From the uninitiated perspective, there’s loads of gonzo in fly fishing for musky. From the scale of the fish, the tooth, the romanticized wrestle, the beefy deal with and outsized flies, few events in freshwater fly fishing examine in perceived absurdity–a reality that may be distracting at occasions. As somebody who has had a hand in lots of anglers’ introduction to searching musky with flies, I’ve thought-about it my job to filter the smoke, simplify the method, and educate of us on what actually issues, and what, to that finish, could be thought-about the “proper” method to do issues with out squashing the chance for creativity in angling. A big portion of that dialogue could be centered round fly design.
At first look, it could appear that a very powerful attribute of a musky fly is measurement — throw in some mounds of wildly coloured bucktail and also you’re able to rock — however following these ideas alone can lead to heartbreak, a sore shoulder, or each. As is the case for many fly designs, an understanding of the biology of the goal species and the calls for of the sport are the very best informants. Following are a number of design attributes that needs to be thought-about in creating instruments that can successfully hook, maintain, and land a musky, whereas standing as much as the rigor of their pursuit.
Sturdiness
Musky are typically massive, heavy critters, at all times with a robust jaw stuffed with sharp tooth. They are going to discover the weaknesses in a fly’s development. Musky flies additionally are typically comparatively time-consuming to tie. So it’s wholesome on your fly field, and on your personal time, to tie a sturdy fly that can survive a number of fish. This implies robust thread stress, well-secured supplies, and a beneficiant quantity of locking glue or resin, with favor given to sturdy supplies.
Robust connections in articulated flies are important. The very last thing you need is to spend an hour and a half tying a fantastic fly that will get bit, solely to have a fish rip it in half on the hookset and swim off freely. Essentially the most bulletproof connections are metallic shanks tied straight onto a number one hook. Two items of doubled-over 40-lb. 7×7 chew wire is one other good choice. No matter you employ, ensure it could actually’t slip out of the thread wraps you employ to safe it, and when utilizing any type of stranded wire, it’s at all times a good suggestion to examine them infrequently.
Photograph: Matt Reilly.
Castability
Fishing for musky could be a struggle of attrition. It’s a joke, but it surely’s principally true. You want to have the ability to make good displays for so long as potential, and having a fly that permits you to do that’s paramount. An efficient musky fly portrays bulk with out being cumbersome, and options supplies which can be gentle and do a good job of shedding water. This is the reason bucktail and the hole, or reverse, tying approach are hallmarks of the musky fly world.
The addition of weight to a fly also needs to be restricted to what’s essential to the motion of the fly and can’t be achieved with a sinking line. Normally this implies none in any respect. Strategic weight will help produce an erratic head kick, or assist to beat the drag {that a} cumbersome fly has within the air whereas casting, however including weight “to get the fly down” will work in opposition to you usually.
Hook Alternative
Severe thought needs to be dedicated to the precise hooks that you simply construct flies on, for when the second arrives, they are going to be your solely level of contact with the fish. Efficient hooks are sturdy, with a adequate hole to seize and maintain a big fish, and needs to be proportional to the fly you’re tying. They need to even be sharp and simply sharpened (in case you’re going to significantly pursue musky, it’s essential be a hook-sharpening maniac). Some examples that I exploit with regularity are the Gamakatsu B10S, Ahrex PR320, Daiichi 2461, and Kona BGC and BGH, however there are many different nice choices.
With increasingly “predator-specific” hooks obtainable on the fly tying market in the present day, now we have tons of choices, however watch out for the actually heavy gauge hooks, as there’s some extent of diminishing returns with beefiness. Musky have exhausting mouths, and when one eats your fly, you’re going to must drive a hook by means of it by strip setting with a fly line (and that’s in case you can maintain your cool and do this). Actually thick hooks require extra forceful units, and are more durable to sharpen and maintain sharp.
Photograph: Matt Reilly.
Hook Placement
It is a large one — the very first thing I think about when constructing a fly — and one thing that can trigger me to dismiss a fly at first look. Musky come outfitted with huge, flat mouths stuffed with tooth, which completely fits them for his or her most popular predatory technique of t-boning smooth, fleshy prey at middle mass. Research have confirmed this to be true, and anecdotally, anglers all over the place will affirm. For that cause, in case you can solely put one hook in a fly, place it at middle mass. If you happen to can or wish to use two, place one other within the head. A 13-inch fly with a single 2/0 hook within the head is a recipe for heartbreak.
It’s price mentioning, too, that strategically positioned hooks also needs to be uncrowded by supplies and allowed to operate correctly.
Photograph: Matt Reilly.
Constructed-In Triggers
It goes with out saying that the aim of any musky fly is to get a fish to eat it, and so it needs to be tied with some built-in triggers. The vast majority of confirmed musky fly designs are erratic and imitate typical glide baits, preying on a musky’s aforementioned desire for t-boning prey by jackknifing and providing a full side-profile present to a following fish as typically as potential. This motion can often be achieved by tying sparsely within the tail, and progressively rising in bulk and buoyancy in the direction of the top. Nonetheless, triggers are quite a few, from velocity and flash, to backside contact, vertical rise and fall, and many others., however the level is {that a} fly’s presence within the water and meant motion needs to be thoughtfully designed.
Wrapping Up
Fly colour and particular patterns have been overlooked of this dialogue virtually fully–and for good cause. These items are virtually irrelevant as platform tying ideas. Throughout their native and launched vary, musky inhabit an array of water varieties; prey on every part from amphibians and birds to shad, suckers, and grownup pike; and have been caught on each colour and magnificence lure beneath the solar. That is the place creativity and experimentation come into play. There are not any hard-and-fast guidelines in tying, however think about these ideas as a place to begin for tying your musky bugs with confidence, and have enjoyable with it.
