Musky Temptress ~ A New Tying Pattern Emerges

   This is a new musky fly pattern I created, unintentionally, after experimenting with new tying material and thinking about how I could change the profile of my first pattern, the BB's Forage.  After a few things changed a new pattern, yet un-named, emerged!  I think it is a sexy fly, but I doubt musky care about that.

   In addition to the usual yak hair, ostrich herl, one hank of bucktail & #2 saddle hackles, I created the head with Bug Bond light-cured resin and I added Krystal Hackle and Stever Farrar's Flash Blend to my musky tying arsenal.

   While I am truly one of those strange people who enjoy the weather variability of late-winter/early-spring, I am looking forward to taking this fly for a swim in warmer weather.  Just like humans, being pretty only takes one so far.  Our actions are what produce and make a lasting impression! (3/6/14 ~Twitch)

Water-Tested & Musky-Approved

                                 

                         BB's FORAGE                                  

   BB’s Forage is a Musky Fly created almost 3 years after I first fished for musky.  Prior to this (hopefully) toothy delight, all of my musky ties were originated by others or heavily influenced by another’s creation.  While I can’t say that this pattern is bereft of other tiers' influences, it is not based on anyone else’s recipe.  It’s about time!

  I've written an article to supplement the recipe.  It details what I'd hoped to accomplish (for ex: to create a faster-sinking fly), why particular materials were chosen, why they were tied-in in a particular manner, the fly's castability, & how the fly presents in the water.   If there is an interest, I can post the article or answer any questions.  Just use the comment section or drop me an email.

  I've test-casted the flies and was (surprisingly) exceedingly pleased with the results.  They have yet to swim in musky water, but I consider them water-tested and musky-approved!  See my Fly Tying page for the recipe.  Thanks, ~Twitch (posted 9/21/12)

UV-Cured Adhesive (Resin) & Buoyancy of Fly Tying Fur for Musky Flies

   So, I sat down tonight to tie a musky fly.  I planned to experiment again with skunk tail.  Then, I recalled the one skunk fly I did fish was fairly buoyant in the water –something I didn’t want occurring with the next fly. 

   At that point, my plans ran amuck.  Experiments with buoyancy of 3 fly tying materials occurred, along with readying a few newer flies for an upcoming musky trip.

   I examined another skunk fly and a couple other musky flies I'd fished this weekend.  Then, I reinforced some fly heads with Loon UV Clear Fly Finish.  BTW, I give this resin –at this time anyway- an ‘A’.  If it didn’t still feel a little ‘tacky’ after hitting it with my Loon UV mini light, it would get an ‘A+’.  I make it a point of setting the flies outside in the sun for a short time and most of the tacky feeling is then gone.   I believe this commonly occurs with many light-cured resins.  The tiny version of the Loon UV light also has an on/off button which is easily pressed.  If thrown in a bag and there is pressure on the button, one may later discover the light has dead batteries.  If my opinion later changes on the resin I will post something at that date.  For now, I believe if one uses a good light-curing resin, there is no going back to other adhesives for big fly heads.  Time is precious.  (BTW, I've reviewed a couple of resin-curing UV lights.  Here is the link: http://strip-n-twitch.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-fly-tiers-comparison-of-uv-curing.html   ** I've learned that using these light-cured products can make fly tying more efficient and creative, but these resins are not without their 'quirks'.  Following more research, I plan to post tips and tricks to increase one's ability to successfully cure the resin and to maintain an appropriate resin-fly bond.  In the  meantime, visit your product's website for more information.  If your questions aren't answered there, visit the competitors' websites; chances are you will find some answers.  UPDATE 1/9/13: 'Tips for Use of Light-Cured Resins' to be posted very soon!) http://strip-n-twitch.blogspot.com/2013/01/major-light-cured-resin-players-answer.html

   Now on to ‘the nonscientific hairy experiments’:  I filled a glass bread pan with water.  Then, for the first test, I cut similar amounts of fur from near the tips of a skunk tail and a slightly crinkly buck tail.  I also cut fur from near the base of another skunk tail.  I placed all 3 bunches of fur on the water and they floated on the surface for ~20 minutes.  Then, I pressed each down uniformly below water level.  The slightly crinkly buck tail was the most buoyant, remaining in the surface film of the water with tips slightly lower.  Surprisingly, the skunk tail taken from near the tip floated mid-surface (tips slightly lower) while the skunk tail from the tail’s base sunk to the bottom.  After 8 minutes, I pressed down again & there was little change in the buoyancy, except that the buck tail and skunk tail (taken from the tail’s tip) had sunk the tiniest bit more in the water column.

