Muskie Float 09-2023

Reminiscing over last years Muskie float through pictures took me back to that cold water, the cold wind, and the big flies. The knowledge from the first float trip opened our eyes to the true potential of the raft and I knew that it was getting towards that time since the leaves were beginning to fall and temperatures were beginning to drop. With fall hitting Wisconsin hard, it was time to get the Flycraft out of storage and into the brisk musky infested waters.

Narrow roads lead to the best spots.

The gear got loaded into our trucks, the raft loaded onto the trailer, and Jake and I headed out. The weekend was going to consist of two different floats, and both were on new sections of the river. Day ones was going to be a large nine-mile float full of winding bends and rapids. Day two was planned as a four-mile float with less curves and less rapids.

Flycraft loaded up and ready to go.

We unloaded the raft at a park that ended up having a chain to block vehicles blocking the path to travel to the water. This would have been a major inconvenience but luckily a park employee was nice enough to unlock it for us so we could pass through. We slid the raft in at the bottom of a waterfall, put the Gopro on the Yolotek Juice Bank, and shoved off. There was a rapid set right away that we got through, and then some shallow water. Since we were after Muskie, they water that was eight inches deep was not ideal. I kept rowing. We continued down the river looking for any pockets of deeper water and there was nothing. After about a mile and a half we discussed the idea of grabbing the truck and pulling out. After looking on google maps it was determined that it is about a mile walk back to the truck and there is a place to pull out about two miles downriver. Jake hopped out of the raft and started the walk on a road back to the park.

Jake walking the Flycraft through the park.

I rowed as quick as I could in the shallow water to get down to the new take-out spot. There were a few rapid sets that decided to make things complicated due to any path being to narrow for the raft to fit. Luckily this water was shallow enough to be able to wade through. So, the best option I thought of was to ride the side of the raft, lifting when needed until I got through the rapids. one sharp rock put a hole in my waders but luckily not the raft. Jake got to the parking lot, and I wasn’t to far behind. He met me at the last rapid set and hopped on to ride back to the truck.  Once we got to shore, we muscled the raft to dry land, tossed the cart under it, and pulled it up a steep hill to where the truck was. Raft got loaded, beef jerky got eaten, and we decided to hit the next day’s spot right away.

After a short drive we made it to the new launch which was below a dam. I backed the trailer up then we loaded the gear and hit the water. This area of the river was a lot deeper which is what we needed. Deep water, weeds, down trees, but a strong head wind. The feeling of rowing into a fifteen mile per hour wind is very defeating. Cast after cast Jake placed his fly on the edge of weeds, edges of down brush, and over deep holes. Out of know where a fish hit. I dropped the anchor and watched the action. It was a short fight to get the fish raft side. Was it huge, no, but was it a Musky? Yes! First Muskie in the Flycraft! Quick pictures were taken and with a splash the water wolf was back in the water to terrorize its next victim.

Jake with his musky

I pulled anchor and continued to row. The slopes had trees that were full of oranges and yellows giving a perfect backdrop to this float. We continued down river cast after cast looking for some more action. As nightfall approached those orange and yellow trees turned darker and darker until they were just a blur. We got to the barely lit damn which was our takeout point to end our trip.