Hardy & Greys - Alnwick, England

• Location: UK
• Site Map
• My Account
• My Account (site_user)
• Logout
• Share & Subscribe
• Contact Us

1. Flyfishing
   1. Flyfishing
   2. Coarse

Last month my Fin & Fly article gathered together the equipment required to target Pike using fly fishing tactics. Now let's go and find one to catch!

Venues

During the season many modern day stillwater anglers head out in pursuit of Trout while keeping a rod set up for Pike close to hand, just in case! However by the winter many of these venues have closed, so other than the odd out of season reservoir Pike event most of our winter sport will be spent fishing canals. It pays to do some research though. Is there a stillwater coarse fishing venue near to your location that provides habitat for Pike? If so they may have seen plenty of dead baits and lures; but have they seen a fly? These supreme predators wise up quickly to frequently used methods so showing them something just a little different can often produce fantastic results. Rivers are also well worth investigating including chalk streams which will sometimes allow anglers to fish for Pike during the now traditional winter Grayling season.

Watercraft

Small Pike known as 'Jacks' are a perfect way to put a bend in the rod and even these young predators can give the might of a Hardy ten weight Proaxis a test. Often abundant and ready to attack anything that looks like a respectable meal, Jack Pike can be found in groups herding bait fish into a ball. Look for signs of prey being terrorised as they leap clear of the water in the vain hope of escape. A well aimed fly will often provoke a response after such an event. But what if there are no such signs of Pike activity?

Reed and weed beds are a good place to start, in fact really anything that provides cover to bait such as Roach. The Pike will not be far away, using its camouflage and an incredible turn of speed to launch a fatal assault on its unsuspecting victim; hopefully your fly! If these features are not abundant then try searching deep water gullies, jetties and around moored boats. Again these locations provide habitat to the Pike's quarry.

It is also worth noting that small Jack Pike often become a meal themselves, offering a cannibalistic large Pike a decent meal while also reducing the competition for bait fish. If you find a concentration of Jacks, keep working the area with a variety of large flies to see if a better specimen makes its mistake.

Tactic & Technique

Without doubt the most important skill to develop before pursuing Pike with fly is the ability to generate high line speeds using the double haul; this will make for an altogether more pleasurable day. Once this has been achieved, it is time to chase some crocodiles!
My first line of attack is usually with a clear intermediate fly line such as the Hardy Mach in WF8 to WF10, a black fly with plenty of movement and a flashy tail. This style provides a an attractive silhouette and is a great searching fly, so good in fact that on many occasions it will be the only pattern you need.

Fish canals by fan casting, but throw a line diagonally up/downstream rather than straight across, this will allow Pike on both sides of the venue to see the profile of your fly. If it is very weedy then you may need a floating line to save frustrating snags and if the air temperature is reasonable you could even couple this surface fishing tactic with flies such as a Popper or similar.

If these tactics are unsuccessful experiment with fly choice. There are many very realistic patterns available to represent specific bait fish and these do sometimes provide prolific sport. But above all I personally believe it is how the pattern behaves in the water which is the most important factor, some of which is obtained through careful fly tying although retrieve style and depth is far more important.

Retrieving

When I first began fly fishing for Pike I was lucky enough to visit several venues that had rarely, if ever, been fished using such methods. Throwing a long line that was retrieved at break neck speed frequently met with a solid response. But, times have changed and Pike fishing has become increasingly popular leading to a population of well educated fish!

To lure these canny specimens the key objective is to ensure that our fly looks like a fish in distress. In such circumstances an injured or sick bait fish is unlikely to swim efficiently; instead it will move erratically, swimming for a moment, before falling through the water enticingly. A buoyant Bomber style fly fished on a fast sinking line with an erratic retrieve and then a pause will mimic such behaviour.
This retrieve can be elaborated into a 'sink and draw' style by utilising a long, smooth pull followed by a pause. Intersperse with a few short strips, then pause, then repeat. Sometimes it is possible to pause for several seconds, imagining the artificial fly descending to a watery grave. Picturing the underwater scene and retrieving to provide a realistic presentation is the key to success, especially if large Pike are to be encountered.

But Pike don't only eat fish! Mice, Frogs and even Ducklings can be on the menu so stock flies accordingly and always experiment with retrieves based around the movements of these animals. Finally it is also recommended that retrieves pull the fly away from the fish, rather than towards it. Pike being at the top of the food chain will almost certainly be suspicious of an item of food that appears to be looking for a friendly fin shake rather than a place to hide!

Success

Sometimes you will have no doubt when a Pike hits, as it smashes into the fly before cart wheeling in spectacular fashion. We crave this response but frequently the take is nothing more than a light pluck, as the fish literally sucks the fly in, holding it for a moment in readiness to turn and swallow. Try to resist the temptation to strike with the rod if a take is experienced! Instead continue retrieving and smoothly lift into the fish to set the hook.

Upon realising it has been hooked the Pikes first run can be explosive although in the case of large fish an even more powerful, dogged response is often encountered. Beware of snags because your fish will know its environment intimately and try everything to shed the hook or break the line. As suggested last month my leader is frequently over 20lbs test and of course a wire trace is obligatory. In the heat of such a battle and especially with a double figure specimen it is fool hardy to rely on a poor quality drag which is why I favour the new Hardy Ultralite DD Reels for my Pike fishing forays. Couple good equipment with a firm approach to playing your fish and the battle should last no longer than necessary.

This is important because Pike are sensitive creatures that do not respond well to bad handling. Never be afraid of the fish once landed, using a large net such as the Greys Free Flow Specialist from the Prowla Predator range will help. Once on dry land it is worth investing in an Unhooking Mat and for hook removal use a set of Long Nose Forceps coupled with a gloved hand. Never take your eye off the fish and try to ensure it has been unhooked prior to photographs before supporting in the water until such time that its strength has returned. In particular large female fish are an incredibly important part of the ecosystem and should be handled with a great deal of respect.

Watching as these magnificent fish make their way back home after a noble battle is just a brilliant way to spend a winter's day and I for one cannot wait until my next session. I hope you give it a go too.

Readers in the UK can buy the Hardy products mentioned in this article online from Hardyfishing.com - click here to shop online.