   Then, to compare the base and tip of one skunk tail, I took hair hanks from the base and tip of the tail which had previously sank to mid-surface.  Again, the hair taken from nearest the tail’s base sat lowest in the water with the tips lower.  Buck tail again remained in surface film and & skunk fur taken near tail’s tip presented with tail tips mid-surface & base in surface film.

   So, to be clear, the slightly crinkled buck tail (fur taken near the tip) was the most buoyant –sitting in the surface film, the skunk tail with fur taken closer to the tip, sank to mid-surface, and skunk tail with fur taken near the base sank the lowest- just at/near the bottom.

  

   Then, I tested natural Yak hair (red) and more buck tail.  One tail (brown) was straight & had a sheen I wished my hair had.  The other tail (orange) was fairly crinkly.  I again cut similar hanks of hair & both buck tails were taken from near the tip.  I set the hair in the water and after ~1 minute I pushed each one uniformly down to the bottom.  The yak hair remained on the bottom.  No 2^nd-guessing the depth of that one.  The tips of the crinkly, orange buck tail sank to the upper portion of water’s mid-surface.  The smooth, brown buck tail was buoyant, remaining in the surface film with the tips sinking slightly lower.  Then, I cut fur from the base of the fairly crinkly, orange buck tail.  Pressing it in the water similarly, it remained very buoyant, sitting the highest of all the tying material, even after 10 minutes.

   In summary, if your goal is for your musky fly to sink, the more expensive natural yak hair is your best bet.  After this, the ever popular skunk tail with fur taken closer to its base is 2^nd best choice.  The skunk tail with fur taken from near the tip (it sat mid-surface) is still a 3^rd good option.  Crinkly deer hair taken from near the tip would be my final choice.  If you want your fly to remain fairly buoyant, look for that crinkly buck tail, taken from the base.  That sexy, shiny, straight buck tail, taken from the tip, is a good 2^nd choice.  I imagine that fur taken from the base of this latter type of buck tail would also be a good choice (but I forgot to check that out). 

   I won’t promise that you will have the same results in your tying room.  However, it doesn’t take much time to trim off a hank of fur, immerse it in a little water & experiment for yourself.  Back to that buoyant skunk tail fly:  the skunk fur was taken from the tip & I also incorporated buck tail, most likely taken from near the base.  A few feathers had been tied in as well.  Now I know why I had a buoyant fly!  As far as buck tail goes, generally if you tie with the fur from the base, it will flair more.  It is also generally longer than the fur at the tip.  These were characteristics I desired when attempting to create a larger, bigger profile fly, but now I fully realize the trade-off.  I sense a new, quicker-sinking musky fly in my near future!

Whaddya Get When a Skunk & a Musky Cross Paths? Hopefully, a Hook-Up!

(*Update 4/13/12: Trialed fly in local quarry.  Happy with this first edition. Plan to trial more sparse skunk tail. Profile in water was good. I'm pleased with the action. When fly drying on my jacket's fly patch, I could smell slight skunk odor. However, after a few hours the odor is gone. The fly was allowed back in my house.)

   After partially deoderizing a skunk tail last year (it is still sitting in borax in a sealed bag in the garage) and then rifling through a boxful & choosing two non-stinky skunk tails at the HFFA fly fishing show this year, I have finally tied a couple of flies with the black and white fur.

   Of course, a musky fly called to me.  While skunk tail will never replace the easily-dyed buck tail, the suppleness and luminescence of skunk fur lends itself very well to hook and vise.  Furthermore, the length of portions of the tail and the ease with which the fur can be reverse-tied was, frankly, a thrill for one who loves to hunt musky.

