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mnbandy

August Muskies

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I skipped out of work at about 315pm yesterday to meet my friend and head to a Twin Cities area lake for some hot-n-muggy muskie fishing. We figuired now is the time they are getting into the shallows, so it would be an ideal evening for trying to get one on a fly (my first attempt at the "fish of a thousand casts" with a fly rod). He fished with his baitcaster, and I with a frighteningly scrawny looking (when compared to the monster fish we were stalking) 9 wt. The wind was strong at first, and casting my white mouse to any distance was proving to be a challenge. A shoulder (rotator cuff? I dunno, I still need to get to a doctor) injury was making it even tougher, but the bottles of beer aided that. Within a few minutes we saw a follow - a small wake and a flash of white. No bites were fothcoming, so after another half an hour, we took a break to flip jigs into some cattails and my friend landed two nice largemouths (he, being a top bass fisherman in Minnesota, always outfishes me badly, but I'm used to it).

We then headed to the calmer side of the lake, and within a few minutes, my friend had a nice near-strike, as an estimated 40+ inch muskie slashed at his spinner bait without taking it fully. Before it splashed, we could see the torpedo-like wake and tip of the tail behind the lure. Nice. We kept at it, and had a couple more follows and one enourmous strike (my friend promised it was at least a 50 inch fish - I am not expert enough to agree with or dispute his assertion). Nothing in the boat, though.

Just before dark, I hooked a fish on my fly, but I knew immediately it wasn't a muskie - too calm! I had a decent largemouth hooked, but he spit it before I got him (or her, not sure) to the boat.

We went to the landing, and as I went to retrieve the truck, my friend pushed back and threw a few more casts. He got a strike, and hooked into a small (10 pound estimate) muskie, but before he could land it, it also spit the hook. When he told me, I had to admit to being glad; if he had landed the lone muskie of the evening while I was fetching his truck, there could ahve been hard feelings!

Anyway, it was a wonderful evening, despite the dearth of fish landings. It made me even more determined to get my first muskie on-the-fly this season. I'll be sure to post the news and photos when it occurs!

Be well, friends!
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