The Dutch Treat or
An other thought on pike flies
I 've been flyfishing for pike for quite a couple of years now. About 27 years or so, I think. Caught a few of them over these years. And I think, to be honest, that pike is an overlooked fish by many flyfishermen. Especially in the UK, Scotland and Ireland. That flyfishing for pike is overlooked by far to many anglers. Pike is regarded to as trash, rubbish and in Ireland even a plague (and are therefor killed). Not thought of as interesting (I believe) in countries where trout and salmon are around. That's maybe understandable, but not very wise. Pike are taken 'for granted' and indeed they are to be found in so many lakes and rivers that fly fisherman tent to forget about them, in their eagerness to fish for salmonids. I think and know that fly -fishing for pike is as exiting and rewarding than almost any kind of fishing. Well at least this is my opinion. What is even more important, you don't need a lot of money to buy yourself a ticket for a few hours on a beat at an expensive river, on spots where other anglers already fished that very day. In front of you. Walking the beaten track, the path along the river, casting in pools where that very day so many flies already dwelled. You don 't need to keep up with important (hello there, how are you?) business relations (how's the misses?) To fish for pike. No need to be extra kind to people, 'couse of that. Maybe even this is the true reason so many fly fishermen are not interested in pike. It is simply too easy to find your luck. Another important reason why you should consider seriously picking up fly-fishing for pike is that these green lunkers can grow very big. Very big indeed. And the way they grab a fly, bump into your rod, that car crash whack all of us long for. They happen to show bad, very bad table manners indeed. You would very well wish trout to act like that. Ok, you may even call esox 'a poor man's salmon". And, you're damn well right they don't have black dots. Or some reds. Yellowish stripes are what they've got. Sure pike even do not have a dorsal fin. But then again you might also point at the biggest 'dorsal fin' in the world. Anyway I like to fish for pike. And I happen to know that fly fishermen for pike don't brag, there's no need. They don't mind what's said 'bout them. Wisely keep their gobs shut, they know, know better.
Flies
Over the years my flies grew, my flies grew very big indeed. The reason for that was twofold. The first reason is that I strongly believe that a big -lets presume thirty pound fish (thank you so very much oh Lord)- only will take the trouble to move her fat ass as soon as the fish knows something big is around. Around the corner, so to speak. Or as soon as it is able to see something worthwhile, and not too far away. Anyway a prey big enough to do all the trouble to set its big lazy body in motion. For a big roach, trout or tench. A small salmon, carp, rat, young coot or duckling for that matter. Or even swimming young 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. Must be. Know what? Gonna grab that! Here we gooooo ooo….".
Another reason for my strong believe in big flies I've learnt from what we know as 'jerkbait fishing'. As you know jerkbaiting is done with very stiff 'spinning' rods and rather big lures. But what is far more important, jerkbaits are fished in or direct below the surface. Even in deep(er) water. As long as the water is bright enough, pike will come up to grab that what they think is something nice to eat. Especially in the warmer period of the year. And, jerkbaits tend to grow very big indeed. Well I kept that in mind. From what I have seen friends of mine doing on Mask and Corrib, what came up and just boiled at the lures, and what they caught on those lakes. In those years gone by that big pike were still allowed to live overthere. (Shame on you stupid CFB). But I have seen them do it here in Holland to, they did it in the Baltic. So learning from the so called 'jerkbait sizes', my flies started to grow even a little bigger.
Long and lean
My flies grew as long as 25 centimetres. 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. The thing is that we tie the bucktail, Icelandic sheep and long saddle hackles, and what have we, on top of the hook. Now imagine what a pike will see, of a normal tied streamer as I mentioned above. Assuming that our fish is lurking at about six meters deep, next to a big bush of pondweed. Or at the edge of a great looking lillybed. Waiting for something, for anything to happen…. That pike will see a (long) pencil like creature hovering above its head. That's all what she will see from our so creatively and well-tied streamer. The streamers I mentioned earlier, the streamers we used until today work very well in shallow water. When the fish looks at the fly from aside. But that big green gritter that rest on the bottom for that matter will only see a long but thin eellike creature. So that pike will look at it, if at all, and the fish will not act as we hoped she would. For there's nothing much to go for, not more than a (long) stickleback. Or a small eel for that matter. Here is not much fat and nourishment to expect, now is there?
Another, but so very simple thought
Simple, yes, very simple indeed. I started, from what I did see in that jerkbait jungle, to tie my flies much wider. Not only giving them length but also body. 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 and makes more noise than the ones I used before. So the 'Double Decker' was born. After some time and experiments I added a second (smaller) hook that I see as some sort of tail. Made from some bunches of bucktail and some flashy stuff and some fluffy marabou. I connected the second hook with a length of fold in two (old) fly line, made beautiful with Mylar piping around it. I use fur for tail and all over. Fur I get 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 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, and twenty plus so to speak. Fishing the smaller canals and lakes where a ten-pound fish is rather big I use smaller flies and therefor normal rods in the 6 or 7-weight range. Depending on windy or stormy days. 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 threefold reasons: I need to cast these (as a friend ones called them) rigged cavia like 'flies', flies that when wet get rather heavy. I often have to cast in windy-, and even in stormy conditions and big pike can fight (specially these big and fast Irish rovers) hard and strong indeed. Their weight also helps them. I also hate it to to play a fish for to long, they can simply die from that. Rods were made to bend deep, 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 heard attracts. I do not believe these stories you read every now and than, stories 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 ready before 10 minutes are over. 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 ten weight, on smaller water an eight weight.