   I'm still working out the recipe and hope to take a fly or two for a swim in J-Mac Lures (a local & on-line biz for mucho fly tying supplies including those for toothy critters) minnow tank.  If the action proves as good as I expect it to be, I will post the recipe under my Fly Tying tab.  

Travelling the Autumn Trail for Musky ~ The WI-MN Diaries (Part 5... Oct/Nov, 2011)

TALE OF THE RABBIT, THE MUNSTER, AND A MUSKY (Oct 28-30, 2011)  

   I would’ve driven the 14-hour round-trip every weekend this fall to fly fish for Musky.  When autumn arrived and plans were made, something unexpected would occur and the trip would be cancelled… again and again.  I gotta tell ya, this fly angler had needs which weren’t being met.  I got so desperate I was willing to pay for some hard-core, all-day action, but the services were denied me (jeez, I’m happy this is fishing we’re talking about!) .  Actually, the Musky guides were already booked.

   Finally, the probability of trips for the weekend prior to Halloween and the first weekend of November began to look brighter, but I remained skeptical until actually on the road.  WI-bound!  The weeks of frustration were coming to an end. 

   Last year’s goals for this year were to land a Musky outside of Wisconsin and outside of fall –which I just realized is my favorite fishing season.  Another goal was to watch Mike, a friend of mine, land his first Musky.  While I’d be thrilled to land hundreds of Musky in the great state of Wisconsin, I also fish MN, IL, and IA waterways.  My goals hadn’t been unreasonable.  However, by late September goals were altered to simply being able to fish for the toothy critters a couple of times.  Also, Mike had put aside the bulk of the fall season’s fly fishing for his other passion, falconry.  When plans did come together it was late fall and we were back around Hayward, Wisconsin.  After watching those around me boat the fat, toothy critters, I happily changed goals again to simply being able to land a Musky outside of the WI waterway in which I’ve landed all my Musky.  And then yes, this one goal also changed…

   During the whirlwind pre-Halloween weekend, I spent a 14-hour round-trip on the road listening to books on cd.  Then, with friend and Arrowhead Fly Angler guide Ouitdee Carson, we sandwiched in a Saturday of fly fishing followed with a night’s entertainment at the Musky Ball.  On that pretty fall day, Ouitdee and I put-in at Crowley Dam and we fished the Flambeau River.  It was cool to watch my buddy pull his pontoon down along a steep, staired path most other boat-owners could not follow.  I got to fish immediately below the dam but my intermediate line simply didn’t cut it in deeper, fast-current waters.  Next, I rowed downriver while my friend painted water with a new, perch-colored ‘Supercharger’ fly.  Within 15 minutes we boated a Pike and a few casts later, he landed the only Musky of the trip.  It was hooked in fast-current, shallow water but at the tail of a deeper seam.   As usual, we fished later than planned and finished by trailering the pontoon in the dark.  That night, we learned from other anglers that even a Musky follow that day had been hard to come by.  My buddy had done well. 

   Quickly, we cleaned up, tried to wake up, and then headed to Boulder Lodge for Musky guide Brad Bohen’s Musky Ball.  My friend wore casual attire while I dressed as a Musky Fly, complete with bug eyes and a hook.  The night was made up of food, friends, music, beer, and a tad of moonshine.  Not having seen Brad all year, I gave him a hug and accidentally poked his –oops!- with the ‘hook’ protruding from my costumed belly.  Sorry Brad.  During the evening, we watched a tall white rabbit do the smooth groove on the dance floor & noted that ‘Eddie Munster’ could simply replace his pointy ears with a guitar and be mistaken for AC/DC’s Angus Young.  We were also drawn outside to a campfire set in a circle of pines and listened to a bearded Scottish fly angler tell his riddles. 

   The following morning, my friend headed back home to his family, I explored some Hayward area waterways, and then made the long trek home, recalling the new memories and grateful for the chance to make and share them.  

