It’s often said the ones that got away are the ones you remember the most. I think people just say that to make themselves feel better. Well, maybe there’s some truth to that because I’m going to remember this day forever, and how I was locked in an epic tussle with a pissed off muskie.
To better understand this stories heartbreaking conclusion it’s necessary to review the chain of events that led me to that position in the first place. I was aware of a big predator lurking in a deep pool in one of my favorite trout waters. I spotted it a few weeks ago when it chased a trout I was in the process of landing. I saw it a couple other times after that but never got a great look. I assumed it was a nice pike given there has been a historic population of them there. I got a better look at the fish yesterday when it followed a small rainbow I had hooked up and eventually grabbed it briefly before letting go. It came close enough for me to see that the villain was a good-sized tiger muskie.
Now that the water temperature has surpassed 65° and my focus is shifting away from trout, I contemplated making a run at the biggest bully on the block. I knew I didn’t have the fly fishing outfit to do the job but I wasn’t averse to the idea of trying spinning tackle. I went to the basement and grabbed the biggest rod and reel combo I had, but admittedly I knew it was more meant for mid-weight fish like bass or even walleye. It was spooled with eight pound Spiderwire and I even did a few test casts in the back yard to make sure it was in working order. That was the extent of my gear review, and in hindsight I wish I would have taken a closer look.
I dug out my old spin tackle bag and was pleasantly surprised to see I had a decent selection of diving baits including a long pink Rapala that was about the size of a small trout. I thought if nothing else the big fish would be interested in the lure and would reveal itself. I lightened the load of my bag taking just what I needed remembering the amount of walking I had to do. I now had the framework of a game plan and I figured no better time than later in the evening to give it a shot.
The outside temperature was near 90° despite it being after 6 p.m., but I was on a mission and didn’t let the heat deter me as I made the one mile march to where the monster fish was hanging out. I finally arrived at the pool and noticed the water had come down a nice amount since earlier in the morning. I set my GoPro up on my wading stick to capture the action if there was any and then tested the crankbait near my feet to see how it was going to swim. A moment later my first delivery was in the air and the hunt was on.
On the second cast the muskie couldn’t resist a chase and it revealed itself as it followed the bait toward my retrieve. It didn’t strike, but it confirmed the fish was there and still aggressive. I tried lure after lure but couldn’t entice any more chases. I started to remember that the muskie is described as the fish of 10,000 casts because that’s about how many it takes to hook one according to legend. I was down to just two baits that I wanted to try when I tied on a crankbait designed to stay in the middle of the water column. Everything I tried before this was designed to dive to the bottom so I figured this would be an interesting change. On about the third cast, I was proven right.
Initially I thought I hooked up on a snag, but as I started to pull back on the rod I noticed my drag slowly clicking as line was pulling off the spool. It was that moment that I realized I was hooked up, and hooked up with something heavy! The fish apparently realized it too because it suddenly made a fast run into the pool and at one point was coming right for me. I got a quick glimpse of it, and it of me, and that’s when things got crazy. The beast immediately ran upstream and when I say upstream I mean 20, 30, 40 yards and lengthening fast.
It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. I watched helplessly as line was being pulled off the spool almost effortlessly. I then realized that the Spiderwire I was using only covered the front of the spool and that I had monofilament backing it up. I panicked and tried to horse the fish in an effort to get it to turn around and within seconds the line snapped and the tension I had been feeling in my arms was gone. It was like breaking a wooden baseball bat on the swing and being left with just the handle in your hands. I was in disbelief. I was broken. It was a feeling I don’t recall ever having after losing a fish.
The bottom line is better preparation by me would have prevented the outcome. I mentioned wanting to go to Dunham’s to look at appropriate gear but I didn’t. I also didn’t take a close look at my line or I might have done away with the monofilament backing and just went with a fresh spool of Spiderwire. I also didn’t have a great plan for what to do if I actually caught the fish, but in the end it didn’t matter. I scolded myself on the long walk back to the truck and sulked into the house and shared the sad story with Angela and Will.
I’ve been self medicating by researching pike and muskie fishing with a fly rod on YouTube. I don’t know that I want to make the investment right now but I learned a lot. Ideally I could get a heavyweight rod, say in 9/10 weight, that I could also use for steelhead fishing. I’ll continue researching. I also looked into a guide that specializes in pike and muskie fishing with a fly rod. I’m thinking going on a guided trip might be a great way to learn some things.
As for the one that got away, I’m thinking that wasn’t the last encounter.