In the last year or so I ‘reintroduced’ myself to fly fishing. My main quarry is pike. I’m also teaching myself to tie flies.
These fish are awesome when caught on fly tackle.
How many others on this board go out after pike or northerns, jackfish whatever you want to call them?
To fish or not to fish?
What a stupid question.
IC,
I have NEVER taken a pike on any type tackle, even though there are some decent pike waters here in Ohio in the Spring. I think I may have to break out the 8 wt on 'em this coming year. I would appreciate finding out just where to start. Leaders? Methods? Preferred flies? For as fine a gamefish as they are, you find vey little information.
Thanks, & a belated welcome to the board! So many new folks lately that it’s hard to keep track.
Mike
This site’s about sharing!
My first “heart attack” at age 40 happened in the BWCA when a pike rose behind my fly with a head that could have been mistaken for a gator. It rose. Then as quickly, it sank. With two small kids in the canoe and my wife in the front, she asked, “What would we have done if you’d have caught that thing?” Not being a hunter I don’t know what buck fever is, but could I assume that this was close. Yes, I’ve caught a bunch of pike on flies. Largest about five pounds. Usually when fishing for bass. Neat flies once you learn to tie them. I one time showed a couple examples of what I thought were pike flies to Hans W., giving him a chortle or two. He then took me to his website and showed me what real pike flies look like. I’d say the average fly was something like 7 inches, and with synthetics it’s possible to tie them so you’re not casting a soggy mop. Interesting genre of fly fishing. Very interesting. JGW
You just might be surprised at how much information on fishing for pike is available right here on FAOL. Click on Keyword Search on the left-hand menu. Type in pike.
Stand back.
LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL
Ohiotuber, A great book is ‘Pike on the Fly’ it’s written by Barry Reynolds & John Berryman. They might even be FAOL members I don’t know. If your interested at all this book is great. Everything is covered, I’ve read through it twice. I got mine on amozon.
Like I said earlier I haven’t fly fished in a looooong time. So the first couple that struck pulled the line right out of my fingers and got away, that taught me quick hang on tighter.
I use a 9ft 9wt Rainshadow I made. Wire leaders are a must for them and muskies. In the book Barry says he uses heavy mono leaders and hasn’t had much problems. I feel better using wire. I did used my 5wt one day, because I forgot my other one. I landed a 6 pounder with it, thought he was gonna break my rod it was bent into a U. That was fun…I won’t use the 5 wt again though.
I fish for pike. Mostly in the Connecticut River. The state has a stocking program where they net pike fry in one of the spawning marshes, then stock some of the larger lakes but I’ve done much better in the river itself.
Before spawning time, the pike will stage outside of the marshes and we wade fish for them. The river runs fairly brown and is high from runoff in the spring so you can’t wade far but if you’re in the right place it’s not nesessary.
I use only wire leaders also. In the stained water the fish don’t care.
The fish I catch are large enough so that I don’t go smaller than a 9wt. In lakes with a lot of weeds I go with a 10wt
I use a fly of my own design that looks a bit like a seaducer, but the tail is tied high, mounted over a bump of crystal chenille, lots of action.
I remember reading somewhere that head2head, streamer vs. pike spoon, a pike will hit the streamer every time. 
IC - My favorite fish on the fly besides Trout is the Great Northern Pike. I have fly fished for Pike several years throughout Manitoba and Ontario, plus my home state of New York. My favorite destination for “Master Angler” sized Pike is Grass River Lodge on Reed Lake in Manitoba. I enjoy doing remote fly outs for about a week at a time. In the spring just after ?Ice Out? I like to use large Saltwater style flies with plenty of flash, fished just below surface. Top water is the most fun and this works great later in the afternoon when the water warms. In the morning it is best to fish the shallow bays that warm faster as the big lunkers are in shallow searching for a meal and the smaller baitfish are usually gathered in these bays.
I recommend a 9’ 8wt fast action rod but if want a challenge then go down to a 5-6wt rod with smaller streamers, plus your arm won’t wear out as fast.
I would be happy to answer any questions you might have for Pike fishing. Just drop me a line.
[url=http://store1.yimg.com/I/yagers_1679_469106:24629]www.yagersflies.com[/url:24629]
I love to catch pike on the fly!!
I have the best luck just after opener…but I also caught some later in the season while bass fishing.
Funny though…all pike came on different patterns…but most were on chartreuse coloured flies.
I know what you mean about the heart attack…lost a 30 incher on a popper while fishing for bass.
For gear in the spring you can get them on a floating line easily. Later in the season demands a sinking line…or you can go popper fishing in the evening at weedbeds.
For a rod an 8 weight will do but I prefer a 5 weight for a better fight.
good luck, pike are definitely a blast on the fly!!
mike
Pike are great fly rod fish and one of my favorites on a fly. In Spring, a floating line works great to get them in the shallows. In August, whether in Canada on trophy waters or close to home, I use a sinking line to get to the bottom on weedlines. This approach can take big pike when they won;t come up for surface or near surface presentations.
