September 16, 2024

Mastering the Art: How Family & Tying Shaped Matt Grajewski’s Angling Journey

Written by Drew Allman

Where you’re born and raised is typically one of the first things mentioned in a bio. I often joke that I was raised on a boat and in the woods, as my family spent most of our free time fishing and hunting. In reality, I grew up near Lake St. Clair before settling in West Michigan as an adult. The abundant fishing opportunities and freshwater species helped shape me as a tier and angler, with my family being the greatest influence.

I was fortunate to grow up in a family passionate about the outdoors. Both my parents loved to hunt and fish. I have fond memories of playing games with my siblings while waiting in the car for my dad to return from deer hunting. My parents would take turns in the woods, and we spent many hours fishing for walleye, perch, smallmouth bass, and brook trout.

My dad exposed us to various fishing methods (bait, lures, and flies) which shaped how I tie flies today. He was a highly adaptable angler and taught us that the fish were always biting somewhere; we just had to figure it out. I now create my own flies and lures, incorporating my accumulated knowledge of fishing action. For example, I design flies that use weight and buoyancy to create unpredictable movement, making them irresistible to predator fish. I want my flies to “break” and swim erratically, triggering the fish’s natural instincts. If you take anything from this article, it is this: erratic fly behavior is essential to landing large predatory fish.

My mom played a huge role too, driving us to fisheries and always offering encouragement and advice. She’s still one of the first people I text when I catch a nice fish. My brothers also had a big impact. We learned a lot from each other, and today we share in each other’s success without the competition of our younger years. They remain my favorite fishing partners.

My upbringing shaped my approach to fly tying and fishing. I use experience from fishing lures to create action in flies and apply lessons from bait fishing to understand fish behavior. My favorite method is using streamers, specifically “swim flies,” which create action through weight and articulation. Again, I prefer flies that don’t swim straight but move erratically, triggering predator instincts in fish, Specifically muskie, pike, bass, and trout.

I’m drawn to predator fish because I enjoy seeing them make aggressive decisions, even when they know better. This stems from my dad’s lesson that it’s always possible to catch fish, even on the toughest days. By learning to catch fish when they’re neutral or negative, the good days get even better. This is why I love targeting muskie—even one bite makes the whole day worthwhile.

A little about Matt’s Signature pattern that caught this muskie: This fly is the first one I started to figure out how to create profile with fewer materials, making it easier to cast and easier to manipulate in the water. It is a balancing act. Buoyancy created by bucktail is what often aids the action of large, muskie flies. There are three things I do to create action without bulk. I add weight to the rear of the fly, I use predator wrap to reduce the use of bucktail and other synthetics to maintain profile, and I am specific about the head design. Each one of those ingredients needs to change based on materials used, size, depth, and the desired action.

Matt Grajewski of Adaptive Fly is a commercial fly tyer and fly tying ambassador for Renzetti Vises specializing in Muskie and Pike flies. Check out Matt’s collection of signature patterns like the Yard Sale, Slip n’ Slide, and Devil Dancer here: www.adaptivefly.com

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