yeah, i will ( gonna try for them this year) be doing the same. I use all J hooks for my flies, but I know guys who use them for stripers and blues and also the pelagics. You have to get down to the salt, its a blast, and you never know what you might hook.

Never hooked a pike/musky on circle Hooks. The shank isnt't that long on circles are they?

I would stay sharpest hook Med to heavy wire hook you can get. I don't care for mustads or eagle claw

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Don't get discouraged if all ya can get your hands on is mustads or eagle claws. They'll get the job done. Just you have to give there hooks alittle TLC & a little more effort on hook set. The 254 eagle claw oshaggnassy is a better hook in my opinion than the mustad 3407.

I've caught plenty of toothies on those two brands of hooks before switching to gamas.

Eagle claw also makes Trokar hooks. There heavy cover worm hook is sharp as hell and a damn good musky hook.

I caught my first fly rod musky in 1970 on a mustad and still use them. I just put a triangle sharpening to the point. it goes in nicely. forget the 3407's and find some 23407D they seem to be sharper, I have them in 6/0 -1 in sizes.

Still adding to the the muskie fly box - about one fly every week or two.

This one is for higher in the water column.

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Fishidiot, how many feathers are you tying into your tail? And what is the head made of? Cool lookin fly though. I'd eat it if I were a fish.

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Thanks Z.
I'd guess there are maybe 4 or 5 feathers (red) in the main wing and 3 or 4 dark ones in the back section. The head is clipped deer hair.

The tuffest material for me to find for my musky flys is the tailing feathers. Its not that tuff to find the lenght its the suppliness for the quill and the tapper thats the hard part. The style of musky fly I tye has 3 materials bucktail, feathers & flash. But the quality of theese 3 things makes or breaks the fly.

Paco, have you tried the Whting bugger packs? I bought one and like it for he Hangtime style flies, but I haven't used them for tailing.

No I thought of it. I be found strung that works, I've even bought saddles but I'm still not happy. Either way your gonna pay a arm and a leg.

Celebrating the finish of my midge swap flies and freedom from sub #20 hooks!

Heres a couple of recent tyes. Im starting to dip into some of my own dyed materials. Im really gonna throw the buford patterns hard theis year.

jay and paco those flies all look good.

I keep getting more and more ideas for different pattern variations and colors.

I just wish i could make a decision on a 10 wt rod or it wont matter how many flies I have tied.

Go with the echo ion its a work horse and exactly the style of action you need to cast these flys.

Fwiw, my colton tradewinds has treated me well over the past year. Its a tad faster than I would prefer; but these big flies make casting pretty effortless...even after a long day.

Excellent service as well...I busted it this past fall and had it back within a week.