Really pumped for tomorow.

[mike_richardson]

For the first time in since I started fishing, I will not be fishing for trout at 8:00 am on opening day. I fell in love with winter fishing for hold over and wild trout a few years ago, so the stockies just don't do it for me.

I did find a new obsession though, Musky! Tomorrow will be my fist crack at fishing for them. I will be using a 10 wt rod and reel and have it set up with Rios Pike and Musky Fly line. I set up a leader, of 30# mono, and steel leader. I have some Knot so Kinky coming in but it has not arrived yet.

Since I decided to try for these guys I have become addicted to tying flies for them. They are big, and a blast to tie. Something new. I have been a nymph fisherman and pretty much nothing else for the last 5-6 years, so these guys are a whole new world. Fishing for mucky on the fly is relatively new, so its almost a no holds barred tying. Your only limitation is your imagination. I have not seen any proportion charts or anything like that.

I may pack my trout stuff, just so some day I can say I never missed an opening day, but the only fish I care to catch this year is a musky on one of my flies. I have never caught one even on spin fishing equipment. They are called the fish of 10,000 casts, but I wonder if that is extended for fly guys. LOL

I have made quite a few new friends a long the way with this venture, and all have been very helpful. My only fear is that is somehow by the grace of god I hook up with one tomorrow, I will just totally lose my desire to trout fish.

I wanted more of a challenge and it seems that a Musky on the fly is about one of the top challenges out there.

Will let you guys know how I make out. Good luck with what ever you may be chasing tomorrow!

 

[pete41]

lucky-I caught quite a few big pike in Mi... but never a musky--good like,Mike.

 

[steveo27]

Good luck! In my 31 yeas, Ive caught 1 musky (on spinning tackle). It takes a LOT of persistence and patience.

Ill be trout fishing this weekend. Its a tradition thats hard to break. We usually fish a stocked stream opening day, and unstocked Sunday but thus year were fishing unstocked waters both Saturday and Sunday.

 

[mike_richardson]

I may end up taking some trout stuff. Real tough to break the tradition. May even try some bait fishing. Haven't done that in like 10 years. Might make it more interesting.

 

[Dave_W]

mike_richardson wrote:
I may end up taking some trout stuff. Real tough to break the tradition.

Resist!

To be honest, it's tough, when muskie fishing to resist the temptation to target bass or trout, especially when there's a hatch and fish are sipping off the surface or a buddy is catching bass after bass while you throw muskie flies and don't so much as get a follow.

Nevertheless, when I'm serious about targeting muskies, I try to stick with the big stuff. You're likely to catch a bass or two anyway, even on the muskie flies. Heck, today I even had a wild brown trout about 14" swim up and smack my 8" muskie fly right in front of me (didn't hook him).

Don't get discouraged if you don't see a muskie. Most days I don't. Keep throwing. And don't ignore tigers. If the water you're fishing has tigers...they fight just as hard and are just as much of a trophy for a FFer as purebreds IMO.

So good luck tomorrow. Oftentimes the fishing gods smile on newbies...here's hoping you nail that musky!

 

[dc410]

Some good info given by Dave above. I never actually made the commitment to targeting muskies on the fly. Just never figured out exactly where to target them in my area. Good luck, Mike! I'm sure if you hang with it at some point you will stick one with your fly rod. If it's not tomorrrow, don't give up. I may be targeting carp tomorrow morning on the traditional PA trout opener. How ridiculous is that? I can start fishing before 8:00 AM though, and probably will. Good luck!

 

[fayettenamese]

My brother is obsessed with musky fishing but not with fly tackle. In the summer when he is off from teaching, he catches 5-10 muskies each week. Its an expensive sport...boat, rods, lures... but If your using fly tackle it might be a bit cheaper.

 

[Number6]

Have you seen the DVD 'Musky Country - Zero to Hero'?

 

[sarce]

fayettenamese wrote:
If your using fly tackle it might be a bit cheaper

I think that may be the first time anyone has ever said that about fly fishing :-o :hammer:

To the OP - hope you get some action. I spent 4 8-hour days chasing those fish last fall and saw one small musky. Dave W is right about the bycatch though, I got a huge smallmouth on a 10" long fly.

 

[franklin]

Where are you going for Musky?

 

[Solitariolupo]

So how did you do