Fly set-up for Northern Pike

[jednastka]

My brothers and I have regularly taken Northern Pike 44-52 inches at the lodge we go to in Saskatchewan. All have been taken via hard tackle (baitcast reel, 18# mono or braid, 7 foot one-piece medium heavy rod). I have often fantasized about fly fishing for them. I have fly fishing experience, but have never done it. I need advice.


For these large Northerns, what would recommend for:

• a fly rod (length, weight, 1 or 2 piece)
• a fly reel (size, line weight, length of backing)
• a fly leader (length, weight, pieces)
• any favourite flys?

thanks in advance;
Vic

[Groundhogger]

Rod/line choices are usually bound by the size of flies you intend to cast. Even big pike can be landed on relatively "light" rods, but can those same rods cast a big enough fly to get a pike's attention?

I don't fish for pike allot but when I have, it's more about trying to trigger their predatory nature vs. "matching the hatch", etc. (ie, baitfish patterns, small fish/forage to match the lake or river you're in, etc.) Were that not the case, florescent yellow flies wouldn't work so well.

An 8 or 9wt. fly rod with a WF floating line is where I'd probably start, but try before you buy. Sometimes rods in those weight ranges can be heartless things and difficult to cast. I think 2pc. rods are the best from a fishing POV, but a quality rod in a 4pc. would be more convenient of course.

[Groundhogger]

...and a large arbor reel. I'm a huge fan of Danielsson fly reels. This is what I have on my pike rod, though I use it mostly for gar pike (longnose gar)

https://danielsson-flyreels.se/en/f3w-7ten

[SNAPFisher]

What he said

I had a 7 wt at Wabamun back in the warm water days and did fine with it but just slightly under gunned for those larger heavier flies.

So an 8-9 is good but you can even go 10 wt. