Critique my Pike Flies

[oldtrout]

I can' t speak for pike, but the stripped bass in my neck of the woods (CA delta) would be all over those flies.

[Bob9]

Red and white is my favorite color combo for northerns.

Bob

[Royce]

Thanks for the input, everyone. I am going to be tying up some rabbit strip pike flies. I didn't have the appropriate colors until just now. I'll also check out some of the synthetic fibers many of you suggested.

Thanks again.

[Jeremy]

Royce before you go and tie up a batch of rabbit flies take a 4-5" length, soak it really well and attach it to you leader end and cast it awhile on the grass. You might be surprised at the weight. I don't like that "thunk!" you get at the end of the cast as your line snaps tight myself either. You'll see.

I'm a synthetics guy all the way. Hardly any weight and you still get plenty of action from the pulsating, longish hair. I'm preferring sparse too but to each his own prefs.

I'll got out on a limb here and risk being "one of those guys" but you asked and I'll have to be honest... for me, you have too much material in your ties as shown. Thin 'em out.

I hope you're not offended as that's not my intent but I like a much more translucent/sparsely tied fly.





And as you can tell I like the shorter irons. Seems to work the best for me for the last 20 yrs.

edit: those top flies shown are really chewed up - maybe 5 yrs old -and have taken many fish to around 12# max. (typical for around here is a smaller 4-6#'er) and the lakes I fish. As you can see, most aren't over 5" long, many shorter and they do me well.

Jeremy.

[Royce]

...you asked and I'll have to be honest... for me, you have too much material in your ties as shown. Thin 'em out.

I hope you're not offended as that's not my intent but I like a much more translucent/sparsely tied fly.

Jeremy.

Trust me Jeremy, you're going to have to work a lot harder than this to offend me. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to hear the answers.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll keep workin' on 'em.

Royce

[AlanB]

Fly fishing for pike is not something I will claim to know much about, I've done it a few times, don't know much. That said a friend of mine, Herman Broers, Is a superb pike fly tier. He usually ties flies that appear large, but are not bulky. (By large I mean HUGE). Here are a couple of his.

He uses hair like buck tail and Arctic fox as well as synthetics in dubbing loops to form huge "hackles".
Cheers,
A.