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Catching a musky on the upper St. Croix

A fly fisherman reeled in a muskellunge on the river Saturday, giving St. Croix swimmers a little something to think about.

Eight of us were canoeing down the river somewhere between St. Croix Falls and Solon Springs on Saturday when I spotted a small gravel bar where we could pull the canoes up and take a swim. While most of us headed into the water, my friend Gabe, the passionate angler in the group, went to the end of the island and started casting into the current.

I don’t think I had gotten my head wet before he called out, “Muskie!”

With a small audience, the angler proceeded to bring to hand a good-sized muskellunge, one of the prize species that swims in the St. Croix. After a short battle of wills, the fish was briefly waylaid. It was then sent back to its watery home, which also happened to be our swimming hole.

Click the photos to see larger versions.

Fish on!

Feisty fish, determined angler

Reeling it in

The toothy critter

Released to be caught another day

Gabe caught a bigger muskie on the river last October, quite a ways downstream:

Last year's fish

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