I get asked a lot of fly fishing related questions through social media. Most of these questions are related to chasing Musky on the fly which some of you already know is a passion of mine. I really enjoy helping other fly anglers so I felt like a blog would be a great place to do that. This first post will be in several parts and will cover everything you will need (and then some) to start chasing the elusive Muskellunge. I hope you all enjoy and learn a little something along the way.
Where to begin?? Probably the most asked question I get is, "what rod and reel set up do I need"? When I first started chasing Musky on the fly, I was told by many seasoned fly anglers to use a minimum 10wt, but I didn't heed that advice. In my bullheadedness I took that as a direct challenge and I was going to show everyone I could catch a Musky on a lighter 7wt. Boy would I ever regret that decision.
I got my first order of Musky flies and I was off and running.The lighter rod was handling the 8" streamers without much of a problem. But after thousands and thousands of casts I started noticing acute pain in my right shoulder that would wake me up at night. The pain would soon have me at the doctors and an MRI would reveal that I had a torn rotator cuff. Musky on the fly lesson #1 learned loud and clear!
First Musky (46") on the fly 2017 caught on 7wt fly rod
I failed to take into consideration the toll that casting bigger and heavier flies on a lighter rod would have on my body. So my pain is your preventative gain so don't be a dummy like me and use a 10wt minimum fly rod. Now I personally use an Orvis H3 12wt in a fast action for my Musky fishing. It throws the bigger flies that I use most often with relative ease.The downside to using a 12wt is that it's physically heavier to hold and after using it all day you really feel it in your rod hand. I would suggest going to a REPUTABLE fly shop and casting a few different sized rods to see which one works best for your casting style and comfort. I would caution going with any new line of Predator rods. Musky are not the fish to experiment with junk fly rods (I know from learning the hard way). A lot of guys I know really like the Redington Predator line of fly rods. Not only are they really good rods but they have a price point that most can afford. One advantage of name brand companies is the warranty and customer support. That alone is worth it's weight in gold for me. Stay away from knock off fly rods!
Junk Predator rod broken by fish
"A fly reel is only a line holder" is something I hear way too often. Most often by people that are unwilling to spend good money on quality products. I don't know about you but I'd rather buy one quality reel that lasts forever than a cheap reel that only lasts a few months when the drag eventually fails..which they do (yes I know from this experience as well). Yes a Musky isn't going to test your drag but I wade fish quite a bit and I'm constantly stripping line out and reeling it back in so a smooth drag is essential. Most of the better reel companies have sealed drag systems that aid in keeping the reels from freezing solid in Winter (HINT: Musky feed in Winter), as well as keeping sand and other substances from fouling up your drag. So get the best quality reel that you can comfortably afford. Your reel should be sized appropriately for your rod and reel size. I like the LS4 from Lamson because it's extremely light, very durable, and the drag is so smooth.
12WT Orvis H3 with Waterworks Lamson L4 REEL
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This concludes Part 1 of my introduction to chasing Musky on the fly. I tell all my clients that are just learning to fly fish in general that the sport is as simple or as complex as you want to make it. Fly fishing for Musky is no different and I'm going to keep things simple and easy to understand and hopefully this emboldens fly anglers who are on the fence to give it a try. The next post will focus on fly line options and a simple leader system for Musky fly fishing. Thanks so much for reading .
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