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Subscriber Bill Purmont has weighed in with a report on a species we don’t often report on, namely, muskie. He fished for muskie this past May/June near Hayward, Wisconsin, with guides Brad Bohen and Brian Porter of Musky Country Outfitters (www.muskycountryoutfitters.com). He says he floated several rivers and drifted several lakes in the area, landing one 32-inch musky and several smallmouth bass on 9- and 10- wt. fly rods.
Purmont says his guides supplied all flies, mostly six- to nine-inch baitfish patterns. “Both Brad Bohen and Brian Porter were excellent guides and a pleasure to be with,” he writes, going on to note that fish were simply hard to find during his visit to the area. He says the onset of spawning season may have affected the aggressiveness of the fish, plus his arrival coincided with the passage of a cold front, which meant he was fishing in post–cold front conditions, which are almost never ideal. He gives the cost of his trip as $600 a day including hotel and food. As for lodging, he gives the nod to Spider Lake Motel (www.spiderlakemotel.com), where he was able to book what he calls a nice two-bedroom unit with kitchen for $70 per night