Reels
Well, what to tell you about fly reels? They can either 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 holds a rather heavy line and some backing. Pike hardly will go into the backing. Some 50 meters (or 100) or so will do the job. A good break will help you to tame these green monsters. And if you go to the Baltic, you might consider buying one that will not rust after using it in salty water. Which reels are good. Far too many reels are good. I myself own a few Ari 't Hart reels, designed by one of the best reel designers/builders in the world. Why? Ari is a dear old friend of mine. But I also have and use two Hardy reels (Viscount and a MLA-salt water) reel and I also have two Loop reels. A Traditional and an Evotec (6/nine). No I did not buy these reels and rods in one day. It took me years putting money aside so that I finally was able to buy them. Do you need these rather expensive reels. No you don't. If you don't want to spend a small fortune , but you rather want to buy very good quality, you could get yourself a System 2 reel that Scientific Anglers produces. Or a solid Hardy reel. You can drive around in a Fiat Panda and also 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 do not use deep and fast sinking lines that often nowadays. I used to. Once. 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 said earlier about jerk -bait fishing. This opened my eyes for my fly fishing too. For instance: If a deep lying pike somewhere lurking at the bottom, really wants to get just thát 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 ofcouse (this is very important) in bright water. That is the main reason I tie my flies like I told before. A big fish will only take the trouble to come to the surface if it thinks it is worth the trouble, in other words if there is enough food to gain. 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 under the name 'Striped Bass'. A rather stiff line that I like a lot for these rough not very delicate ways of fishing. Brands like for instance Scientific Anglers even have designed and added a special pike line to their program. The line floats. It's a good and fast line, I've used it. Eventhough I do hope 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 go along like that with other weights. The rods I mentioned have (extra) power and body enough and will therefor load easier and cast these heavier lines without any problem. At all. I like to cast my stuff quick and with great precision, without waving my rod back-and forward for twenty times. Two or three rather violent 'double strip' strokes should do the trick handsomely… One, two three and béng there ye go! A streamer will only attract fish when it in the water, hardly when its flying around in the air. Remember that.
And…
My leader is as simple as can be. I 'nail knot' about one meter plus 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, there's no need for I found out over the years. I always use a steel trace. I 've read books and seen films where they say you don't need it. I do not understand this. So take this from me; don't trust them! It might hold for a few times, but that big one that finally grabs your fly will snap trough even 50/00 without any problem. So about 20 inch steel wire will do the trick. Never without it. For my piking I use about 6/00-mm. stainless steel with a lock that is found by a friend of mine. It's the best lock I ever came across. I use it for four years now, and it has never let me down once. Also highly approved for jerk-baiting, made of thicker wire though. The lock is a simple spiral wire that is turned around backward over an outsticking very small pin. The drawing/photo will explain. I like this again simple and very well working solution, found by my tackle -shop owner/friend Vincent. As I said the lock never let me down, while over the years so many others did, because 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 larger than in spinning.
Barbless?
I am fishing barbless for about twenty years now. For trout, salmon, rudd, roach and also for pike. I don't think I caught fewer fish. Nor more, for that matter. Unhooking a fish is a different matter. It's far easier. When pike attacks a fly it opens its mouth at the very last second, so it produces and large vacuum inhaling its pry 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 deeper. Unfortunately it sometimes stops somewhere near or even in the gills. That no good, I hate it, but it comes with the job. It happens every now and then. Anyway this is one of the reasons I fish barbells. I use my own 'Ad Swier pike hook' that is specially designed for just that, and produced by Partridge of Redditch. It comes in a 4/0 and 8/0. A 6/0 will see its light very soon. What you can also do is flat the barb on the hook you trust, the one you fish with yourself. I've heard people saying you will loose more fish if you do it barbless. I do not think so. If I turn to the jerk- baiting again. These guys fish with big lures with three big trebles. So they use nine barbed BIG hooks. They loose fish too, as easy. Rather often. So its all back 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 flyfishing for pike, anyway or the moment. I didn't inform you about piking with belly boats in Ireland. Fly fishing from slow drifting boats. Maybe some day. I understand that in your 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 I said and showed what I thought I should, the row of people with inquiries was overwhelming. There still are people that write or email me every now and than. That's nice and very rewarding indeed. Because fly-fishing for pike is very interesting indeed, very rewarding. Friends are easily made. If a twenty grabs your stuff after hours of hard work…. "I liked that", Neil Wheather ones said in the beautiful made video 'Tales from the riverbank', after he released a thirty pound fish. It is nice. It is ever so rewarding if your own tied 'fly' fools that fish. With your own imagination and fantasy, brewed together somewhere on an attic or in a small fly tying room. Brewed together with feathers and fur, grinning under a lamp, with high thoughts and fantasies about it. 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.
Web: http://www.adswier.com