How to Cast BIG Flies - Musky Fly Fishing
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2021
- I see a lot of videos geared toward casting "big" flies, and the examples are....well, not very big. So, I wanted to do a casting video, actually throwing a full sized 12" Bulkhead Hollow Fly with a massive hook, custom shank, blunt head, large dia hollows, and massive hackles coming out the back. It has the air resistance, it has the water weight, and I can comfortably cast it 85ft plus, repeatedly.
The video breaks down the casting into both the Equipment side of things, as well as some simple casting advice. You can't cast big flies without both.
I don't address the commonly taught Belgium style cast to keep constant tension on the line to help avoid slack/shock. I don't find this to be an issue, especially with the shortened Leader build of 2.5 - 3ft total length. When using a Spey taper and longer leader, it is a much more useful technique, or when using heavy flies - but I don't think it is the proper solution to casting WIND resistant flies with shooting heads.
Hope it helps
Gear used:
St. Croix Rods Imperial Salt 11wt
RIO WF11 Outbound Short Intermediate
Redington Rise 9/10
RIO 40lb Saltwater Mono
Hitena Devil Line (30 or 50lb) - Bite Tippet
My website: www.streamersbygunnar.com/
You’re a great caster and teacher. Kudos to you, buddy.
You do a very good job explaining these things (specific to musky, too) that I couldn't find on other UA-cam channels. I'll definitely be saving this for a re-watch throughout each season. Thanks!
One of the most informative videos I have come across. Thank you.
Great video. This helped me tremendously this season to start consistently cast 10 to 14 inch flies 80+ feet
Awesome vid! You do a great job explaining everything!
This video was very helpful, not that the others aren't but this one really helped a lot. I identified several places where I was making mistakes. Keep making videos about Muskie, I need all the help I can get.
Great video Gunnar, definitely gonna help with the pike streamers I throw
Really like your channel. I'm getting back into fly tying and fly fishing since I discovered there are pike in my local river and they are delicious. I'm sure your fly tying and fishing videos will be very helpful.
Thank you for the information, sir. It really helps a lot.
Great info!🙌🏼 Highly appreciated, thank You🔥🎣
I'm a long belly spey guy from northern Canada targeting steelhead. Driving 5 hours north of Lac La Ronge Saskatchewan in July to target big female pike. Tied a bunch of 10 and 12 inch meat flies. Definitely out of my comfort zone, the more flies I tie and the closer the date gets, the more excited I get. "Don't carry too much line". This vid was so helpful, thank you.
Great vid as always!
Thanks for the detailed explanation. Iam creating flys for musky that are a bit heavier than a typical fly. Tied on actual treble hooks. I happened to trip over a older heavy action rod, and have modified it to handle heavier line. I was a Newby at understanding the line for distance casting. You provided good guidance. Ty.
Thank you for this.
I'm fishing saltwater and have a tough time with big flies.
It Must be my equipment and my technique.
This also made me realize, I have a lot to learn still.
Thanks for this. Good stuff 🤙🏼
Love this channel.
Great information on this one.
Even if you didn't make it to the bank we would listen to you because your AWESOME BRO'!
Great video.
Yo Gunz! Just picked up the BPS white river 710 8wt under a buck. Going to add an 8wt RIO ob short and a few of your predator patterns. Just to see what bites. Love your work bro. Huge props. It's a lifetime.
Great video again,
I find the rod weight to fly size is more important the rod weight to species. i.e. if I'm casting a huge fly for LM bass I might go to a 10wt, if I'm using a dropper fly (Drop shot style) an 8wt is more then enough. Small top water might only need a 7wt or even 6wt.
Another factor not talked about is the fly line core strength. I limit my tippet to no more the 1/2 the fly lines core. Some line manufactures will list the core Lb. test. I'd rather lose a fly then a $100 fly line.
Keep up the great work!
What you say about spey tapers is true of long belly classic tapers and scandi tapers but is not at all true of skagit tapers which have a big, even exaggerated concentration of weight up front. They are said to be able to cast anything short of an anvil. My choice for the sort of casting you are doing would be one of the heavier skagit Commando heads from OPST. Such a setup works fine with all the standard spey casts and cast overhead.
Another great video, always good info and a great place to come for even more
Oh this the best example I herd for long time!
I did teach casting back in time.
For big bulky flies I use a Tarpon rod 9' 12/14# and the line I'm use is special made for me. What's so special?
It's short belly WF head is 33feet and the center of my flyline has a lead thread inside. The weigh of the 33' is 580grain and it has no front taper it's parallel or level as you would say.
This line have a floating running line of bright yellow colour and front head is black so I see where to shoot ! When full head is outside my rodtip I shoot the full 100' in one haul because of the mass pushing so much and the fly has no chance to do anything more then follow the line where it goes!
Why ? I do wish most power energy go out to the fly. And my leader is 80lbs saltwater proof mono filament and it's short like you say 2' plus 1' wire that also 80lbs.
Why so big many people think!
