I thought some of you in this forum might be interested in this. I’ve been working on a little video project up in northern Wisconsin with a couple of true musky junkies.
I knew very little about these magnificent fish before I embarked on this project. I’ve shot a few days in August, a few in Sept and and have another 3 or 4 days coming up in October.
So far I’ve experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows while trying to capture the pursuit of these fish. I’ve also probably had the most exciting fishing experience I will ever have, none of us on the river that day will ever forget it.
Anyway, I was inspired while perusing through last weekends footage and put this short little teaser together.
I do a lot of Warm Water Fishing around my home, which is White Bear Lake MN (NE part of the Twin Cities), and I kick around local lakes fishing from my WaterSkeeter Poontube all summer long (Monday thru Friday). I have caught Tiger Muskies in many of the local lakes where they have been stocked. For Tiger Muskies I use most Belly Deerhair Popper Fly Patterns, size 4/0 Daiichi 2461.
Some of my favorite Belly Deerhair Poppers Flies are a Green Pollywog, Olsen Deciever (looks just like the “Bass oreno”), Dahberg Divers, and many adaptions of other fly patterns. I found that the big Largemouth Bass also take these same pattern, but using the size 1/0 hook instead of the 4/0.
I dress patterns that are easy to tie, are durable to last for more then one fish, and they work almost all the time… I fish with a 7 weight South Bend Split Cane, that is over 60 years old, that still has its orignial silk guides, using the Cortland Sylk Fly Line for casting…
The lakes water tempertures are starting to drop as we approach Autumn, and my days on the water fishing warm water are almost over until I start fly fishing again around the end of May.
man o man… I caught my first pike ever on a lake in North west North dakota with my father in law… ( being form Arizona, though thery are in some of our waters, they aren’t in my waters) Knowing how much of a Kick that fish had ( 36 incher) and knowing that a muskie is bigger? gawd… that sounds like fun.
Sept 30th I had a large fish, around the 4’ mark take a Dahlberg Diver in 3 1/2’ of water. Splendid take topside. I had her on for a full 2 mins, watching her boatside. On one of the numerous headshakes the hook let go and floated up, bent at the point.
Shoot! I’ve never lost one on the fly before and my best is a 43". Guess I’m going to stop using TMC 8089’s but I"ve not lost a fish before due to the hook tip messing me up. Obviously I never got into the meat of the mouth.
I’ve used a lot of Daiichi’s before too but might stay with the TMC SP points now.
Love 'em. My favorite fish. And until it chill sdown pike remain to keep you on your toes. They’re good fun too but… they aren’t muskies.