Muskie flies

[Paul_Kramer]

I got a 9 weight this Christmas that I'm going to try to put to use this year on some muskies. Was wondering what types of flies you guys have had good luck on with muskies in the past. Here's one I just tied up.

[img:center]

[PDXFisher]

Heh, luck with flies and Muskies? Not I. I have a hard enough time with conventional gear. I used to think I would knock 'em dead with flies but I gave up. I think if you can sight fish to Muskies you can do great with flies. In a river, I think flies would be wonderful, I just haven't had the opportunity. If you're using flies as a search method in a lake, you'll get really tired . I typically leave the fly rods at home these days, only breaking them out for Salmon season out here.

I've gotten follows with Tinsel and epoxy-bodied flies of about the size of the one you have up there. I've gotten a hit on a small popper that I totally wasn't ready for. The biggest problem with the flies I've seen in shops was their small size. It looks like you've got the right idea

[OnAFly]

Well, with my 8wt last summer I tried to throw muskie flies but it didn't really work all that well. I just picked up my 10wt SAGE a couple weeks ago so the casting should go a little better (the rod I was using before was a $20 _bay purchase).

I have a few large/long divers in white and black both with red flash that pike seemed to love when I actually got a half decent cast with them. I also made a few massive woolybuggers with zonker strips for tails instead of marabou. I went with black body/orange tail and white body/red tail. I have a few flies similar to what you tied up there, but they are smaller. I threw them a little bit but got nothing. I didn't try much with them for some reason, so I wouldn't take my experiences with them too much into account.

PDXFisher is right on with the searching thing. That 8wt tired me out after a while and casts got sloppy. I would consider searching with a traditional set up and keying in with the fly rod.

Good luck out there!

[guideman]

Hi Paul,

I'm not a fly guy myself but I do guide a few each year that are searching for Muskies. The large streamers, in white or chartreuce, seem to get the most attention on Vermilion.

We boated a few short Muskies on topwater chuggers/poppers late in the day, but the hair always got the most action.

Good luck!

"Ace"

[muskydeceiver]

Check out Bill Sherer's fly shop in Boulder Junction (believe it is called We Tie It, he has a HSOforum). He guides the area with a fly rod and has a few videos on how to tie muskie/pike flies. I was going to get into it last year, but didn't really and I ended up selling my gear. I did tie some neat crankbait flies and also some streamers.

[PDXFisher]

Here is my Muskie/Pike fly box...it's 14" long.