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Fly Fishing for Pike
by Ad Swier
I have been fly fishing for pike for quite a number of years
now. About 27 years or so, I think. I've caught a few over the
years, and I think, to be honest, that pike is an overlooked
fish by many fly fishermen, especially in the UK, Scotland and
Ireland. Fly fishing for pike is overlooked by even more
anglers! Pike is regarded as a trash fish, rubbish, especially
in countries where trout and salmon are found. In Ireland it
is considered a nuisance. Vermin to be exterminated. This line
of thinking is possibly understandable, but not very wise.
Pike are taken for granted, and, indeed, they are prolific in
so many lakes and rivers that fly fisherman tend to disregard
them in their eagerness to fish for salmonides. The truth is
that fly fishing for pike is just as exiting and rewarding as
almost any other kind of fishing. (Well, at least this is my
opinion.) What is even more important, it's inexpensive! You
don't need to buy an expensive ticket for a few hours on a
river, in locations where other anglers have already fished
that very day. Walking the beaten path along the river,
casting in pools where so many flies have already been
presented. You don 't need to keep up with important (Hello
there, how are you)? business relations, (how's the misses)?
to fish for pike! Perhaps this is the real reason why so many
fly fishermen are not interested in pike. It is simply too
easy to get lucky! Another important reason why you should
seriously consider fly fishing for pike is that these green
lunkers can grow very big. Very big indeed! The way they grab
a fly! Slam into your rod! That car crash whack all of us long
for! They tend to show bad, very bad table manners, indeed.
(If only trout would act like that!) You may even call Esox "a
poor man's salmon," but you're damn well right they don't have
red or black spots! Yellowish stripes are what they've got!
Anyway, I like to fish for pike, and I happen to know that
those fly fishermen who go after pike don't brag; there's no
need! They know a good thing when they find it, and don't mind
what's said about them. Wisely, keep their gobs shut! They
know better.
'Flies'
Over the years my flies have grown very large, very large
indeed! The reason for this is two fold. I strongly believe
that a big, let's say thirty pound fish (thank you so very
much oh Lord) will only take the trouble to move her fat ass
as soon as she knows something big is around the corner, so to
speak. (As soon as she is able to see something worthwhile,
and not too far away.) Prey big enough to go to all the
trouble to set her big lazy body in motion. Like a big roach,
trout or tench. Like a small salmon, carp, rat, young coot or
duckling for that matter. (Or even a young swimming sausage
dog, maybe? Not to small, please!) So I really do hope a pike
will look at my fly thinking: "Well Seamus! Now will ya have a
look at that, my dear old fruit! Now use yer imagination.
Isn't that a lovely duckling? Well, yeah! I really think it
is! Know what? I'm gonna grab that! Here we gooooooooo….".
The second reason for my strong believe in big flies I learned
from what we know as "jerkbait fishing." As you know,
jerkbaiting is done with very stiff "spinning" rods, and
rather big lures. What is far more important, however, is that
jerkbaits are fished on, or directly below the surface, even
in deeper water. As long as the water is clear enough, pike
will come up to grab what they think is a meal, especially in
the warmer seasons of the year. These "meals" tend to grow
very big indeed, and I kept that in mind. I have seen friends
of mine fishing with these large lures on Mask and Corrib.
What came up and just boiled at the lures, and what they
caught on those lakes was awesome. (In years gone by, big pike
were allowed to live there. Shame on you CFB). I have also
seen the same thing done here in Holland, and in the Baltic.
So learning from the size of jerkbaits, my flies started to
grow a little bigger.
Long and lean
My flies grew as long as 25 cm (9.8"). I fashion them long and
lean, because we tie our material on the hook. Starting at the
bend and "fumble and fur" our way up to the eye. Ordinarily,
we tie bucktail, Icelandic sheep, long saddle hackles and what
have you, on top of the hook. Now imagine what a pike will see
of a normal size streamer of the type I mentioned earlier.
Let's assume that our fish is lurking at about six meters.
Skulking around a big bush of pondweed, or at the edge of a
great looking lilly bed, waiting for something, for anything
to happen…. That pike will see a long pencil like creature
hovering above its head. That's all that she will see from our
so creatively and well-tied streamer. The streamers I
mentioned earlier, the streamers we used until the present
day, work very well in shallow water, when the fish looks at
the fly from the side. But that big green critter that's
resting on the bottom will only see a long, thin eel-like
creature. That pike will briefly glance at it, if at all, and
will not act as we had hoped she would. There's nothing much
to go for, not more than a long stickleback, or a small eel.
There's not much fat and nourishment in that, now is there?
Another thought, but one so very simple.
