Known as the fish of 10,000 casts, musky have a reputation as one of the hardest fish to catch. While that term is often a misnomer, musky offer little in terms of direct feedback. It’s often a drawn-out process of throwing different flies, fishing new spots, and trying various retrieves. If you’re lucky, you may get a follow, signaling that you’re doing something right.
After hunting musky with a fly for over 30 years, certain strategies have emerged as being integral to bringing one to the net. A handful of steps performed consistently have led to success in recent years. To help you cut down the learning curve, I’ve broken down my five tips for musky fly fishing.
5 Tips for Better Musky Fishing
These five tips will help cut down the learning curve and have you ready for a boatside eat.
Efficient Casting
Musky fishing is largely a statistical game. As a top of the food chain predator, musky densities are typically much lower than those of other fish in a particular body of water. Add in a musky’s tendency to feed on larger meals with a low frequency, and it becomes a numbers game to find one that is ready to actively feed or that is neutral and can be coaxed into a meal of bucktail, feathers, and synthetics.
Success can be as simple as keeping the fly in the water as much as possible. This begins with efficient casting and limiting the time the fly is out of the water. Since the fly is usually retrieved within a foot or two of the rod tip, loading for the next cast requires precise movements. I prefer a head shorter than 30 feet and with enough weight to quickly load the rod. After the retrieve and figure eight is completed, sweeping the rod with the fly in the water allows a portion of the head to pass the rod tip. The line is then picked up, and after one or two false casts, the forward cast is completed, shooting the line that has been peeled off the reel.
Distance is important for covering open water. Longer casts keep the fly in the fish zone for a longer period. Accuracy is also critical when covering a specific structure on smaller waters. If you fish with a single-handed rod, a good double haul is essential. However, two-handed rods are the real workhorses of musky fly fishing. I converted to two-hand overhead casting for musky nearly ten years ago. The casting stroke mirrors that of a Spey cast, albeit an overhand one. Pull in with your bottom hand while pushing forward with your top hand to create power and deliver smooth, accurate, and far casts. When you’re throwing ten-inch flies all day, a two-hand rod is a game-changer.
Keep it Simple
There is no need to make the rigging for musky fly fishing complex. For fly lines, I rely on three styles – a floater for fishing the surface, an intermediate for smaller waters or fishing a fly slowly up in the water column, and a sink-tip shooting head for fishing water with depths of 4 to 30 feet. Of these, the sink-tip gets the most use.
Every musky angler seems to have their own leader formula. Mine is simple to construct with an emphasis on functionality. It starts with an Albright knot of 30- or 40-pound fluorocarbon directly to the fly line. I don’t trust a nail knot when big fish like a musky are involved. Make sure the Albright is as low profile as possible so that it slides in and out of the guides with no hesitation. I construct the knot so that it finishes at the very end of the loop of the fly line to condense surface area. I smooth out the tag end of the fly line with heavy tying thread and trim the tag end of the fluorocarbon tight to the knot, along with adding a drop of super glue. UV knot sealer finishes a smooth connection.
The fluorocarbon section is typically 4 to 6 feet in length, depending on water clarity. In extremely clear conditions, I may stretch the fluorocarbon length to 8 feet. I use 18 inches of knotable wire for the bite guard, attached using a simple double surgeon’s knot. Be sure to tighten it evenly and use pliers to secure the tag ends. If not completely tightened, the knot can loosen. For the connection to the fly, I use a fastach clip secured with a four-turn improved clinch knot. The fastach allows for quick fly changes and maintains a constant length of the bite guard. The nonslip loop knot can be used instead of the clip for a stealthier approach.
Narrow it Down
Going to a body of water and simply casting without a plan or direction is never a good option. It’s critical to narrow down the playing field to tip the odds in your favor of placing a fly in front of a musky.
Musky behavior and positioning are driven by much the same factors as most other fish – security, food, and spawning. But for mature musky at the top of the food pyramid, it’s mainly just food and spawning. A musky typically knows where to look for its next meal when it is time to feed and relates closely to the structural elements that attract and hold a food source. Muskies are known to have a wide palate and adapt to their environment. A basic understanding of the prey that exists in the waters you fish is helpful.
Focusing on structure can be the most effective step toward consistently finding muskies. In the open water of lakes and big rivers, weed beds and weed edges tend to attract a cross-section of the food chain and represent prime areas to find musky. Weed beds can be found in shallows as well as the depths. Drop-offs and ledges can be equally productive. On smaller rivers, muskies prefer fallen timber, obvious weeds, and soft ambush points out of the main current. While occasionally muskies can be found cruising open water, typical behavior involves living and hunting along the fringes. Finding those areas greatly increases your chances.
Be Determined
Persistence, tenacity, and grinding are all words commonly associated with the pursuit of musky. And indeed, a certain commitment to the task is typically required to tangle with the fish of 10,000 casts. My approach is one of unwavering determination. Even though dry spells can challenge one’s resolve, focusing on good casts into likely holding areas is the only way to find your next musky.
Experience fuels determination. Once you have fished for musky long enough, you realize that success is a function of spending time on good water. Your day, week, or entire season can change in an instant. You are always one cast away, even on days when it appears that muskies are not active. I deliver each cast with the belief that this might be “the one.” On rare occasions when things seem futile, a change in water or fly style can help reenergize. Being able to go the distance isn’t just mental but physical as well. Be sure to stay fueled and hydrated.
During the day, it is common for there to be musky bite windows, when for a short period, multiple muskies become active. Determination assists in thoroughly covering known musky holding areas in anticipation of a bite window. This may entail fishing the same water multiple times for hours. Pay attention to the major and minor potential feeding periods caused by the moon’s position. While not foolproof, there is clearly a connection between musky activity and moon position.
Cashing In
A discussion of musky flies could fill volumes. It makes sense to carry a small repertoire of flies that vary in color, size, and style to “match the hatch.” But having too many flies to choose from can lead to distraction. I like a fly that darts and moves side to side with a one-hand retrieve and swims naturally when fished with a two-hand retrieve. It is essential that your musky flies are tied on extra sharp hooks.
In the end, musky fishing is about preparedness meeting opportunity. Be ready when your number is called. By far the most important step in bringing a musky to the net that has eaten the fly is the strip set. Keep the rod low and complete the set by forcefully pulling back on the line. And the set should be continuous until you are completely tight to the fish. Then lift the rod and maintain a tight, deep bend. Often, a musky is not deeply hooked because of the bone and cartilage prevalent in its mouth. Maintaining a deep bend and heavy pressure keeps the hook attached. When retrieving the fly, keep the rod tip in the water. This reduces line noise but, more importantly, lessens the urge or ability to use the rod to set the hook, encouraging a strip set motion.
And don’t lose sight of the short game. I retrieve the fly back to the knot between the fluorocarbon and bite guard after every cast, whether I see a musky following or not. I perform rotations of a figure eight or oval each time since a musky may be following deep. If a musky follows into the figure eight, be sure to make wide turns and speed up into the turns, providing the fish an enticing side attack angle. When a musky eats the fly boatside, a rod set may be required depending on the angle of the take. Being diligent at the end of the retrieve over the course of the season will simply result in more hookups. Last season, my two largest muskies ate the fly at the end of the rod tip.
Final Thoughts
Musky fishing is an inherently tough game. These apex predators have tantalized conventional anglers for generations, and now fly anglers with advancements in musky fly fishing tackle. If you want to tangle with the beast, time on the water is everything. Sure, these tips for musky fly fishing will help cut down on the learning curve and keep you ready when the moment comes, but ultimately, you’ll need to spend time on the water.