world and compared to one another. No shops around me have these big hooks in stock normally so comparing them in person won't work.

For instance, the Gammy B10S only gets as big as 2/0 where as the SL12S comes in up to a 10/0. Owner has a hook that is 3x strong and 3x long that looks interesting. Does anyone have pictures of their hooks near a ruler or tape measure?

Anyone tying tubes for pike/muskie? Pro Tubes has some cool looking stuff that looks like it would translate well to esox. I think I'd like to go this route.

Thanks for any advice you guys have.

 

[sniperfreak223]

I mostly use the Mustad 34007 in sizes from 2/0 - 10/0, as well as Gamakatsu saltwater and Owner jig hooks in the 2/0-6/0 range, but Orvis recently began producing a pike/muskie specific hook that I've been using quite a bit now. They're available from a 2/0 to a 6/0, they're a little pricey but still less than the Gamakatsu/Owner stuff and quite a bit sharper than the Mustads.

 

[Crotalus]

The Partridge Predator X hooks get good reviews. I am planning to pick some up in Somerset this weekend to try out.

 

[TD55]

I have exclusively been using the Universal Predator X by Partridge for the last 2 years now. They are VERY sharp and I like the bend as well. I use a 8/0 in the rear and a big game shank in the front. Here are a few recent ties. Really starting to like the fish masks.

 

[pro4mance]

I haven't tied any Musky flys with the fish skulls, but I used them for the WW fly swap, like em allot.
TD What size skulls were those?

 

[TD55]

Pro4mance they are the #10 fish masks. The 15's are way too big I like the 10's though. I color the inside of them w a sharpie to give it a color and they turn out nice.

 

[turkey]

TD, looking good. I bet those swim nicely.

Thank you guys for the opinions on hooks.

 

[TD55]

Here is a pic of the Partridge universal predator x hooks. 6/0 on top 8/0 on bottom.

 

[turkey]

Nice! Thanks. That's what I'm looking for.

 

[Crawdad31]

Nice ties! I just use eagle claw oshaugnessy. Because they are cheap. I like TD's ideas of using a big game shank upfront and a hook in the back. I'm sure weight reduction is pretty noticeable. I imagine they swim better as well.

 

[TD55]

Crawdad I used to use hooks cuz they were cheap and I missed alot of fish. The hook is the most important component to any fly but when you are trying to bury that hook into bone and cartlidge it is especially important. When I switched to the partridge hooks my hookup rate tripled.

 

[Crawdad31]

I might have to check out those partridge hooks, I did lose a 40-42incher last year that I know for a fact got a good hook set into her...I strip set three times to drive it home.. I know the owner hooks I tie the swimming jimmy on definitely feel sharper then oshaugnessy.

 

[Crawdad31]

So I found them in 6/0 for about 7.99. Which I can live with. They come in 10 pack. Really not that bad. I'm definitely going to start tying with the big game shanks. Did you notice any change in the length of your doubles? I don't know how long the shanks are.