Fly pattern for Musky?

[Mr T]

Anybody have a fly pattern they recommend for Western WA musky that they have success with? Goal this year is to catch one of these on a fly that I tie.

[metlhead]

Made some tube flies with a trailing 5/0 Gami octopus. Built on 40# mono. They were dark brown and gold rabbit strip with maribou heads. Total length was about 6". Those things got so many follows at Mayfield. Never a hit though.

[RightPlace-RightTime]

Big/long and Ugly

[jackelope]

I took these on my Boundary Waters trip in September to use for pike. Unfortunately I can’t confirm their efffectiveness,  but they look like they’d be effective.
One guy I talked to thought they’re too small.



Also had a few of these. They’re called flashtail whistlers. I don’t tie. I bought them on eBay. If you tie, you can make them whatever color you want.





They’re big but way easier to throw than the top ones. Tied on 3/0 hooks.

[KNOPHISH]

Black, black or black. Small baits works well.

[boneaddict]

Big/long and Ugly

It’s been 30 years I th8nk. We used some sort of carpet material in the head, it helped top surface (wake) action.  Long streamer, red and white with lots of flash.  I think we had trailer hooks in the tail, though not sure of legalities of that now.

[Mr T]

I can definitely tie an ugly fly! The "carpet material" has me very intrigued... Will try and do some digging of info on that.  The potential of what this fly could be may be a better story than the potential catch of the tiger musky.

[jackelope]

Just make sure it’s not too big so you’ll be able to cast it and that your wife won’t get pissed if there’s a bald spot in your living room carpet.

[chukardogs]

Many years ago, I tied some multi-colored Arctic Fox spun in copper wire and 8 rabbit strips (double bunny style) about 8 inches long. Fished Mayfield a few time with them and got follows but no takes. One of the most exciting moment's of fishing I've ever had.
As far as the flies go, stay away from rabbit or use it sparingly. It picks up way too much water and splats when it lands. Build bulk by flaring the body material. Unless you have a unit for spinning material in copper wire. Use as many huge schlappen feathers wrapped back to back on the hook as possible. If the fly doesn't move water when stripped, start over. Don't judge the fly in the vice. Put it in water to see if it all flows naturally. If the body doesn't flow and undulate naturally in conjunction with the tail, game over. There are synthetics that shed water really well but I don't think they move naturally.
 A fishy shape, a lot of natural looking movement and flash are the keys. Crystal flash or Flashabou give a good amount of natural looking flash. Iridescent and minnow flash together are an awesome combo. They flash well when moved but disappear when still.
Couple lessons I learned the hard way. Don't use 10 foot rods and don't use long leaders. Use a shorter  8 1/2 or 9 foot rod and clear intermediate sink line and 3 to 5 foot leaders so you can do a figure 8 at the boat if needed. We had two fish so close to the boat that we could have grabbed them with our hands and don't be surprised if they leave and come right back for another look. They know they're the top of their food chain. A wolf in the water! Good luck!

[chukardogs]

Also, a material I just found for tying Ling Cod flies. Gives good bulk but sheds water fast. Yak hair. Comes in multiple colors.

[Brushcrawler]

This is on my bucket list too. Never caught a musky, but I’ve caught some pretty big pike on surprisingly small black wooly buggers.

[chukardogs]

I've been told by the architect of the Tiger Musky program in this state, that in some of the locations like Newman and Curlew, the Tiger Muskys will hit much smaller flies (prey) because of what their natural forage is. In Mayfield and Merwin, the prey is Pike Minnows, planted Rainbows and suckers. Everything they eat is 8 plus inches long. In places like Curlew, which has every species of fish imaginable, some of the perch and such are available to the Muskys at 2 to 3 inches long. A much smaller forage base.
 I'm not saying a smaller fly wouldn't work, it just wouldn't represent what they're naturally feeding on.

[boneaddict]

I have a feeling the way I targeted it, was them coming into the shallower water to spawn and they were defending their “nest”.  It had nothing to do with lunch.

[jackelope]

I’ve got a fairly large box of flies that were aimed at a pike trip that would probably work for muskies also.  Happy to share if anyone’s looking for company on a musky hunting trip. I’ve got multiple 8wt rods too.

[chukardogs]

I've heard the guides go catch suckers anywhere from 10 to 14 inches long in the morning and kill them and use a double hook rig to cast them into shallow water where they know there's a fish hangin.

[chukardogs]

That's on Mayfield. I've read about guys fishing Curlew and catching them on wooly buggers.
I was just in New Mexico in a Fly shop in Taos, they had a picture of the owner with a Tiger Musky caught in a local lake on a wooly bugger.

