Musky fly fishing occasionally reminds me of my baseball playing days. Hitting a baseball was always a rather streaky proposition. When things were going well it was easy - a pitched ball appeared to come in big and slow. But it could easily all be lost. A couple games go by without a hit and there it was - a slump. And some slumps were tough to break - the shortstop makes a diving catch on a line drive or a well hit long ball goes directly to an outfielder. 

I have felt the same frustration recently with musky. Things seemed to be going well and then a few unsuccessful outings later you begin to wonder when the next one will be brought to  the net. And in true slump fashion on an outing last week I experienced two very close calls including one that was already counted in my mind making disappointment even more vivid.

But the only way to break a slump is to keep on swinging or in this case keep on casting. The prime of the year is here which means spending as much time on the water as possible. With enough time on the water good things always happen.
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Check out two recent podcasts that feature discussion of hunting musky on the fly between myself and Justin Hanson - ToFlyFish.com and Roger Maves - AskAboutFlyFishing.com. Both pod casts are available at the links below.

http://toflyfish.com/musky-fly-fishing/

http://www.askaboutflyfishing.com/speakers/rick-kustich/hunting-musky-with-a-fly.cfm

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In just over a week Spey Nation will celebrate its 10th anniversary - June 24th at the Pineville boat launch on the Salmon River. I am honored to be presenting along side an all star up lineup to celebrate this great event's 10th year. 

There will also be special screenings of Our Two Hands on Friday evening June 23rd and Spey Daze on Saturday after the event. Both screenings will take place at the Tailwater Lodge in Altmar, NY.

I hope to see you there. For more information check the Spey Nation website - ​http://speynation.com

Much of the northeast has experienced above average rainfall throughout the spring. As for western New York April saw record levels of rain keeping our steelhead streams in an un-fishable state for a good portion of the month. But for many April is also trout time. The high water has created perfect streamer and large nymph conditions on many streams as the higher water allows fish to feel more comfortable away from tight cover.

High water can have a significant impact on dry fly fishing. The heavier surface tensions of higher flows can deter trout from feeding on the surface even during a solid hatch. Fish may be positioned in different areas of a pool or run than under normal flows. Trout will often search out softer flows along seam lines or tail outs. Collection points where multiple seams converge can create a concentration of bugs that allow a trout to feed heavily balancing the extra energy required to counteract the substantial flows.

It was almost four years to the day that Robert Thompson and I hatched the idea of Spey Daze at the 2013 Midwest Fly Fishing Expo. The film is finally a reality and the two DVD set fittingly makes its public debut this weekend at the Midwest Fly Fishing Expo. Hope to see you there.

SPEY DAZE Trailer

I will be out and about over the next few weeks signing books and talking musky, steelhead and all other things fly-fishing. If you are in the area and have the opportunity please stop by.

February 25th - Adventure Bound onthefly which is located at 16 Washington Street, Ellicottville, NY. I will be there from 10:00am until 2:00pm tying flies and discussing musky and steelhead. Copies of my new title - Hunting Musky with a Fly will be available. Adventure Bound is a great shop in the heart of western New York's southern tier with a knowledgeable, enthusiastic staff. 

March 11th and 12th - 2017 Midwest Fly Fishing Expo in Warren, MI. I have a full slate of seminars and presentations scheduled for each day on steelhead, musky and smallmouth along with time in the authors booth. The Midwest Expo is a well organized show that emphasis education and features top fly fishing exhibitors.

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My latest writing project is almost a reality. Hunting Musky with a Fly is scheduled for release next month. This represents a departure from my previous books that have mainly focused on the Great Lakes and cold water fisheries. But musky have fascinated me for most of my life and the book is in part based on 25 years of experience chasing this toothy predator with a fly. But as I realize every time on the water - I am still learning.

This book wouldn't be possible without the contributions of some of the top professionals in the musky fly fishing game. Whether it was time on the water, an interview, a fly pattern, or a photograph - these contributions are invaluable. Nick Pionessa's photos of the flies provide a great visual perspective of some very productive musky patterns. This book is truly a collaborative effort that would not have been possible without this support. And for some of the top musky anglers that I missed this time, hopefully we will connect in the future. 

Well another trip to British Columbia is in the books. It has always been one of my favorite places to visit since the first trip there with my brother Jerry in the mid 90s. Now the somewhat annual trip provides a spiritual awakening through a complete commitment and immersion into the natural world and vast wilderness. The experience is only enhanced by the beauty and wonder of the province's wild, native steelhead. 

Along on the trip was Mike Foley - his first time but it won't be his last. We met up with good friend and BC veteran Jim Wilson along with Tim Gelinas (Farlex Reels.) Good people make a good trip even better. The fishing was solid with beautiful steelhead landed each day. But as I am so often reminded, water temperature rules the game. Air temperatures that were at least ten degrees below normal caused a fairly significant drop in the water temps. The fish weren't quite as aggressive as one would suspect for the first half of October. But perseverance was key. With enough casts there were always some willing customers. I am already beginning to plan my next BC trip. 

Western New York has experienced nearly unprecedented hot and dry weather this summer. The trout local trout streams barely have enough water and most are just too warm to safely fish. The stale weather has also had a negative impact on the musky activity. Thankfully, there have still been a few smallmouth willing to cooperate. With September approaching I am hopeful that cooler nighttime air temperatures will get things stirred up again. 

Zero to Hero is a fly fishing film created by the renowned fly fishing film maker Robert Thompson (www.thirdyearflyfisher.com) that explores the north country musky fishery of Wisconsin. The film features well-known musky outfitter and record holder Brad Bohen along with Lucky Porter. The title refers to the very essence of musky fly fishing - that one cast can change everything.

Fishing with Nick Pionessa last week we truly experienced this first hand. It has not been a particularly productive start to the New York musky season. And on this day by late morning we had not encountered even one fish. But in musky fishing anything is possible even when the odds are improbable. 

After changing our approach to fish water that matched well with the wind direction Nick laid out The cast. Well he didn't know it was The cast until about three or four strips in when the fly attached itself to a slightly moveable object. After a tense battle Nick had his personal best musky in the net. It was at this point that he fully appreciated and understood the concept of Zero to Hero. On a day that showed such little promise persistence was the key ingredient to a successful outcome. When out on musky water just keep casting because you simply don't know when it is going to happen. But one cast can change your entire season.