I consider myself a lucky man to have a birthday in the fall.  There is no better time of year.  I take this annual day and celebrate it fishing.  While the last 34 years I was almost always on Idaho trout waters, today I walked a secluded Wisconsin river for pike and muskie.

 

Best of all, I had a personal photographer along.  I didn’t order Preston Hoffman up; it just so happens that Flylords scheduled today and tomorrow to photograph me for an upcoming Costa Social Media campaign.  We slid out of Hayward at sunrise after a whopping breakfast at the Hayward Family Restaurant.  When we arrived at the river, at the exact place I parked, we were lucky to observe a curious young bobcat.  He was impossibly sneaky for Preston to get a photo of.  Nonetheless, a unique start to this birthday.

 

It was another cold one with a high of 39° that included 10-15 mph wind.  The first few casts weren’t very comfortable to say the least.  My hands were frozen and I was overworking to try and break the ice forming on my guides.  The trickle of water entering my seven year old waders didn’t feel too nice either.  But that’s all part of fishing the Great Northwoods accompanied by the fresh smell of falling leaves.  Happily, the chill goes away within minutes.  Especially when you’re stripping a huge fly on your 9-weight Winston for a big muskellunge!

 

 

One hour.  Two hours.  Three hours went by.  We fished our way upstream.  I was casting relentlessly, switching flies a few times from black colored concoctions to classic red and white streamers and even straight orange.  I carried two rods.  One with my favorite floating musky line the other with a Sonar Sink 25 Cold for the deeper pools.  These were pools where I’ve seen muskie this year.  But of course, with the camera rolling, the sly marauders were nowhere to be found.

 

At noon I made a change of location.  It was a risky move that involved a hike to an area of the river I’ve only floated through.  I wasn’t even sure wading was possible here.  What made this idea strangest, I’ve not seen a musky at this place.  However, each time I drifted through, I thought it had “the look”.  Perhaps there was one giant muskellunge waiting.

 

The hike in wasn’t so bad.  We hit the river quick after following a decent deer trail.  Then I dragged Preston straight upstream over river rock and in some places, deep muck.  We moved quietly in order not to disturb a fish warming in the shallows.  A little bit of sun peeked for the first time all day.

 

Once to the top (upstream part of the area I wanted to fish) we eased in to knee deep water, being careful not to stir the soft river bottom and cautious not to create wading waves.  I feel it’s essential not to let the fish know your coming.  I made some long casts across and down.  I stripped a large flashy goldish black fly.

 

I was just asking Preston how he felt about our slow day of angling.  He seemed cool with it but I wanted to be sure.  I’d explained musky fishing the best I could weeks ago.  I ventured on to say that although we may not catch one, we should see one.  And at exactly that moment a medium 30” fish flashed on my fly ten feet out from us.  I continued my strip and as my leader entered the rod began a Figure-eight.  Wham!  A fish grabbed my fly.

 

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the 30” muskie we saw flash.  This was a toddler.  I stopped him in his tracks with my big rig and brought him to hand.  He was barely over 20” if that.  But what the heck, I caught a muskie on my birthday!

 

By now the skies were completely blue.  But cold and darkness came early as the afternoon proceeded.  This time of year, the northern sun doesn’t climb very high.  But the dimmer daylight didn’t set in without more fish action.  I hooked another muskie.  He was a few inches larger but shook the fly on a jump just as I got him in.  That wasn’t the highlight though.  I landed two pike.  One was nice size.  While we didn’t put a tape on him, I’ve measured a few lately and this one was near 32”.

 

It was an amazing birthday.  Fishing is one thing but to do it for the first time in the wilderness setting in a Wisconsin river on my own two feet – pretty cool to say the least.  Preston was excellent company as well.  We’ll be back at it again tomorrow.

 

Tonight, Preston and I are headed to the Anglers to meet Granny and Tom Smedley for some dinner and I’m certain a few birthday celebration thirst quenchers.  It will be fun.  Time to turn the clock to another year.  I can’t believe how fast they come and go these days.  But I have absolutely no complaints!

 

As fast as time is flying I’ll keep reminding you of my products.  Christmas will be here tomorrow!  Once again I’ll mention my premium waterproof and fade proof decals.  If I do say so myself, these came out gorgeous.  They are produced by my friend Jeff Ditsworth down in Iowa and he sells them through his website – Pescador on Fly.  Check them out and order a few.  These are amazing stocking stuffers!  We’ll keep adding species as we move through the fish stock we have.

 

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing