Trophy Fishing TN Forum - Caney Fork Trout Fly Fishing - Caney Fork Trout Guide
Warm Water Fishing Reports => The TN Muskie Addiction => Topic started by: TWiles on December 08, 2013, 01:59:26 AM
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Thursday Night:
Stayed up too late tying new ideas on overpriced triple-articulated hooks with high expectations of Pre-cold front muskies.
Tying station disaster...there's a vise in there somewhere:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r22/traviswiles/null_zps267f9810.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/traviswiles/media/null_zps267f9810.jpg.html)
Friday:
Woke up at 4:15 AM to finish loading the gear and Crawdad and meet up with V Wake to journey to some remote waters. Gusty winds and spitting rain greeted us with muddy feeder creeks as the river began to rise up the banks...PERFECT conditions for chaos that brings good fishing. We slid the Crawdad down the bank and we were off:
VWake caught a good 'un right off the bat that charged at the boat as he struggled to get tension on the strip set. A nice Musky in the first 10 minutes. We managed a few lagging follows...but not quite the aggressive charges I expected the murky water to bring.
A few hours later, watched VW lure a musky out of the muddy water into the clear where it paused for a second. A quick/perfectly sliced Keep-away turn caused the musky to charge and crush the fly...#2 in the boat.
We kept fishing strong, with a few more nice fish spotted; but our luck ran out, as the fading light dimmed the fish activity. The river was up, but still looked good; keeping our hopes high for the next day of fishing.
Day Two: after a coma-like sleep from the previous day's exhaustion, we drove to explore some new river stretches I've been eyeballing on GoogleMaps. Even after tracing many miles to headwaters, the cfs flow had doubled, and the muddy waters were unwelcoming. We made the most of it and explored to find some of the most impressive river stretches I have ever seen...got some very scary hollows, though-- hoping not to encounter some of the locals next time we return.
Plan B: We then headed towards home with intentions of fishing another drainage. Crossed a couple bridges--Nope, it's flowing high and muddy with 2" visibility. VW had some family obligations and decided it would be best to return home; so we returned to his truck and loaded up his gear.
Jay called me and was up to fish, so we agreed to meet at a river hole that I've been wanting to fish for Years. I drove through the mountains...got to the water...MUDDDDY! Darn! I scramble back from the mountains and find Jay driving; and we settle on our last and only hope for clear water...BINGO!
We drug the Crawdad through some timber and launch into a perfect flat water hole with structure and stained/but clear water with 4 ft visibility.
15 minutes on the water, my line gets tight off some deep timber...Damn, I'm hung up...Nope! the bottom starts moving and the choppy gray water reveals a massive slick boil that looks like a manatee tail wake. I sink the hooks in, and the battle's on. Jay's hollering out of excitement, and I am trying to keep my cool as this massive beast has me nervous as hell. Big head shakes, lunges under the boat, gator rolls spinng into the line: the whole package deal while trying to battle a big fish on a fly rod. We got her netted in the Frabill in a couple minutes, then off to the bank for some photos. A solid, very fat fish just over 48 inches. She kicked away with a strong splash.
No more hookups, but with the fishy conditions...every cast felt like it could happen again. We ate a good dinner on the ride home, and kept looking at the photos of this awesome fish. Truly a moment I'll cherish with my brother:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r22/traviswiles/20131207-IMGP5532_zps7974a185.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/traviswiles/media/20131207-IMGP5532_zps7974a185.jpg.html)
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r22/traviswiles/20131207-IMGP5535_zpscfc805de.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/traviswiles/media/20131207-IMGP5535_zpscfc805de.jpg.html)
Now the flies from 2 days fishing are drying for the next trip:
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r22/traviswiles/null_zpsdddf0712.jpg) (http://s140.photobucket.com/user/traviswiles/media/null_zpsdddf0712.jpg.html)
VWake may post the other pics off his camera. Can't wait til the next trip.
Travis
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Great report!! So glad to see all this rain!! Sure hope I can get out fishing soon.
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Very nice TR Travis. Good looking fish and I am with Yoda, glad to see this rain give the rivers some much needed flow and flushing.