2-DAY SERVINGS OF MUSKY ON A MULTI-SPECIES ROADTRIP (Nov 4-8, 2011)

   Late Friday I was back at Boulder Lodge, outside of Hayward, WI.  I spent a night which would ensure me not to sleep in –I car-camped.  Saturday morning I drove to meet buddy Ouitdee at the Spider Lake Café, which is the point of where this fish tale begins.  Let’s summarize:  On Friday, Ouitdee fished Chequamegon Bay for Smallies.  On Monday, Doug, another fly angler from Duluth, and me went to the Brule River in search of Steelhead.  Ouitdee was already there.  The MN-WI guide was enjoying his 100^th day this year of fishing.  By Tuesday, we were all either home or… ahem… bound for home.  However, Saturday and Sunday were all about Musky and those who love to chase them.

   The weekend weather predictors proclaimed clouds and wind, & this was true, except Sunday was more windy than expected.  Ouitdee and I debated which water to fish Saturday and if we should chance different put-in and take-out spots for the pontoon should the wind get out of hand.  We decided on a ‘safer bet’, electing to meet at the café for breakfast, then fish a single area of the West Fork of the Chippewa River.  As soon as we met at the café, plans changed and we headed off for new waters, bigger fish, and the fun of fishing with MCO Musky guide Brian Porter and his friend Chris Willen.

   Porter and I manned the oars while Chris and Ouitdee wetted flies.  Soon, Chris was yelling.  Each boat was rowed to shore and soon a 40” fat Musky was nestled in a cradle.  Porter directed the landing of the toothy fish, ensuring it had very little out-of-water time and that it was handled carefully while pictures were taken.  I was impressed by the thick-bodied fish and the guide.  During the course of the day, Chris landed 2 Musky, Ouitdee brought one to shore where it threw the hook just shy of being cradled, and Porter, who rowed more than he fished, capped the day by landing another thick-bodied lady that was 44” in length.

   The wind seemed to get brutal each time I rowed.  I was thinking of this when my friend voiced the same thing, somehow allowing me to feel better about the situation.  In retrospect, I guess I’d rather have the wind kick up when rowing than when casting with a fly tied on a 5/0 hook.  However, on the homestretch of the trip, Ouitdee rowed and the wind kicked up again, this time giving very little mercy to my friend, and to Chris in the other boat.  At this time, I was using Chris’s rod; a 10 wt Loomis which seemed more like a 12 wt, with 500 grain sinking line and the largest profile, articulated fly I’ve ever seen.  The wind and the large fly necessitated increased attention paid to the timing of my casts.  While I left the water that day the only angler without the sweet stink of Musky on her hands, we all left the water with body parts intact (aside from Chris, who was surprised to find his hand bleeding after one of his Musky encounters) & a desire to hit the water again tomorrow. 

   Chris and Porter stayed overnight at a friend’s cabin.  Porter later told me, “We got one little musky and some pike that Sunday, saw a couple others and lost a decent musky“.  Saturday was THE DAY to be on that stretch of water & I’m still pumped to have had the opportunity to fish it & to see those well-fed ladies.

   Meanwhile, Ouitdee and I headed back toward Hayward.  Along the way, I silently changed (again) my Musky goal for the year, and suggested to my buddy where we should fish on Sunday.  It was the West Fork of the Chippewa.  It was the last day that we would fish together in 2011 for Musky.  It was also –I hoped- the last day I had to tote a bottle of ‘Mosquito Wine’ onto his pontoon.

   During the previous trip, I’d scouted out our potential put-in at the West Fork and the then-current water-level.  The season had been dry but while the water was as low as I’d ever seen it, I thought it remained very fishable.  As re-enforcement of this, I watched at a distance as two men in a drift boat landed a fish.   