Simple, yes, very simple indeed. I started to tie my flies
much wider after what I saw in that "jerkbait jungle," giving
them not only length, but body as well. What I normally tied
on top of the hook, I now tie in at both sides. By doing so, I
give a fish the impression that there is really something big
swimming above her. The fly looks far larger, has more bulk
and makes more noise than the flies I used to tie. Thus, the
"Double Decker" was born. After some time and experiments I
added a second smaller hook. It looks like some sort of tail,
made from bunches of bucktail and flashy stuff, and some
fluffy marabou. I connected the second hook with a length of
old fly line, folded in two, with beautiful with Mylar piping
around it. I use fur for the tail as well as all over. I get
the fur from a Finnish firm named FFF (Finish Fur Fly). It is
long hair, and very lively in the water. You can also use
rabbit fur, which in fact is a wee bit shorter. But you know,
I never had any complaints from the pike I caught on either of
them!
Rods
For big flies you need a big rod! By the way, I only use these
big beasts on larger lakes and wide canals; water where one
might expect a big fish, a "twenty plus," so to speak. Fishing
the smaller canals and lakes where a ten-pound fish is rather
big, I use smaller flies, and therefore normal rods in the 6
or 7 weight range, depending on the wind. On the larger lakes
here in Holland, and especially in Ireland, I use a 10 weight
rod, a very fast rod. I use a Sage RPLXi and/or a "pike
teaser" that Hardy Brothers have developed under my name. I
use these "heavy" rods for several reasons. I need to cast
these (as a friend once called them) caviar-like "flies,"
flies that when they get wet become rather heavy. I often have
to cast in windy, and even in stormy conditions, and big,
weighty pike can fight (especially these big and fast Irish
rovers) hard and strong indeed. I also hate it to play a fish
for too long, as they can simply die from the exertion. Rods
were made to bend deeply, so bend them! Let 'em bend deep for
the nicest, best and most rewarding fish in our hemisphere,
her majesty Esox Lucius herself, in all her grace! Esox the
greatest, Esox Lucius the green, Esox the Great Majestic Pike!
You most probably have heard them too; stories of pike that
fight for hours…. break lines and leave anglers on the shores
with heart attacks! I do not believe these stories that you
read every now and then, about anglers that fought a big pike
on a strong spinning rod for an hour or so. Never seen it,
never met a fish like that (wish I would one day)! Even on a
bendy eight weight fly rod, a fat "20" is whipped before 10
minutes are up. I believe that playing a fish for 7 or 8
minutes is a darn long fight, so on the big lakes, I use my
beloved 10 weight; on smaller water, an 8 weight.
Reels
Well, what to tell you about fly reels? They can cost you a
small fortune, and they can also be reasonably priced. What
you should consider is that you need a rather large drum; a
drum that can accommodate a rather heavy line and some
backing. Pike will hardly ever go into the backing. 50 to 100
meters is usually adequate. A good drag will help you to tame
these green monsters. If you go to the Baltic, you might
consider buying a reel that will not rust after exposure to
salt water. There are quite a few good reels on the market
today. I myself own a few Hart reels, designed by one of the
best reel designers and builders in the world, and a dear old
friend of mine as well. I also have and use two Hardy reels
(Viscount and an MLA-salt water reel) and I also have two Loop
reels. A Traditional and an Evotec (6/nine). I did not buy
these reels and rods in one day! It took me years putting
money aside until I finally could afford them. Do you need
these rather expensive reels? No, you don't. If you don't want
to spend a small fortune, but you want to buy very good
quality, you could get yourself a System 2 reel, produced by
Scientific Anglers, or a solid Hardy reel. You can drive
around in a Fiat Panda or in a Jaguar, you'll surely get there
in the end in either of them. It's all up to you and/or your
bank manager. (Ask the bastard.)
Lines
I don't use deep and fast sinking lines that often nowadays. I
used to. Once. I still use them in the depth of winter.
Teeny-like lines, deep into the 400 grains. I hardly use these
fast sinkers nowadays. This "idea" also came from what I
mentioned earlier about jerkbait fishing, which opened my eyes
for my fly fishing, too. For instance, if a deep lying pike is
lurking somewhere at the bottom, and really wants to eat what
is swimming twenty feet above her head, she is at it in 4
seconds and three violent jerks of her big tail. Especially in
spring, summer and early autumn, and of course (this is very
important) in clear water. That is the main reason I tie my
flies as I mentioned before. A big fish will only take the
trouble to come to the surface if it thinks it is worth the
bother, in other words, if there is enough food to make it
worthwhile. Big or fat enough to keep the fish going for a
couple of days.
So most of my days, I fish with slow sinking lines. With so
called "glass" or "slime" lines. I am very fond of a line from
Rio that goes by the name "Striped Bass." It's a rather stiff
line that I like a lot for these rough, not very delicate
types of fishing. Brands like Scientific Anglers, for
instance, have even designed and added a special pike line to
their program. The line floats, and it's a good, fast line,
I've used it. I do hope that they will start to produce one
soon that sinks slowly.
