Day Two in Muskie World

The next day, Jean and I spent the morning in Syracuse, Indiana.  We were going to pick up the boat (a friend's Bass Tracker) and fish the Barbie chain.  However, due an unfavorable weather forecast we decided to stay and fish in Syracuse.

When the storms began to roll in, we stopped near the park.  We caught several little bluegills and pumpkinseeds.  Sadly, most of them they seemed to be infected with some sort of parasite.

  

It got to be about time for lunch, so we headed into North Webster for some grub.  We shared a giant taco salad and a slice of vanilla pie inside this place on Webster Lake:

The downpour became a light drizzle with distant rumbles of thunder.  While we waited for the weather to make it's mind up, we fished at Webster Park.

 

The fish we caught here, all looked healthy; none of them had the black specks.

 
The weather was storming most of the day with brief breaks of sunshine in between downpours.  After a major downpour, Jean and I headed over to see what was swimming around the tunnel between Webster and Backwater.   
 

This is where the muskie hit my fly!!!  No boats were on the waters, as it had just finished down-pouring like mad.  I tied a goby fly on the TFO (Temple Fork Outfitters, my steelhead rod) and dropped it down there from atop of the tunnel.  The fly got wet and I was just starting to get the feel of how it might cast, when I turned to see what Jean was up to and wiggled the line.  Next thing I knew, I seen the flare of the muskie inhaling my goby and it was on!!!  

Just as fast as she took it in,  I set the hook and had her for a quick minute!!! The rod was bent, as I tried keeping the tip up to keep her from heading through the tube and out the other end.  She thrashed, did the head shake, and spit my lil goby fly right out!  The fly flew a good 20 feet straight up in the air and wrapped around the highly decorated power lines overhead.  Carefully, when I quit shaking from the excitement, I tugged on the line, and got it all back.  

The goby fly was about the same size as the fly below, with big googly eyes on the side, and an orange belly.  Also, the one in the pic is a top water fly, where as the goby, made from dubbing and a strip of squirrel hide, sinked.  I wound up losing it later in the day to a mean tree bass.  :(

One of these days, I am going to actually catch a muskie on the fly. 

In the meantime, I'll be having fun trying.  :)