The opener was a little bit different this year. The spawn was a little late in 2015 and as expected getting a big girl to dance with you was going to be a difficult proposition. The good news is that the more aggressive males were already hunting and chasing and that would provide for an exciting day. I had the privilege of fishing with a couple of first rate fly guys; Dan and Andy.
For a guide, fly guys are by far the most work you can have for a day in a boat. When the wind is up the game is all about boat position. Fortunately both Dan and Andy were very experienced in their craft and made it an easier day than was anticipated in the stiff winds.
We had several takes on our ‘Christmas morning’ outing and ended up with a fine fish that smashed a home made popper at boat side. These two engineers build all their own flies and Dan makes very fine musky rods along with exceptional fly rods which adds a whole different element of satisfaction to pictures like this. The flies are works of art rivaling any crafted piece in beauty and detail.
The video coming later today is Dan and his very interesting technique for stripping musky flies. Not what us mere mortal musky guys do for sure…..
Thanks guys, I learned a lot from you.
JA
ps The big girls began to play only a day or two later and the next few stories will feature a few them as well as my outing with Lawrence Gunther and Hallie Cotnam from CBC for Lawrence’s 24-hour fishathon. This event was set up in conjunction with the Riverkeeper to showcase the massive bio diversity of the Ottawa River. The segment will aired Friday and here is that link:
http://www.cbc.ca/…/Rad…/Local+Shows/Ontario/ID/2670514903/…
Interview with Reno Viola on his Radio show coming next Tuesday!
Ottawa River Musky Factory 