   So, on that November Sunday, after a Spider Lake Café breakfast, we went in search of West Fork Musky.  Ouitdee hit the oars first.  It was windy and chilly.  I had my West Fork ‘Hang Time’ fly on the line and asked my friend to keep the boat in a particular stretch of water.  Soon after I had my first Musky of the year!  It was a ‘micro Musky’ but nonetheless, my revamped goal of simply landing a Musky this year –even on the water where I’ve landed all my Musky- was met.  The Musky was released and I took the oars.  Within 4 casts, Ouitdee landed another Musky in the same stretch of water!  We traded on the oars, conquered the wind –again and again- anchored and fished together, and then finally my buddy hooked another fish!  I was rowing and could see it was large for the water in which it lived.  Ouitdee reported it to be about 40” and was ‘ugly’ & scarred.  While rowing to shallow water and excitedly looking forward to seeing this ‘ugly’ toothy critter, it threw the hook.  I was not happy, but my wise friend, who always seems to be happy, remained unfazed.

   The wind continued to challenge our boat, but we continued on.  We explored skinnier water and Ouitdee had another ‘micro Musky’ try for his fly.  My friend then took the oars and we started to head back.  He rowed back through a narrow stretch of water and Ouitdee pointed out a weed edge, asking me if I saw the small opening.  I told him yes and he asked me to cast to that opening.  I double-hauled and my fly, a modified Supercharger in reds, yellow and black, hit the opening.  Two strips later, I gave two very hard strip-sets to ensure that the Musky that hit my fly remained attached to that hook.  It wasn’t huge and it wasn’t fat, but it sure could fight.  I put the fighting butt in my gut and did not give any slack while Ouitdee rowed to the shallows.  I saw the fly at the corner of the fish’s mouth while Ouitdee clamped the Fish Grip on its jaw.  At that point the Musky again began to fight, tossing the fly, but the fish remained ours to photograph and to release. As we neared the landing, I attempted to use all my senses to feel and to remember the weekend.  At one point the sun lit the trees and water and all seemed to glow with a golden hue.   

   Well, reader, you’ve read how I whittled down my Musky goals and, in the end, how the Musky I finally landed lived in the same waters in which I’ve landed all my Musky.  Perhaps you think I might be disappointed?  On Columbus Day, 2009, I fished for Musky for the 1^st time.  It was on the West Fork.  It was 32* & light snows made land & trees appear lace-covered.  The guide worked hard to put me on fish but they simply were not feeding.  Yet, I still remember it to be one of the most satisfying days I’ve ever had on the water.  Since then, whenever I’ve been on that water, I’ve landed Musky.  Ouitdee is a guide and has fly fished since he has been a child.  Prior to Sunday, he’d never fished the West Fork and it is always my thrill to provide him with the rare, new fly fishing experience.  I can’t imagine ever landing a ‘trophy-sized’ fish out of this water, but one at least has a good chance at a ‘micro Musky’.  We did more than that.  And on that Sunday I accomplished another goal of getting Musky ‘doubles’ with my friend and mentor.  It was for this reason I’d been carting around a bottle of wine on all of our Musky trips.  And, near the end of the day when the sun was ready to set with a golden hue on our season’s Musky adventures, WE also landed that single, final fish.  It was a fish which wouldn’t have been landed or even hooked without both anglers helping each other, carrying out specific roles and communicating well.  Yes, we celebrated doubles and goals met, but in the end we really celebrated life and a strong friendship.    

   So, readers and fellow fly anglers, I wish you tight lines and even tighter friendships!

The Fly Tying Trials of Skunk vs. Polar Pony Hair

  The quest for skunk tail started when I discovered, on-line, a Clouser-like musky fly made with 'Polar Pony'.  My fly material sources didn't know what it was, but Google did.  It comes from a pony which lives in Iceland.  Evidently, Icelandic pony hair is a very special thing since a package of it, with dimensions similar to flashabou, runs about $14.  Now, if that Clouser-like musky fly could guarantee me one 50"+ musky this season, I'd buy it.  However, I never saw that claim on a package.  http://hatchesmagazine.com/blogs/Hatches/2011/02/07/steve-silverio-ties-the-silverfishfly/

