Muskie on a fly!

[stout_trout]

I just want to say thank you to all of you who gave me suggestions and encouragement in my quest to catch a tiger muskie on a fly.

My two year quest ended today at 8am and I'm still shaking.

Thanks!
stout_trout
[signature]

[trollinfool]

nice! I've tried going after them with the fly but havn't had any luck yet. What were u using, bunny leach or somthing like that? All i've hit so far is smallies (they are a hoot on the fly though!). Anyway, congrats, now you have done it, all you can do is top it![]
[signature]

[Everet14]

Way to go man! Thats an awesome fish!
[signature]

[Theekillerbee]

That's pretty cool man. Congrats, and thanks for sharing.
[signature]

[DonInDenver]

[cool] Cool! What pattern??
[signature]

[stout_trout]

I caught it on a chartruese bunny/zonker type pattern tied on a 0/3 saltwater hook.
[signature]

[Bigfishrule]

Awesome!!!! My turn now?
[signature]

[Hellsangler69]

Congrats on your quest . I will have to try that someday . What was the lucky or should I say the unlucky fly that did it for you . Oh I see it now . was a bunny pattern .
[signature]

[leaky]

I'm truely proud of ya. Good on ya double! That guy looks suspiciously like the one that tried to take my bass? Where did you hook up? Was it the Nr. Fork? LOL
Leaky

[stout_trout]

Leaky,
Not the North fork, but I want to thank you for the suggestions you gave me last year, they got me into some smallies last year and gave me confidence to fish Pineview.

I've been fishing the South fork a lot lately but today I decided to fish the Middle fork.

btw, have you noticed the average size of smallmouth has increased and Pineview? I've been trying to decide if they are bigger or if I have just started to learn where the bigger ones are and how to catch them?
[signature]

[DonInDenver]

Hey stout trout-

How 'bout a blow-by-blow description?
[signature]

[mikeyt]

Way to go! That must have been a rush. Those things can put up quite a fight.
[signature]

[stout_trout]

Don...you asked for it.

I've been fishing Pineview religiously this year and it finally paid off. I have no clue how big it was. It certainly wasn't a 46 inch fish but it was plenty big for me. I was using 27lb fluorocarbon and the leader looks like someone randomly hacked it with a knife blade.

I was in my tube, working the shoreline like I have learned to do, but today I tried an area I haven't fished. I'm glad I did.

It took a chartreuse bunny pattern stripped in the way you might for smallmouth, not ripped through the water like I had thought one needed to do to catch a muskie. At first I thought it was just a decent sized smallmouth, then it seemed to get stronger and slowly picked up speed. Then it exploded to the surface like you see the marlins in the charter boats.

It was running for the cover along the bank and I got lucky enough to turn him and I kicked toward open water like my life depended on it. It made two pretty good runs and then just coasted along toward me (which freaked me out) it would come right up at my tube and almost wrapped around my legs (which nearly made me scream like a girl).

It finally calmed down and I kicked back to shore making sure to keep a short leash on it when I had to come through some brush on my way to shore. I beached and so did he. I started taking pictures as fast as I could and I was cursing that I didn't have anyone with me to get me in a photo with it. Just as I finished a couple pics, I reach down, and the fly fell out of its mouth (Thank goodness because I was terrified of that mouth!). a wave came in and he caught it going out. I snapped a good bye pic and then gave a primal war cry. I packed up my tube and walked back to the car on that note, shaking so bad that I thought I might pass out.

Anyway, I have been so excited that I've been rambling shamelessly to everyone I've talked to today. Thanks for tolerating my enthusiasm.
[signature]

[DonInDenver]

Thanks! I'm really excited for you. That is so terrific. Congratulations.
[signature]

[Kent]

Would enjoy seeing your fish, and if you edit your post and remove the "Inline" check mark(s) in front of the picture(s) I will be able to see it/them.

Thanks,
[signature]

[stout_trout]

Kent, I made the changes you suggested. I hope you can see it now.

Let me know if you can't and I will try something else.
[signature]

[Old_Coot]

[size 2][font "Comic Sans MS"][black]Man I LOVED reading your story. Especially the part where you almost "screamed like a girl" . Oh, man that makes me laugh casuse I do understand.[/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black][/black][/font]
[font "Comic Sans MS"][black]Thanks again for sharing.[/black][/font][/size]
[signature]

[Kent]

Thanks I appreciate it.
[signature]

[fuzzyfisher]

sweet fish dude! now you have to get the ever elusive pike on the fly!! you get any of them mouse fly's tied up yet?
good luck to ye dude!
[signature]

[fish4fish]

Man thats an awesome fish and an awesome story to match, good job
[signature]