Anyway, these are the lines I use. I prefer an 11 weight on my
fast 10-weight rod, and I use similar combinations with other
weights. The rods I mentioned have extra power, and body
enough to load easily and cast these heavier lines without any
problem at all. I like to cast my stuff quickly, and with
great precision, without waving my rod back-and forth twenty
times! Two or three rather violent "double strip" strokes
should do the trick handsomely… One, two, three and bang,
there ya go! A streamer will only attract fish when it in the
water, not when its flying around in the air. Remember that!
And…
My leader is as simple as can be. I "nail knot" about one
meter or so of strong 50/00 to my fly line. That's all. I use
Platil extra strong. But than again, any brand will do, I'm
sure. No taper at all. I have found over the years that
there's no need for it. I always use a steel trace. I've read
books and seen films that say you don't need it, but I don't
understand this. So take it from me, don't trust them! It
might hold true a few times, but that big one that finally
grabs your fly will snap through even 50/00 without any
problem. So, about a 20 inch steel wire will do the trick.
Never go without it. For my piking I use about 6/00-mm.
stainless steel with a lock that was discovered by a friend of
mine. It's the best lock I have ever come across. I have used
it for four years now, and it has never once let me down. This
technique is also highly approved for jerkbaiting. Use thicker
wire though. The lock is a simple spiral wire that is turned
around backward over a protruding very small pin. (The
drawing/photo will explain.) I like this simple and very
effective solution, found by my tackle-shop owner and friend,
Vincent. As I said, this lock has never let me down, while
over the years, so many others did. They simply opened! We
should not forget that in fly fishing, a lock has to do a
heavier job that it does in spinning. In spinning, you only
make one cast to get your plug where you want it. In fly
fishing you make far more back-and-forth moves before your fly
finally lands. So in fly casting, the demand for a strong lock
is even greater than in spinning.
Barbless?
I have been fishing barbless for about twenty years now, for
trout, salmon, rudd, roach and also for pike. I don't believe
that, as a result, I have caught fewer fish. Nor more, for
that matter. Unhooking a fish is a different matter. It's far
easier. When a pike attacks a fly, it opens its mouth at the
very last second, so it produces and large vacuum, inhaling
its prey by doing so. Because of its volume, a jerk bait will
stop somewhere quickly. A fly is a hook with barely anything
on it, and what is on it is soft as custard. So a pike inhales
a fly far more deeply. Unfortunately, it sometimes stops
somewhere near, or even in the gills. That no good, bit it
happens every now and then. I hate it, but it comes with the
job. Anyway, this is one of the reasons I fish barbless. I use
my own Ad Swier "pike hook'' that is produced by Partridge of
Redditch, and is especially designed for just that. It comes
in a 4/0 and 8/0. A 6/0 will be available very soon. What you
can also do is flatten the barb on the hook you trust, the one
you fish with yourself. I've heard people saying you will
loose more fish using barbless hooks. I don't think so. With
regard to jerkbaiting again, these guys fish with big lures
with three big trebles. They therefore use nine BIG barbed
hooks. They loose fish too; easily, and rather often. So it
all comes down to what you trust. I do trust what I'm doing,
so I fish barbless.
More?
No, this is about it. I told you almost all I know about fly
fishing for pike, at least a the moment. I didn't inform you
about piking with belly boats in Ireland, or fly fishing from
slow drifting boats. Maybe someday. I understand that in other
countries, the interest in fly fishing for pike it is growing
by the day. I well remember that I once did a lecture on this
subject for the (PAC) Pike Anglers Club of Great Britain and
Ireland. After the lecture, the number of people with
inquiries was overwhelming. I still receive letters or email
every now and than. That's nice, and very rewarding indeed,
because fly fishing for pike is very rewarding; very
interesting indeed! If a "twenty" grabs your stuff after hours
of hard work…. friends are easily made. "I liked that," Neil
Wheather once said after he released a thirty pound fish in
the beautifully made video "Tales from the Riverbank." It's
nice! It is ever so rewarding if your self-tied 'fly' fools
that fish. Your own imagination and fantasy, brewed together
somewhere in an attic, or in a small fly tying room. Brewed
together under a lamp, with feathers and fur. Grinning with
high hopes, and fantasies about the big day. The boy in an
adult man, chasing a dream. As far as I am concerned, please
let us keep it that way.
Best of luck in chasing your dream, may it come true soon.
Ad Swier.
Zwolseweg 101,
8275 AC 's-Heerenbroek,
Holland. 0031 38 3557564.
Web:
www.adswier.com
Email:info@adswier.com
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