With catches like this not uncommon, the Collins River has become a bona fide trophy musky destination. (Photo by Colin Moore)
When it was announced that a little-known river in Middle Tennessee would host the first annual Musky Fly Fishing World Championship in March 2012, reactions among the contestants likely ranged from disbelief to cynical acceptance, with plenty muffled grumblings. After all, the Tennessee midlands are best known for largemouth bass, mountain music and corn squeezins’—though not necessarily in that order.
Muskies? No way. The Collins River seems far better suited for trotlines and catfish than for the regal “fish of 10,000 casts.”
But it didn’t take Jackson Kayak team member James McBeath many casts to catch a 38-inch musky from the diminutive...