Tiger Muskies on the Fly?

[Lotech]

Within the last 10 or so years, there have been a lot of Tiger Muskies showing up in the local lakes around Eastern Washington. I'm giving some serious consideration to the pursuit of those creatures. I know that fly fishing equipment should be at least an 8 weight, 9' rod, with a wire leader, but I'm curious about what flies to use. Does anyone here have any experience with these critters? And, what flies should I think about?
Any other information you could render would be most appreciated.

[flybinder]

Hi, Lotech!
I've fished, a few times now, for your "sort of new non-native fish", particularly up around the lakes outside Spokane. (without digging out the fly fishing journal, I THINK my best luck was on "Medical Lake"?).
Anyhooooo................. your gear selections are about right on. I used a 7 wt, but, wished after the 3rd. T.M. I'd had a bit more "oooompf", like an 8 or even a 9.

On my first attempt/trip, we used too light of wire leaders I think, because after a few fishies they'd be twisted and bent,(kinked),and even a few strands of the wire were broken. Or, it's also very possible, that they were just plain, CHEAP ones!?! Like, I said, this was our first, ever, attempt after these fish.
One thing, however, remained the same on all, 8 or 9 trips we made after these fun foes.... THEY CAN FIGHT!
We used red and white Clousers, mostly, w/sink tip lines. Tried various streamer patterns, but only had hook ups with the red and white Clousers and ONE fish, on a green and white Clouser.
One of the most interesting things about fishing for the Tigers, was how they would actually "hunt" or "stalk" your Clouser as you stripped it in!! We were told to; "Strip the first 20 feet VERY slowly, with "rod tip jerks", then bring in the rest of the line as a rapid strip". When we'd start the rapid stripping, the fish would rise close enough to the surface, at times, to where its dorsal fin was out of the water.
They would stay back about 6-10 feet behind the Clouser, until it was literally ready to be picked up for the next cast, THEN, 90% of the time, they'd strike right at your feet!
LOTS of fun, weird action and I plan on doing a lot more of it, next summer.
I wish I were better at it, I know I missed a lot of chances, due to sheer inexpierience fishing for them.
Paul

[Gnu Bee Flyer]

Joe quite near Stan Coffin Lake where we fished for gills during the CWFI fish in Just past Stan Coffin there is a Reservoir I think it was called Evergreen but not to sure. Cary Moran ( Line mender ) said it had tiger muskies in it. Someone else said early May was too early for the muskies.

And you should remember that there were two of them in the Cabellas tank . You know the one they told me I couldn't fish in. Which is only 4 miles from your house I believe.


Dodie said to tell you that......
Any fly that imitates a two inch gold fish should work.

[ridgeliner]

When your fly comes back to you, do not take it out of the water right away. Make a figure 8 in the water with it before you lift it up. This gives the muskie more time to take it. You will be surprised on the hits when you do this.

[peregrines]

Lotech,

Haven?t fished for them, so pay more attention to the advice of others who have, but to start out, here?s what I?d be thinking:.

For a bite tippet, at least 12? or so of a tieable nylon covered wire like Toothy Critter, Tyger Wire, AFW Surflon- Micro etc. That single strand titanium Tooth Proof stuff is another knotable option, but I?ve never used it.

You probably already have a bunch of streamers for bass/trout, so in addition to taking them, maybe some supersized happy meals would be a good idea. Big flies that push water and different patterns to cover the water column, maybe something like an assortment of:

Splishy splashy stuff like 2/0 Poppers, sliders, bangers or crease flies for top water,.

Big Bucktail Deceivers, say 10? on a 3/0 and 8? on 1/0 for mid water, maybe with a sparse hollow tie collar to give a big profile and still be (relatively) easy to cast. Colors to match forage fish (perch? whitefish?) plus white for clear water and ?blurple? and chartruse for stained water with lots of flash (which you can snip off if you?re getting rejections). BT Deceivers may stand up to teeth a little better than hackled tails, and are less prone to fouling, and, if kept sparse, easier to cast on a lighter rod in larger sizes.

Mega divers on a 2/0 with mono weed guards for surface-subsurface around weed beds

Lead eye 1/0 Clousers in red/white, chart/white for moderate depth and something bigger like heavily weighted 2/0 Half ?n Halfs or 3/0 conehead rabbit strips in black for dropoffs, humps in deep water.

It sounds like it?s hard to get flies away from them if they want it. One thing to try if you?re getting follows but no takers, or you?re getting lunges as you lift the fly out of the water for a cast, is to put the rod in your armpit and do a hand over hand rip-strip for a fast retrieve. It might trigger a reaction strike.. or send them to the other end of the lake.

Assuming you?re fishing out every cast retrieving practically to the rod tip for tigers, and maybe also throwing big flies on a light rod, you may want to consider overlining a weight or two for more fishing/less casting.

Ideally you?d want a floater, and intermediate or sink tip for shallow to moderate depths and most shore fishing as well as fast sink for deep water if you?re in a boat or near deep shore dropoffs, to try a lot of different structure to figure out where they are hanging out.

Good luck!

peregrines

[scubatim]

Never fished for them with a fly but it sure sounds like fun. Might have to give it a try after ice out.

[nighthawk]

I have caught them on the spinning gear but no luck so far with the fly rod. Well, after all the muskie is the fish of one thousand casts.

[William Fitzgerald]

Larry Dahlberg is the Pike and Musky ffisher with his sub suface Dahlberg Diver. He uses a 12 inch nylon coated wire like the Berkley Steelon thru the eye of the hook then haywire twist to make a loop,heating the nylon with a lighter flame to melt and fuse the nylon. The leader eye is made the same way. Try using big tube flies with single double or treble hooks. Light big flies with smaller hooks. I make up brass tubes with a plastic Q tip insert to protect the leader from cutting on the brass. You can make the figure 8's at the boat before taking it out of the water like one said earlier--it a trill when you bring it in and take it right out and you dont see one following and it crashes against the side of the boat. BILL

Larry sight cast to fish he can see ,for his Pike and Musky usually in the sping in shallow water

[Jed]

Fishing for Northerns I've used deer hair poppers with good success. Also salt water flies like Decievers will work.

jed

[Chris Jacobs]

I've done it in a float tube, they are a hoot! The key is after you hook them to manuver to shallow water and keep your legs together, or bring them up to the bottom of the float tube. Use a boga grip too, this makes it easier to land and release them.

It's not for the faint of heart though...