Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2014 - 19

Muskies can be found
throughout Pennsylvania.
Mid-sized to larger
rivers and streams often
produce larger fish. The
upper Susquehanna River
watershed is a great place
to start searching. Here,
the confluence of the
North and West branches
of the Susquehanna come
together at Sunbury. Both
branches of the river hold
plenty of muskies and can
be well worth floating
and fishing.
photo-Carl Haensel

Flies to bring

Fly selection for muskies is generally relatively easy. It
consists of streamers, streamers and more streamers. While
muskies can occasionally eat frogs, muskrats and ducks,
fish provide the majority of their diet. Select your flies to be
similar to the primary forage fish in an area. Don't be afraid
to fish flies in the 6- to 10-inch range. If a lake has Gizzard
Shad, for example, use a silvery white, flashy pattern with a
deep body. If you are targeting tiger muskellunge, you can
often use slightly smaller flies. Heavier flies can be helpful as
well for tiger muskellunge, because they often hold deeper in
the water than the average pure strain Muskellunge. While
anglers in lakes often use very large patterns, river anglers
frequently use slightly smaller flies as well. Regardless of the
pattern, always sharpen your flies. Rarely does a hook come
sharp enough from the manufacturer, and the difference
between dull and sharp hooks can cause a lost fish.

in the deepest sections, they will remain loyal to the pool itself.
If you see, hook or have a fish follow in a pool, that fish will
likely be in that pool for the remainder of the season. Cover
water thoroughly. Fish can be found anywhere and are often
tucked into log jams or laid up in shallow flats near cold spring
seeps in the summer. When fishing rivers, a down and across
streamer cast can work well, especially when casting heavy flies.
After four to six good casts to an area, keep shifting on. When
casting to structure, fish with long pauses in your retrieve. Fish
that are less active will slowly swim out to investigate a falling,
fluttering streamer that is nearly weightless. When a fish hits,
connect firmly by stripping hard with your hookset. Keep the
fish out of timber or snags at all costs. A musky that escapes
back into a log jam is a lost fish. Play the fish until it is tired and
ready to be safely landed or released.

If you are searching for muskies, plan on casting at
least an 8-weight fly rod. Rods in the 8 to 10 weight range
are appropriate. Use a good quality disc drag fly reel to
help tame wild runs from excited fish. Spool it with a
weight-forward floating fly line with a heavy front taper.
While there are specific big fish tapers, a bass or beginner
taper works well. When rigging up, a 0x or 1x leader with
around 7 feet of length is appropriate. Use a stout nylon
coated wire leader to keep fish from biting off. Tie flies
directly on with a loop knot and slightly melt the nylon
with a lighter. Avoid using snaps and swivels that can
cause your cast to hinge and tangle.

Finding and catching muskies
on the fly

One of the challenges in musky fishing is finding the fish.
In rivers, target the deepest pools that contain large log jams
and other overhead cover. While the fish may not be holding
PFBC website: www.fishandboat.com

photo-Justin Torok

Tackle

After a fight in a southeast Pennsylvania river, a hefty tiger
muskellunge rests underwater. Keep your muskies in the water
as much as possible, and work to revive them well before release,
especially during hot weather.
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * September/October 2014

19
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - September/October 2014

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