[jackelope]

Wooly buggers are probably the most versatile imitates anything in the water fly to ever exist. Interesting that they key on the smaller sized baits.
Is it pretty much a sight fishing scenario or do folks just blind cast for them in likely areas?

[chukardogs]

They don't call them the fish of ten thousand casts for no reason. I was told that in Mayfield at least, the guys that are successful, spot the fish first or at least have an idea where ones hanging out. You can absolutely spot them up against drop offs and overhanging banks if the lights right. We found they liked the shaded edges but also found them laying up against stumps and sunken logs.   

[jackelope]

They don't call them the fish of ten thousand casts for no reason. I was told that in Mayfield at least, the guys that are successful, spot the fish first or at least have an idea where ones hanging out. You can absolutely spot them up against drop offs and overhanging banks if the lights right. We found they liked the shaded edges but also found them laying up against stumps and sunken logs.

Seems like in Lake Tapps, sight fishing them is pretty common.
The fish of 10k casts is probably 20k casts with a fly rod.

[chukardogs]

I heard a few years back from a buddy that fished Mayfield with me that Tapps had been stocked. I'm hoping now that retirements here, I'll get some time to try it again.

[Mr T]

Anybody have a link to the planting numbers for Lake Tapps or any population studies they have done since starting the program?

[Happy Gilmore]

Your high school gym teachers gym sock is my favorite

[OutHouse]

I was fishing Merwin for tigers and we came up on a guy fly casting what looked like a very large dragonfly. It was classic large size just like musky lures used on rod and reel. He landed one that day. We didn’t. Oh well. I’ve still never caught one out of Merwin but had probably a dozen follows.

[chukardogs]

Was the 'dragon fly' fly, tied with Foam? Thinking about it in the terms of what a Tiger will eat. A large frog pattern or a large mouse pattern may be something they'd hammer. Heck tie a baby duck fly.

[OutHouse]

Was the 'dragon fly' fly, tied with Foam? Thinking about it in the terms of what a Tiger will eat. A large frog pattern or a large mouse pattern may be something they'd hammer. Heck tie a baby duck fly.

I wish I could tell you but I didn't see it close enough. We came by his boat and I saw it from about 20 feet away. My buddy who I fish tigers with has a mouse lure and a frog one as well. I know he slammed one on the mouse lure. I saw what I believe would have been a new state record hit a long, simple white topwater lure my buddy was throwing. Don't know much about fly fishing but I bet if you hucked out a large fly and gave it a little action you'd have some luck. My first time Musky fishing was at Merwin and I ended up getting a great follow from the dock at the end of the day using a large rubber with an orange tail. That fish looked like a dragon stalking its prey!  Best of luck!!

[walt]

I had the same goal a while back but with pike.  My first go was a weedless, articulated bunny leech perch looking thing with big weighted dumbbell eyes.  It looked good in the water but casting it was a nightmare, even with an 8wt.  Next up, and the winner for me, was a simple large bucktail.  White on bottom, olive on top, rainbow crystal flash on the sides, peacock hurl over the back and large plastic dumbbell eyes.  It’s light enough to cast easily and I ended up catching 4 on the first trip out.  This was back before they started killing them off in the Pend Oreille River.  I’ll be out on Newman once the ice melts trying for tiger muskie.  I’ve caught a few on gear there but haven’t tried with a fly rod yet.

[chukardogs]

Nice Flies!!!! Lake Pend Oreille has Tiger Muskies or Pike? I knew Curlew and Newman had Tigers but never heard that the Pend Oreille had them. I've heard or read that Sprague Lake and Evergreen Reservoir has a few also? Fished Evergreen Reservoir early summer one year and got Walleye on big buggers against the rock walls but no Tigers. I think Banks lake could be a fun fly fishing adventure for Walleye and large Smallies.
 Just a FYI if you're into hunting predator type fish with a Fly rod. The canals in Miami for Peacock Bass on a Fly is as much fun as a person can have legally and relatively cheap if you can get decent airfare.
 I've read they're getting to have quite a fairly large population of Pike in Lake Roosevelt? Anyone seeing this to be true? Everything I read indicates, catching Pike on a Fly in Lake Coeur d'Alene is relatively easy in the spring right before and during the spawn, compared to catching Tiger Muskies. Considering I've never caught either, I wouldn't take anything I put on here very seriously.
 I'm working on an old original Carolina skiff right now trying to get it ready for this summer, just for Tiger Musky on a Fly. Platforms with nothing to catch fly lines or toes. A wide open deck with nothing above the gunnels. Seats that fold into and out of the floor and a full shroud over the outboard, fuel lines and wires. A Tiger Musky on a Fly rod has been a goal for a while and now that life after retirement is calming down a bit, hopefully it will become a reality!?!
 My first time on Mayfield in my buddies bass boat, I'm sure if anyone was watching, we looked like two of the three stooges. He caught two on gear and trying to land these things and still have fingers left is tricky. We made one of the long trap like nets that you pull the fish into and lift up after the fish is in position. One problem with our design. We didn't cut slits in the material for the water to run out of, so as you lifted it up, all the water and the fish went out the ends. Lesson learned!
I spent a good portion of my time trying to get fly lines untangled and unhooked from everything in the boat. I'm thinking of a stripping basket like platform that you step into and just let your line drop into.
Good luck out there!