   So....that is what led to my desire for skunk tail.  Frankly, I no longer remember how or if skunk tail is similar to Icelandic pony hair.  However, we all know that once one starts looking at a particular fly pattern, then looks for substitute material for said pattern, other discoveries are made.  Then, the initial search is temporarily forgotten due to the curiosity elicited by discovering the potential for yet a different fly tying material.  This is why a particular fly tier can gather a lifetime of tying material in a couple of years. 
   However, I do believe there is a correlation between an Icelandic pony and, well, a skunk. I want to tell you that the reason for the high cost of the Icelandic pony's hair is that the pony also values his hair and has developed a defense mechanism to prevent would-be fly tiers of Icelandic pony hair from creeping up and cutting off its mane or tail.  I want to tell you the pony lifts its tail and tries to spray those wanting to steal away it's long, shiny hair. Therefore, one can understand why the hair is so expensive; it’s hard to get & hard to get rid of the smell if sprayed.

   However, if I told you all that I would be lying.  The truth, if I remember correctly, is that skunk hair is said to be long, shiny and almost translucent. Somewhere in my memory banks, skunk hair sounded like a nice substitute for Polar Pony.

   'John', a hunter and fisher, goes to K&K Hardware every Tuesday to visit a friend who works at the store.  I occasionally stop by to visit with 'the boys' & to shop for fly tying material.  John is also becoming the man who provides me with 'excellent tail'.  I was given my first tail shortly after deer hunting season.  It was prime bucktail.  The bone had been removed and the tail had been dried.  I later thanked John with home-made cookies. 

   So, when I first started thinking of skunk tail, I thought of John.  If 'the boys' were out hunting and happened to run across a dead skunk on the side of the road --in good shape, perhaps just a head injury-- maybe John would be willing to harvest the tail for me.  Unrealistic to find one in good shape?  Perhaps, but I tend to be optimistic. 

   It just so happened that when I asked John about skunk tail, his neighbor had trapped one that day.  I can't say I like it, but these boys are hunters and John says skunks eat the eggs of the birds they hunt; he said the skunk wasn't going to be around much longer.  I emphasized I didn't want a skunk killed for me, but if it was going to happen, why should the tail be wasted? 

   A couple weeks later, I came into the store and John just as quickly left.  Soon, he came back with a smile and a sealed bag containing the skunk tail.  We could smell the tail through the bag.  John noted that his cats, Connie Chung and #5, wanted that skunk tail more than catnip.

   So, I took the tail home, did a little research, and soon the tail was double-bagged and sitting in borax.  I only needed a nice day to be able to mix up a ‘cocktail’ which has been known to neutralize the odor created by skunks.  Now, I live in a little slab home with an attached tiny garage in a tiny yard, surrounded by neighbors who don’t like the smell of skunk.  It’s also been raining a lot.  Due to the smell, the rain, and the fear of a cat carrying my tail away, it’s been sitting for a month or more in the bag in the garage. 

   But today, it did not rain.  I took the tail outside, mixed up the ingredients (1 pt 5% hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, 1 tablespoon liquid dish detergent –use when freshly made) then placed the tail in a bowl with the ingredients.  The mixture frothed up like the head of steamed milk on a cappuccino.  It pushed half the tail out of the bowl.  I waited at least 5 minutes, pushing the tail back into the liquid.  I noted the greatest odor was coming from the bag which now only contained borax.  I sniffed the tail before and after rinsing it off and estimated at least 75% of the odor was gone.  After letting the tail sit outside for a while, I sealed it in another bag filled with fresh borax.  I would buy the recommended fresh hydrogen peroxide soon and give the tail another bath. 

   Then, I left for the fly fishing club meeting.  Upon returning home, I noticed a slight odor in the garage…  I'd been wrong.  I now estimate the tail odor has actually been reduced by 50%.  I can’t say the tail is fly tying material yet, but it’s getting there. 

   (By the way, when the tail is ready and a fly is tied, I’ll post a picture.  Perhaps it will be a Clouser-like fly tied with a great substitute for Polar Pony.  And, while researching how to deodorize and dry a skunk tail, I came across a very funny article about ‘The Skunk Hair Club’. This is the link: http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/Skunk.html) 

~Twitch