Muskie Mania

I did it - boated my first "real" Muskie - measured 36" fish! On my UP trips with Dad and Capt. Jon Ray in the past two years I've hooked up on some good ones, and boated a "pike in a muskie suit" (as a friend said). I firmly believe attitude was a key part of it. I've embraced Muskie Mania.

Cute little guy from 2014

In the past I think I believed, but honestly I knew so little about what I was doing that I'm not exactly certain what it was that I believed in. Maybe that there were Muskies where I was fishing? Or that Jon had flies they'd chase? I don't really know.

This year was different - the result of some study and effort on my part to learn more about this game of chasing Muskie on the fly. It started with attending "Muskie University" this Spring. Put on by Capt. Brian Meszaros (a top Muskie fly guide on Lake St. Clair, and nationally renowned), this was an excellent day-long seminar on all things Muskie related and exclusively devoted to fly fishing for these toothy beasts. River rat, Chris Willen was there to impart his wisdom on chasing fish in moving water. We started in the classroom for the morning, and then moved to Lake Erie Metropark for some casting and on-water practice. I picked up so much knowledge, including things like how to really figure 8 (and it's importance) and water-loading casts to enable throwing the big flies all day without killing your body.

The second game-changer was reading Robert Tomes excellent book Muskie on the Fly. Though published in 2008 when chasing these toothy critters on the fly was pretty off-the-grid, there is a TON of helpful knowledge in this book. It helped me to better understand the "why" behind the "what" of this chase.

Abel Super 9/10N Muskie Edition

And, I suppose adding a Muskie rig of my own didn't hurt - a Scott Tidal Muskie/Pike Special rod with an Abel Super 9/10N in Muskie graphics mounted below. This rig gave me some great confidence. You can read my review of the rod on the Mangled Fly Blog (you should be reading it anyway because it rocks...). And yes, I know a reel like this one isn't needed for Muskie, but when I saw it -- well let's say I have a fondness for special reels. Throwing this rig was fantastic! And so cool to glance down and see this sweet-looking reel.

What do all these things do? Add confidence. And when chasing an alpha predator like a Muskie, you need that confidence. I rolled into this trip with a little more swagger. A little more heart. and plenty of patience that this next cast would be the one...

Finally, in closing, I can't show you my fish - yet. Muskie are special. Their hideouts are closely guarded. And my guide friends, like Jon, make their living knowing where to find them. So, out of respect and friendship, I agreed that I wouldn't post the shot anywhere until after Jon finishes his season and moves on to steelhead on the waters we all know. Check back in a month or so. You'll see it and the whole story.

-Sean-