I puresue them with great delite, I’ve hooked them on everything from #14 dries to a favorite crayfish pattern of mine…I tye a host of pattern’s soley geared to taking Pike…there are some really good streams around here that just don’t have a rep for pike, But they are surely there and in numbers…Penns Creek holds a supriseing number even into the upper reaches…I’ve had guys comment upon seeing me land what they thought to be really large trout at a distance , That they would never have thought they’d be so far up…But why not.?..They like colder temps…and the fav food is trout…seems quite natural to me…Makes me glad to see em…keeps the smaller trout in check…natures own balanceing act at it’s finest…Although it does pain me to see where an occasional…I’ll be nice here…Well meaning…fisher person has tossed a pike on the bank to thrash it’s self to death thinking they are doing the stream inhabitants a favor…although, To the contrary… they are really doing the exact oppisite…IMHO…ALL Fish have a pourpose and have a place in our waters…
“I’ve often wondered why it is that so many anglers spend so much money on,and pay so much attention to.the details on the wrong end of the fly line.If they took as much care in selecting or tying their flies as they did in the selection of the reel and rod,They might be able to gain the real extra edge that makes it possible to fool a fish that has,in fact,seen it all before” A.K.Best
Everyone wants to excel in this sport but at the same time we let traditionalists place restrictions on our tactics, methods, and ideas. I always assumed that fly fishing was a sport that allowed imagination, creation, adaptation, investigation, dedication, education, revelation? : Fox Statler, On Spinners (Not the dainty Dry Fly kind) “Spinner’d Minner Fly”
“Wish ya great fishing”
Bill
Be prepared to lose a few flies… not from breaking them off, but because they get ripped to shreds. I’ve got a couple of deer-hair poppers that now resemble mickey finns.
Pike also get my vote for best fresh-water strike. You can see them coming from thirty feet away sometimes.
Go to “Features”…“Fish Photo Albums”…page 19. I have an entry pic. The last one on the bottom right, in the green bottomed boat.
I fly fish “teeth” (pike & muskies) a lot and totally agree with you. They are fine sport on the fly rod. Especially topside!
Jeremy.
Pickerel, Northern Pike, Tiger Muskie’s and Muskellunge; are great fish to go for with a Streamer. I have adapted many saltwater patterns over, to use for these fish.
In Minnesota, they have had a minimum size for Tiger Muskie’s and Muskellunge for many years (40 inches/102 centimeters), finally the Department of Natural Resources has imposted a minimum length on Northern Pike (30 inches/76 centimeters). These fish are the wolves of the lake system, and help keep the other fish populations in check, this help to keep a healthy ecosystem.
For those are unfamiliar with Tiger Muskies, they are a hybrids between a female Northern Pike and a Male Muskellunge. The Tiger Muskies has a faster growth than the Muskellunge. It has a reputation of being a very hard fighting fish, with a nasty disposition.
Where some call the Carp a “Freshwater Bone”, I call the Tiger Muskie a “Freshwater Barracuda”.
Hey folks,
In case you missed my post on the main board, I had a scant 1/2 hour to fish yesterday…I figured it would be my chance to cast my new (won on FAOL 9/05) Sage VT2 9’ 6 wt for the 1st time…3rd “practice” rollcast was interrupted by a 6-7 lb (conservative estimate) steelhead caught & released…it was my 1st steelie…guess I may as well catch my 1st northern in the spring!
Mike
This site’s about sharing!
What are everybodies favorite flies?
“I”,
Wherever we have pestered fish from Alaska, Canada, N. America, and Mexico we have had at least some success following basically two concepts.
1 - Big fish eat little fish.
2 - Fish the edges.
Our pike is pretty well limited to a week each year, but this bug has done us well on pike and lakers where we go. (Or about anywhere else, for that matter. )
It is a before and after about 20 fish. [url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/leesoares/CIMG0887.jpg:1c286]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/leesoares/CIMG0887.jpg[/url:1c286]
Lots of stuff seems to work though. 
…lee s.
I caught my first pike on the fly this year.
Every year our fishing club goes up to Canada for pike and walleye and I’ll admit it I only took my (gulp) bait casting gear. Well this year I bought a 10wt. from Ed Temme(Smernsky) here on FAOL, I tied up some streamers to resemble the Mepp’s spinners I had the most success with the year before and I ended up landing an 8.5 pounder. Next year I’ll be taking only fly gear.
“If it was easy anybody could do it”
Timothy S. Furey Sr.
Jeremy, that’s a nice fish {finally got around to checking it out}.
I’m moving back to northeast MN next week {my homeland}. I’m gonna do my best to catch some fish worth telling about next summer. There are some nice trout waters up there too.
Got a long winter ahead to tie a bunch of flies.
To fish or not to fish?
What a stupid question.
If it ain’t NEXT week! We’ll get on it JC…but we ARE slow.
![http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/leesoares/CIMG0887.jpg[/url:1c286]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v315/leesoares/CIMG0887.jpg%5B/url:1c286%5D){kind=link}