Two hand retrieve for Musky success

                                                A two handed retrieved beauty 
 

In the past I haven't really utilized the two hand retrieve much. Honestly, I felt like I was catching enough fish that I didn't really need to. But a year or so ago I was fishing a favorite boulder strewn flat of mine with a reel holding 550 grain Depth Charge line. Although I was stripping pretty fast I kept getting hung up in the boulders. I usually would just switch out to another reel loaded with Scientific Angler Full Intermediate line when this happens. But the water was warm enough and the fish should of been aggressive enough to eat a pretty fast moving fly. So I chose to two hand my fly with the heavier full sink line instead. 

I worked my way up to the edge of the flat and launched a cast to slack water edge on the far side of the river. I quickly tucked the rod butt under my arm pit and buried the rod tip in the water and started stripping as fast as I could across the current. Seconds in I saw the big wake chasing my fly and I knew it was game on! I kept my fly rippin until I saw the big Musky inches from my T Bone Sucker pattern and suddenly stopped it in its face. The big girl with gills flared and mouth agape inhaled my fly five feet from me. I started my two hand stripping cadence again this time to ensure the hook was properly planted but it was unneeded because the fish totally inhaled my fly. What an experience and my first two hander fish in the net. 

                                                            First two hander fish 

Needless to say the experience above got me hooked to this retrieve style and I started utilizing it A LOT more. One thing I've learned is you don't always need to be two handing your flies a hundred miles per hour. I like to change my retrieval speeds up throughout the day. It's good to change things up on the Musky water. You never know what retrieve is going to be the one that triggers that predatory response. 

A waterway that is fast becoming my favorite is littered with wood. The wood makes for perfect Musky habitat but it's a magnet for snagging your flies if you fish too slow. I've been throwing in and around the wood and two handing my flies back to the boat with little fear of getting hung up. A favorite fly option of mine is any fly with a Paccahiarini dragon tail on it. The tail movement pulls those cover hugging fish up and can make for some unbelievable takes. 

                                                         Two hander out the wood 

I have been having some really good success fishing moving water flats in 2-5 foot of water with this retrieve as well. I like to retrieve my fly with the Paccahiarini dragon tail at a pace that I know that the tail is wiggling enough to get their attention. If the fly zips across the water above them they just shoot straight up and crush it. I've caught a bunch of fish like this all Summer and honestly should have a lot more if I was just a little better. 

                                                          Two hander caught on a flat

I had a rough day a few months ago and I couldn't keep a fish pinned. I lost a decent fish at the boat and my frustration level was at 150%. After a few days to calm down I decided to try for that fish at night. I put on a black fly with a silver and black Paccahiarini dragon tail and I crept to the tree where the fish hung out. In the pitch black I peppered casts and two hand ripped that fly around the area when suddenly my fly stopped and I knew it was the big girl. I kept my rod tip low and kept stripping until the fish was close to the bloat. I raised my rod up and she instantly breached the surface splashing me with water. The sight of her glistening in the moon light was unreal. What and experience and I would of never pulled it off with a more traditional stripping cadence. 

                                                        Night time two hander fish 

Moral of this post is don't be one dimensional like I used to be. Who knows how many more fish I could of caught if I would of tried two handing my flies a little earlier in my Musky career. Don't forget to vary your retrieve speeds up and don't be afraid to give two handing at night a try as well. 

Tight lines,

Scott

Wade fishing tactics for Musky

                                                            Pocket water fish
 

Wade fishing for Musky can be frustrating at times. Musky don't usually live in pristine waterways with nice easy to wade gravel bottoms. They live in hard to wade places with lots of mud, boulders, and woody debris. With that in mind what better way to defeat the fish of 100,000 (10,000 is for gear heads) casts than catching them mano a mano on their own turf. Here are just a couple of my go to tactics that have helped me catch some bruiser Musky while wade fishing. 

I should preface this by telling you all that I discovered many of my tactics by learning on the go. When I first started fly fishing for Musky I just dove in and flew by the seat of my pants. I didn't watch any videos, or read a books about it, I just went out and fished. Coming from a Trout and Steelhead background I literally fished for Musky in pretty much the same manner that I threw streamers for Trout and Steelhead. But instead of 3" streamers I was now throwing 12"-16"  Musky meat. But I essentially fish the same exact way. Musky in moving water situations relate exactly like other fish species by utilizing current breaks. I have caught many fish in fast moving water that most would never equate to Musky water. But I knew where those current breaks were and I fished them like I was fishing for any other fish species and I caught Musky. 

The fish in the picture above was caught in a slow pocket of water on the opposite side of some really fast moving water. It was a Spring day and flows were up from recent rain storms and I wasn't able to fish the usual spots or fish in a traditional cast and strip manner because of how fast the water was moving. If I were to cast to the opposite bank and strip back in, the moving water in the center of the stream would drag my fly line and fly so fast it would of been futile trying to get a fish to eat. So with my Trout fishing mind set I waded as far out into the fast water that I safely could, and then cast my 12" Changer into the slack water. I then used the current to my advantage and I high sticked my fly down through the pocket. It worked like a charm and this fish was the result of that effort. 

An absolute favorite tactic of mine that also involves moving water is swinging a big Changer or T bone fly. Depending on the speed of the water I like to quarter my cast downstream and across the current and then let the current carry my fly in a swinging fashion to a likely holding spot. I will also give the fly a twitch occasionally to make it appear like a wounded and/or dying fish. The Musky that are hanging in the slower moving section of the tail out or pool can't resist a slow swinging fly in their wheelhouse. This tactic has fooled the majority of my big fish when wade fishing. Again it's important to have the water scenario in your favor for this type of tactic.

                                                       Brute Musky caught on the swing

The last tactic that I will discuss is one that I just started implementing recently and has been the demise of a handful of 40+ fish. It involves using a Changer style fly preferably with a Pacchiarini dragon tail or T bone with same style tail. It also helps to be using a slow sinking fly line like the Full Intermediate from Scientific Angler. The fish have to be holding in semi shallow water of 4' or less deep and ideally have some bottom structure with it. It's a really simple technique of fan casting an area and swimming the fly back slowly and methodically with a two hand retrieve. The motion of the  Pacchiarini tail mimics the spinning of a bucktail blade that the gear guys use and the fish can't stop from eating it. I've caught most of those fish on a slow steady retrieve but I also caught one on a super fast so don't be afraid to change it up.

 

                                   Kraken with Pacchiarini dragon tail used in above tactic

Musky fly fishing is way more than casting and stripping your fly back. Try something different and remember to think outside the box. The one thing I learned about Musky is just when you think they are predictable you have a fish prove that's not entirely the true. Tight lines...

Musky On The Fly 101- Part 2 Where to Fish

                                               A likely holding spot for Musky

We have our rod, flies, bite guard , and leader now for the fun part! Let's go fishing!! But where?? There are lots of lakes, rivers and streams in Pennsylvania that have Musky in them. Finding untapped fishy water takes some time and a little bit of detective work, but it's a fun and very rewarding journey. I'm going to give you some advice on how to narrow down the search for Musky waterways as well as some tips and tactics.

If you live in Pennsylvania the Pa Fish and Boat Commission posts on their website a list of their Musky stocking locations. They also tell you where they trap net breeder fish for their breeding program. In addition the State shares data that they have collected from fish surveys done by their Biologists. This data can often be years old but it doesn't diminish the usefulness to us fishermen. If I were looking for Musky waters in Pennsylvania this is the first place I'd start.

 

A couple years ago I googled the name of a stream and added "Musky" to the search which led me to a message board. My eyes lit up when I started reading guys talking about Musky eating the Smallmouth that they had hooked up with right off their lines. I had visions of Musky heaven and I had to get on that water. With a little online leg work I found an access point and I was fishing the water in a few short days, and under a week I was netting my first Musky. That message board banter was years old but it was still extremely useful to me because it told me exactly what I wanted to hear.

                                                         MESSAGE BOARD FISH

                                            

Social media is a huge part of our society today and that encompasses our fishing community as well. There are lots of fishing related pages on Facebook that have some really good information on them. With so many people frequenting these pages there is going to be a few with loose lips so to speak. Whether intentional or not someone is going to let out a clue on a waterway that possibly you never considered being a Musky hotspot. If you're lucky enough to snag this info you may have your new Musky spot. 

Bait and tackle stores are AWESOME places to get fishing intel from. I know, I know we are fly anglers and we don't frequent bait and tackles stores but hear me out. These places usually have a brag board where people post pictures of their catch and most of the time there are Musky pics. Even better the people that work the counter or own the place are always happy to share where the fish was caught even down to the specific location and what the fish was caught on. Do I need to say any more?? Stop into these places and get some useful intel and spend a few dollars while you're at it. 

In summary, it pays to be a detective when trying to find good quality Musky water. Anyone can sit at a spillway and catch a Musky eventually. We are fly anglers and we don't fish like that. Get that small bit of intel that lets you know there are Musky in a certain waterway and then go fish. Musky move around quite a bit so don't get stuck in one spot. Get away from the crowds and easy access and you will be rewarded with many a toothy fish! Tight lines...