Last Day Chasing Muskie

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 sunrise on muskie waters

My 2013 Muskie chase has come to an end as of today, but had one of the best sun rises of the year.  Brings to mind the old sailors saying.  Red Sky in the morning, sailors take warning.  As the last day brought with it 20-30 mph winds that chased us off a little early.  Now back to my home waters and the steelhead chase begins in full swing.  It’s truly a mix bag of emotions though.  While Muskie absorb you in every way and almost eat at your sole, I do love my leaping, jumping, cartwheeling, quick-running, dime silver friends that I will be coming home too.  I will miss the muskie waters and look forward to the chase in 2014.  During the winter thoughts and patterns will be developed and new techniques will come to mind. If any of this muskie stuff interests you I am booking additional muskie fly fishing guide days in 2014.  Feel free to contact me direct at jray@mangledfly.com

Thank you to all that joined me this fall season!

 

Picture of the Day – Biggest Muskie for Jerome to date

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Jerome S. who started this adventure 3 years ago, today achieved a new PB (personal best) muskie.  Great fish Jerome, nice job.  Any muskie on a fly is a great fish, but some are always a little more special.

True Mangled Fly

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The death of a fly at the hands of a fish, is the inspiration that started the name Mangled Fly Media.The sad part of this story is this fly was never the same.  After Mr. Esox got ahold of it and turned it into true Mangled Fly.  It did not swim right ever again.  We had to put to rest this buck tail, rabbit strip, rubber leg, flashabou creation.  Will always have found memories of the fish we shared.

2013 week 1 Muskie Adventure

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Well not really a week but 12 days of Muskie 2013 just came to an end, still have 3 more days planned and can’t wait to get back.  Wanted to throw up a quick pic, and give a couple highlights to the first part of the adventure.

    • First trip was 2 days with two new muskie anglers and we popped the muskie cherry on day one.  With each angler landing muskie, as I reported in a previous post we found the first tiger muskie on that trip.
    • First muskie on topwater was accomplished going into the next week.  Have this also on video and will be editing this with Erik Rambo.  Muskie video highlights from a couple days filming above and below the surface will be coming shortly.  Look for more on that soon.
    • Had a chance to guide two women for the first time for Muskie, with a bunch of rain falling the day before river came up and seemed like most fish changed there feeding lines, but we did land a Muskie that day along with a half dozen pike.  Ann M. picture to the (lower right) with her first ever Muskie on a fly.

 

  • Jay Hickey (below) first time Muskie angler with his first and also my biggest fish of the trip, was an end to the first part.  Great fish Jay!

Flymen Fish Masks

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Experimenting and liking what the vise is turning out.  But the tail of the tape is on the river.  How will it swim, how are the materials acting?  But so far so good, the new Fish Mask from the Flymen Fishing Co. are pretty cool.  Check them out here.  A great product that really finishes off a fly well.  Again the water test will determine how it effects swim action.  I look forward to the testing.

More to come of this type of pattern (feel like I’ve been saying this allot lately), but seriously more to come soon.  Hoping video and still pics of this pattern in action.  Tying up more muskie patterns for the annual adventures.  Love the chase of this predator before the chrome.

Working with new materials from Flymen Fishing Co. The fish mask - http://flymenfishingcompany.org/products/fish-skull-products/fish-skull-fish-mask/

Mis Fit Heads and future Muskie Flies

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With a fresh 13″ of snow that fell have a couple days off to hit the vise pretty hard.  Have a new product I’ve been wanting to play with.  They are called Mis Fit Heads you can find them here at the Lund Fly Shop.  I think one of the hardest parts of finishing big flies, is making your heads look nice and sexy.  Also epoxy products can weigh down your patterns, so I’m excited to see how these new flies swim in open water once we thaw out.

mis_fit_head

Muskie Mis Fit Pattern

 

Public Meeting for Pike and Muskie regulations

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Follow this link for more information about public meetings in your area for the NEW regulations regarding pike and muskie for 2013.  Public meetings will be held in March and April.

Titan Taper now in a New Color

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Titan Taper

Smallmouth and Musky Favorite!

The Titan Taper has been a standard line in my boat for a couple years, and now that it’s coming out in a new color, I have a list of waters that are going to get the Titan treatment. Thank you SA!

This heavily weight forward fly line has been so good in the boat and from shore. If you are fishing large wind resistant flies, like bass poppers or 6-10″ Musky Flies this line works awesome. With it’s thin running line and textured surface you will be able to deliver your flies to the furthest target. The Titan now comes in sunset / willow which features a willow head to sneak up on wary fish and sunset running line to sight the direction of your cast.

The new Titan is available in 6-10 weight which is perfect for midwest waters.

 

Exciting new things for Musky in Michigan

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Was just sent this article about the future of Musky in Michigan.  Have my fingers crossed that some new regulations and different tactics by the DNR will lead to exciting new fishing in our inland lakes.

Article by the DNR about what they have been up too regarding Musky!

Holy Cow I can’t believe I got that on film

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Video is shot in 1080 HD will take a second to load fully.  Enjoy.