[walt]

Nice Flies!!!! Lake Pend Oreille has Tiger Muskies or Pike? I knew Curlew and Newman had Tigers but never heard that the Pend Oreille had them. I've heard or read that Sprague Lake and Evergreen Reservoir has a few also? Fished Evergreen Reservoir early summer one year and got Walleye on big buggers against the rock walls but no Tigers. I think Banks lake could be a fun fly fishing adventure for Walleye and large Smallies.
 Just a FYI if you're into hunting predator type fish with a Fly rod. The canals in Miami for Peacock Bass on a Fly is as much fun as a person can have legally and relatively cheap if you can get decent airfare.
 I've read they're getting to have quite a fairly large population of Pike in Lake Roosevelt? Anyone seeing this to be true? Everything I read indicates, catching Pike on a Fly in Lake Coeur d'Alene is relatively easy in the spring right before and during the spawn, compared to catching Tiger Muskies. Considering I've never caught either, I wouldn't take anything I put on here very seriously.
 I'm working on an old original Carolina skiff right now trying to get it ready for this summer, just for Tiger Musky on a Fly. Platforms with nothing to catch fly lines or toes. A wide open deck with nothing above the gunnels. Seats that fold into and out of the floor and a full shroud over the outboard, fuel lines and wires. A Tiger Musky on a Fly rod has been a goal for a while and now that life after retirement is calming down a bit, hopefully it will become a reality!?!
 My first time on Mayfield in my buddies bass boat, I'm sure if anyone was watching, we looked like two of the three stooges. He caught two on gear and trying to land these things and still have fingers left is tricky. We made one of the long trap like nets that you pull the fish into and lift up after the fish is in position. One problem with our design. We didn't cut slits in the material for the water to run out of, so as you lifted it up, all the water and the fish went out the ends. Lesson learned!
I spent a good portion of my time trying to get fly lines untangled and unhooked from everything in the boat. I'm thinking of a stripping basket like platform that you step into and just let your line drop into.
Good luck out there!

Thanks. I'm mainly familiar with the PO river downstream from the lake, Cusick to Canada. 10 or so years ago there were lots of pike in the sloughs.  I'm not sure about Tiger Muskies in PO lake but don't think they are in there.  Roosevelt has/had a bounty on pike for a while but I've never targeted them there. I've heard the chain lakes above CdA are great for pike too.

Newman is fun and just down the road from me but I usually fish gear there with a buddy and his kid. Tiger Musky and Carp on the fly are on this years bucket list.

I too am working on a casting platform for the front of my little lake boat. If only I could keep the dog off my line.  Feel free to PM me if you ever get over this way or want to exchange info

[chukardogs]

My English Setters are my biggest problem when it comes to the amount of time I get to fish. If I leave the house without them, I'm going to pay. When I get home, I'll need a new set of sunglasses, a new hat or something that needs to be replaced. The only trip I take without my bird dogs is my eleven day fall sabbatical for deer. My wife actually takes them to the cabin a day or so before I leave so I can pack the vehicle without dogs under feet.
 That's also the reason for the elevated stripping basket. I have one dog that has to stand between my legs or right beside me with his nose on the water. If they'd only learn to net fish, they'd at least be of some help.
 I've spent maybe 5 or 6 days total in that corner of the state. Elbow Lake just above Orient is one of my favorite places. I may have to head that direction later this summer with my canoe that has a casting platform with coolers for outriggers on it. Dogs can't tip it over and throw me in the drink while I'm fighting a fish!
 I take it you're fishing between Cusick and Metaline Falls? Is any of that water free flowing or is it all lake like, back water behind the dam?

[walt]

It's moving but very much controlled. Above Box Canyon Dam is fine, if you put in below there's a pretty good rapid just below the  Metaline Falls bridge that can change by the minute depending on outflow. From there on down to Boundary Dam is something to behold

[chukardogs]

You have to be careful fishing Rufus Woods also. It's shocking how fast the current and water level can change some days. If you get out too far wearing waders and step up onto a rock, when you step off that rock, you may get wet and cold.