Because where I fish it's opened water high wind factor! To be able to cast you need to be in control and line need to be heavy enough to deliver those big bulky flis we use for big Pike & Musky.
I'm from Sweden Scandinavia 🇸🇪
And I have lived several years in US before so did mix the two worlds.
The Rio outbond short is probably the best standard line to get !
There is one more that's just awesome!
It's A.Jensen big fly2 it's made in Denmark and it has even shorter head then the Rio outbond. It has a 26' head total and it has the most perfect running who is hot orange and float.
The WF10# I'm using has 375grain in those 26ft.
I use fast action saltwater rod's and whit stiff tip !
Some rods need one class up as my 9# weight.
It cast beautifully whit a 9# but it load better whit the 10# lines so this is also important to find out!
Before go fishing......
Do like this video 👌
Best regards from Scandinavia Sweden 🇸🇪
How do you like that Hog Island skiff? I've got one on order and am chomping at the bit, cannot wait!
@Gunnar_Brammer Thank you so much for the knowledge! Great information to hear, and very helpful for people like me who are just starting out. I switched from a 5WT to a 7WT in order to cast larger bass flies, and im still having the hardest time. With no fly, I can cast my entire line with a double haul with ease, it feels amazing and simple. As soon as I put a size 2 bass fly on, the line just completely stops. I cannot get the line to move on the back cast what so ever. I am using a basic Rio WF float line, 9ft 0x leader, fast action rod. I noticed you mentioned you need a very short leader for large flies. Would you say thats the first place to check? Or should it still be easy to cast a size 2 fly on a 7WT line with typical leader? Maybe that size fly needs a heavier line?
Great video, lots of great info. Absolutely agree practice, double-haul ability and proper balanced equipment makes the difference.
Wanted to ask you about leader setup, personally I do loop fly line to loop 30lb Fluoro to Albright knot to 40lb steel then I use a sleeve and attach an x-large Mustad Fastach clip to change flies quickly and easily. I was wondering if you could break down your knots or connections you are doing for your leaders.
“May the musky gods grant you many ferocious s…t your pants strikes” 😂
Cheers Jeff
Good course gunner, do you strip your line into boat or water and if boat how do you keep it from tangling or getting under feet
Seem to remember a few years ago Mark Sedotti demonstrating this style of casting large flies and calling it the “Sayonara Sling”. Sling it back and say “good bye”.
Mark is where I learned it from and who I aim to imitate in doing it. His casting is other worldly
👍👍 Thanks!
"All you want to do is fish for Muskie cuz everything else is pointless" EPIC 🤣
Hey Gunnar , what kind of oar mounts are those? They look like they screw on
when practicing this technique in my back yard, should I practice with a weight, like a hookless fly, to get better or can I get better with just the correct fly outfit without weight?
Just picked up a hog island as well, seems to be a musky hunting machine
Hi, why do you prefer 11wt rod versus 10wt rod? For fight musky or for help in casting?
I love that spot on the river. Every time I go there sturgeon jump all over the damn place
What type of boat is it? Great video. Thank you
Hog Island 16ft skiff
great vid!
very accurate on everything except one little bit: stiff tip (big diameter) yields a midflex rod, not a tipflex (what everyone calls a fast). so you don't want a fast rod (except if you're a rod nerd, and you mean by that a rod with a fast *recovery* or frequency, but that's something else).
but you're perfectly right to point out that you need a stiff-tipped (midflex) rod to move those extra heavy line-fly systems
Thank you. I was going to ask that question (Gunnar is dropping much knowledge on me in this vid). So to prepare me to properly shop for a better rod (my current 9wt is "medium-fast") it sounds like the word "fast action" is only part of what I'm looking for. Do I need a fast action rod WITH mid-flex, or JUST the mid-flex? Thanks mucho.
@@tyanez Midflex is a term that describes the shape of the whole rod under load. In order to be able to cast easily, hence precisely and for long hours, a big streamer, you need a rod able to generate easily a lot of speed in a heavy system (line+streamer). So rods usually are stiff (i.e. powerful) but under load, a relatively large part of the rod bends. that's what you call a midflex.
If you're looking for a good pike 9wt, I can only recommend to try before you buy, and I don't mean "wiggle in the shop", I mean put a line on it and a LARGE fly, and go try it for at least 10mn.
Last remark, you may want to consider a fiberglass rod too. I'm not a fan of glass, but here's how I would describe the deal : you won't get the speed you get with carbon, and the rod is heavier. BUT it cushions really well the tiring jerks your heavy fly line sends to your arm. the typical smooth and powerful casting style you get out of such rods is extremely efficient to spare your joints when fishing long hours, which in my view is a first rank priority for any serious pike fly fisherman
A deeper loading rod will develop more power than a fast rod, although it does it more slowly. My 10', 9 wt mod fast Loomis will throw a 12 inch fly farther and easier than a nearly identical Loomis 9', 10 wt, fast. You have to slow down a little and allow the rod to load on the back cast, but once it unloads it takes a lot of line out. There is an old saying, "Let the rod do the work". I never fully realized what this meant until I was in my 60's. On fast rods the power comes from your shoulder, for as long as it lasts. A lot of my old fishing buddies have had shoulder surgery.
