Kip Vieth - The Orvis Guide to Muskies on the Fly

The Orvis Company has been a huge part of my success. They had faith in me to support and help grow Wildwood Float Trips to where it is today. The entire crew at Orvis has been nothing short of amazing. From the CEO to the managers at the stores throughout the country, I have felt the support from everyone. A special thank-you to Scott McEnaney, Peter Kutzer, Tom Rosenbauer, and Bill McLaughlinfour gentlemen that have really been behind me and have encouraged me from the very beginning of my relationship with one of the finest companies in the fly-fishing industry. The fact that they let me host the Orvis Muskie School is still amazing to me.

To my mother and father I owe a great deal. They let me sit on my rock and fish for hours on end at the Wildwood Retreat. That spot still holds a special place in my heart and might be one of my favorite spots in the world. Though my father still thinks I dont have a real job, he did take me on many fishing trips and showed me the wonders of fishing.

I want to thank a few of the guides and friends that were kind enough to take me under their wing and expose me to these wonderful creatures. These folks are some of the best muskie guides and anglers in the world, and I am forever grateful for their generosity in the very tight-lipped world of muskie anglers.

Id like to thank all the guides and fellow anglers that contributed to this book, including Bob White, Russ Grontarek, Matt Miles, Bill Sherer, Greg Pearson, James Johnsey, Eric Grajewski, Andy Pappas, and John Anderson. I appreciate these folks taking time to help me with the book and offering their expertise and wisdom so that we all can get a better understanding of muskies.

I wouldnt have gotten into this game without the following people who helped me and encouraged me along the way: Troy Andersen, who guided me to my first muskie on the fly a lot of years ago. Gabe Schubert, aka Muskie Jesus (dont call him that to his facehe hates it and will never forgive me for giving him that nickname), who probably ties the most beautiful and effective muskie flies in the world and is simply a muskie savant. Russ Grontarek, Gabes partner in crime and all-around fishy cat. Russ was also kind enough to supply some brilliant artwork for the book. Brad Bohen, who is probably more responsible for bringing the muskie-on-the-fly game to the mainstream than anyone Im aware of. He is a shameless promoter of the sport, and for that I will always be grateful. Rising waters lift all drift boats. Bob White, friend and world-renowned sporting artist, who is always there with encouragement and advice. Pat Ehlers, shop owner, who had the faith in me and our fisheries to host muskie trips with us.

Travis Frank has always helped when I had a muskie question and has made me a better angler. He taught me valuable lessons about muskies and ways to approach them. Tim Landwehr is always there with encouragement and advice. He runs one of the greatest guiding operations in the Midwest, and his entire crew is special. Im still waiting for that invite, though. Bob Bickford and John Edstrom, two of the best smallmouth guides in the country, welcomed me into the fold when I first started. They both have been good friends and allies for the resource here in the Upper Midwest. The guides that work for Wildwood Float TripsNick, Josh, Gabe, Russ, and Bobby Care some of the best dudes to share a river with. Thanks for all you guys do!

I would also like to give credit to all the natural resource professionals throughout North America who work tirelessly on behalf of all the muskie anglers out there. Theyre the unsung heroes. Their research helps us all better understand muskies and what makes them tick. They are really doing some groundbreaking research. I particularly want to thank Chris Kavanaugh, a fisheries biologist here in Minnesota, who was kind enough to answer any questions I had about muskies and their management. He is a great resource and advocate for our fisheries.

Most of all, I want to thank all of my clients who have blessed me with their business so I can do what I love to do. I have learned more from clients than any other source, and without them there is no Wildwood Float Trips. I am blessed beyond measure and am thankful every day I get to do what I do. I hope you enjoy the book.

To a warmwater angler, no fish has more lore, history, or legend surrounding it than the muskie. Countless stories about these mysterious creatures have been written and told for hundreds of years. You cant pick up a magazine, turn on a fishing show, or look at social media without seeing references to muskies and the anglers and guides that pursue them.

It is hard to say this, but muskie fly fishing has become almost mainstream. If you told me twenty years ago that muskie fly fishing would grow to the point where it is now, I would have called you crazy. As I was researching this book, I looked at all kinds of other books and studies on the subject of muskies. Most of them were slanted toward the conventional gear angler. Tales of guides, strategies, record books, biological studiesyou name it, I bet I probably looked at it.

One thing that really struck me was a chapter on fly fishing for muskies in