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Travis that fan looks like some Mardi Gras decoration. Keep up the good work Musky Master! Glad to see those tips from Cory working out. :D
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OH MY!
Nice work.
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Nice fish Travis!
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nice musky man, i had a feeling that this winter is going to be good and its not even winter yet
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Very awesome Travis.
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Travis, you punk, you're supposed to serve the hors d'oeuvres first. You just fed these guys the 22 oz porterhouse before the biscuits even showed up....
This trip was very close to not happening for so many reasons, but we both dug deep, ignored the Weather Channel, and pretty much decided that the best days are the ones that should've never happened in the first place, and took our chances. The skies were ominous as we looked down and caught our first glimpse of the river, the water looking black and the sky slate grey. As we geared up under a bridge the drizzle turned to a steady rain. Neither of us mentioned it, but we knew that our window was narrow, so with a sense of urgency we launched into water and headed upstream. This was familiar water, but we hadn't touched it in over a year. A short drag and quick run upstream got us in position. I tied on a fly that had been born just a few hours earlier and chucked her into the tail-out of a nice riffle. The water was pretty shallow at this point, so when there was a subtle resistance on my line I first thought that it was bottom. The first few seconds were strange because I never felt the weight of the fish as it barreled towards me. Finally, as I caught up to the fish, I felt the deep head shakes and saw her silver belly. She wasn't huge, but she had a great personality and made some fun lunges and runs. After some chaos involving a stuck net, trolling motor, and a cramped Crawdad we had her in the net. She taped in the high 30's. Good start. (http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad128/KnoxCampbell/1-DSCN7624_zps0a0cb7b7.jpg) (http://s928.photobucket.com/user/KnoxCampbell/media/1-DSCN7624_zps0a0cb7b7.jpg.html)
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad128/KnoxCampbell/1-DSCN7625_zpsad910d7c.jpg) (http://s928.photobucket.com/user/KnoxCampbell/media/1-DSCN7625_zpsad910d7c.jpg.html)
We kept at it. The rain came harder and the feeder streams began to create ribbons of mud as they flowed in from the steep banks. We fished these threshholds where the mud turned to clear water, knowing there'd be patrolling fish that could scare the everlivingshit out of us, which is exactly what happened. Fish #2 came in hot, making a bee-line for my fly just as I swung it up the side of the boat. She paused for a split second, inches from the tail, just to test my nerves. With flared gills she inhaled the fly and the fight was on. Again, craziness ensued and Trav had her in the net after an explosive fight.
She was upper 30's as well and very healthy. (http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad128/KnoxCampbell/1-DSCN7635_zpsc4d697aa.jpg) (http://s928.photobucket.com/user/KnoxCampbell/media/1-DSCN7635_zpsc4d697aa.jpg.html)
We had some more follows but nothing too nerve racking. I actually had the nerve to feel bad for Travis's skunking, but we all know how that eventually turned out. That dude always finds a way to deliver the goods... Always fun to fish with you, bud. Congrats again on such a nice fish.
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Solid Work Guys!!! ;) Now I feel like a Sally for not going yesterday!!! :-[
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That's a beautiful fish Travis! [Aw, hell -- they're ALL beautiful fish!] Glad it paid off for y'all!
That fly drier is a work of genius...
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That's a beautiful fish Travis! [Aw, hell -- they're ALL beautiful fish!] Glad it paid off for y'all!
The very words that were in my head when I saw the report.......congrats on another great day!
Amazing what happens when you're willing to put the time in and pay the dues.
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enjoyed the report
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Beautiful fish TWiles! I've got some of my fly clients asking for guys to tie stuff. I don't of course. You could make a killing off your patterns. Never stray away from the dark stained water. It is your friend.
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thanks for the post pretty fish we need to meet up twiles message me and ill contact ya sometime. im curious to see how hard musky on the fly are we need to hit mh some also although winter mh musky can be tough im loving middle tn fish they stay more active
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Thanks for the extra reportage, V Wake. Nice feesh!
Zac, musky on the fly takes a lot of commitment just like muskies on regular tackle - just a different way to put a lure in front of their faces.