Have you used the Reddington Rise in salt water?
hey what ya think about sage payload?
💪💪💪
bro lets talk bout that boat yo
Hog Island 16ft skiff. Excellent shallow river boat.. With a 60/40 jet motor those things can run on wet grass. Single molded plascore hull can bounce off rocks all day.. Much more cost effective than their competitors too
@@steveguse4481 damn son, laid down all the facts, get em!
@mudjerry Gunnar catches more fish than you floating downstream on a log
@@andrewbahr1921 bruh im the log harvester, you couldnt catch covid in china!
@@mudjerry bruh I harvest with my log! You couldn't catch a fish even if someone threw one at you
This was great with my volume down
What are those oar locks?
When you use the 30 foot short head shooting line what do you tie that too?
The head is just the front part of the taper, there will be another 60 to 70 ft of running line behind that, it's just like a normal fly line, it's just the way the taper is described, think like extra weight forward I guess would be the best way to describe it
You hit the nail on the head…. Years of practice.
I think I missed it - what weight rod are you using?
11 weight
If you get snagged on the bottom, how do you break off with 40lb leader?
You don’t. Fly line breaks. Love losing 12” of airflo.
I wondered the same thing, having been there, thought I was going to break my $100 fly line. I would put a short piece of 20# test between the leader and wire. You might look at Hayward’s musky leader video.
"Water....stuff" 😂
So what's so special here if i may ask, i use 12 weight rods for halibut all the time and the flies are definately not smaller. All you need is a wrist thats strong enough to load the rod properly.
The 40 lb mono leader will handle any pike that ever lived. A big musky (not necessarily a huge one) will cut 40 lb mono like a pair of scissors if he's hooked right. Back in the day before braid was available we used 50 lb mono and still lost fish.
40lb is not my Bite Tippet, just the leader. I use 40lb 7x7 Wire, 85lb Single Strand, and 60lb Floro most often and seem to rotate between them all until one stands out as the best and easiest system. Nylon coated Wire get stripped, Single strand kinked, Floro can get bit off at least once a season (hopefully not more, but it happens) - Knot to kinky is pretty sweet but the lighter sizes are easy to break when elastically shocked and it sucks to knot - plus I don’t like the weight of Crimps or Snaps. The leader is usually no more than 3ft of Mono - 1.5ft of Bite Tippet depending on the style. For a 4.5ft total (max), sometimes the Mono is even shorter depending on the line style (sinking lines I’ll run just 2ft of Mono)
@@Gunnar_Brammer For musky I get away with about five feet of 80 lb mono with a crimped loop to the line and knotted to a snap at the tie end. This is pretty stiff, but I rarely cast 50 feet for musky. I use a completely different system for longer casts for pike. I think it was Joe Bucher that said you learn the hardest lessons on the biggest muskies.
@@Gunnar_Brammer I know what you mean about playing around with different options to see what works best. On my main rig I use an intermediate line and prefer suspending flies. What I have found to be the case most often (but not always) is that Fluoro and steel tend to point the nose on my flies down and wont let them suspend like mono does. If I can come to a dead stop ahead of a follow and the fly suspends perfectly horizontally they get bit more often than not. When the nose of the fly sinks on the pause they often get ignored.
@@nickready1278 I’ve only recently become interested in fly fishing and won’t pretend to know shit about it when talking to you guys who have real serious experience. About your statement positing 40lb mono being good for a gargantuan northern but not for just a sizeable musky, though - how do you come to this conclusion? Big northerns and musky have damn near the same set of jaws. Sure, they’re musculature, body form and weight distribution are slightly different. Between a perfectly healthy musky and northern of the same lengths the musky will of course weigh more and weight is the determining factor here. Our northern fishing isn’t as renowned as it is Europe. Despite this, the longest Esox I’ve ever seen was a picture of a northern taken in central Manitoba. The fish was never officially measured because it was caught by natives and they ate it. Before doing so they did manage to get a very clear picture of the fish. Computer calculations were used referencing other objects in the image to come up with an estimation of 70”. Mind you, the fish was dead in the picture and everything that ever existed looks smaller when dead. I can’t confidently say I’ve seen a picture or video of a musky exceeding 65”. Do they? Do they likely get just as long as and weigh more than that infamous northern I mentioned? Definitely. All of this long windedness was to say that I feel pretty assured in saying 40lb mono won’t suffice for truly trophy northerns
Edit: I just reviewed the image for myself once again, and saw estimates saying the fish weighed 50lbs. That northern weighed *atleast* 60lbs and probably more like 70lbs
Chippy stick?
Not yet, I'm working on him. He's still dedicated to his St. Croix family. Help us get him converted over!
What's up with the stirring the pot with the rod tip in the water, why?
The figure 8 for musky that follows in
Looks like this is working harder, not smarter, never understood fly fishing, but i appreciate what you have learned and practiced. Good work!