We are pleased to say that Jeroen Schoondergang is back, this time looking at fly fishing for pike.
Fly fishing for pike isn’t rocket science. A good kit and some common sense will go a long way. In this part I have a look at finding and fishing good spots for cold weather pike. I will also share my views on the perfect fly rod and reel for the job.
The general idea about pike in the colder months is that especially the larger specimens become lethargic scavengers. They hang out in spots with a slightly higher temperature than the rest of the lake, canal or river, where they scour the bottom for fish carcasses. Dead baiting is therefore the preferred method of most die-hard pike fishermen. From experience I know however, that it isn’t the only method that will bring fish in the net. Pike visit the slightly warmer spots in the water, like marinas, harbours, and dead-ends or closed arms of canals, because roach do so too. They follow the schools of baitfish and hunt for them. Jetties, partially submerged trees or bushes and culverts are favourite ambush spots of winter pike.
Within half an hour’s drive from my home, I have a number of spots that hold pike in winter. During a session I want to have alternatives as I believe that if fish are active, they will show themselves within half an hour after I have started fishing. If I don’t see any sign of fish hunting or get any takes, I move on. I might return to that spot later in the day. Winter fly fishing for pike depends heavily on being on the right spot at the right time.
I see the dead bait fishermen I meet during my fishing run, as my allies. We share information about the action in the area and we fish the same spots, but in different ways. I do believe that dead baiting attracts big pike, some of which are inclined to lash out to a well-placed bunch of feathers and fur. The ambush pike usually aren’t very interested in the dead roach, herring or mackerels that are on offer. They do however have an interest in well placed and fished streamers. Never dismiss a spot where dead bait fishermen blank out. More than once it has happened to me that I caught one or more fish on a spot declared dead by the guys dangling dead seafood under floats.
Rods
Over the years I have caught pike on a wide range of fly rods. On the light side of the spectrum I hooked and landed a couple of pike on a two weight during roach nymphing sessions, but these were ‘accidents’. The rods I target pike with vary from a six weight in winter canals and urban marinas, to a ten weight for large lakes that require big flies and a lot of blind casting.
The combining factor with all these rods is that they should be able to cast oversized flies over a fair distance with some accuracy. In practice this means that the rod should be able to handle a slowed down casting stroke without collapsing. A rod that is too stiff doesn’t allow you to slow down your stroke without absorbing the power in the end of the back cast. A rod that is too soft doesn’t have the stored power to start the forward cast.
There are a number of rods capable of the task of delivering a feather duster sized fly. Lately I am extremely happy with the rods designed by fly fishing fanatic Dennis Klein and sold under the brand name Mystic. I use two Mystics for pike fishing: a Mystic Tremor (the saltwater range) 9’3” #7 and #9. In my view as a moderately skilled caster, the Tremor blanks have a complex action. At first waggle they feel like a very fast, nearly stiff rod. Once loaded with a proper line this all changes. The Tremor is fast, but has the deepest bend I have seen in a fast rod. To me it comes very close to the perfect rod for the job, as it allows me to time and control my casts perfectly. The extra length is helpful to me as it helps me to stay in touch with fish, when fishing from a high bank or behind reed beds.
Mystic has a number of rod ranges. Recently I have been trying out a six weight from the Reaper budget range. It is a great little pike rod that already scored me a fat 90+ centimetre fish.
Reel
Choosing a fly reel for pike fishing, isn’t a matter of testing drags and looking for the capacity to house hundreds of yards of backing. To be honest, even a really big pike (one metre plus) only rarely takes you into the backing during a run. But there are more reasons to choose a top quality reel. The most important ones for me being durability and sturdiness. I tend to knock my reels about a fair bit when I am on the move looking for pike. A crappy frame can bend and lousy anodising will result in nasty scratches and even corrosion.
There are a couple of companies run by engineering ‘geeks’ with a passion for fly fishing, who lovingly construct fly reels that will stand the test of time without breaking the bank. My recent choice of ‘knock about’ pike reel is just such a reel. The Solitude reels are an example of extremely well built and well thought out reels. Not surprisingly, as Jonathan Knapp who runs the company, also makes parts for the legendary Mako Reels. The Solitudes have zero tolerance between spool and frame and a world class anodising job (type III on the black version). In the value-for-money department they are unbeatable in my opinion. I use a Solitude 4 for both my seven and my nine weight. The 4 is available with a normal and mid-arbour spool. So one reel and two spools will cover my pike fishing needs, whether I am wandering along a canal bank, or fishing from a boat on a large lake or reservoir.
In the next part of the article, I’ll take a closer look at lines, leaders and flies.
Jeroen would like to thank Floris van den Berg for his photo of the pike from the boat.
More from Jeroen HERE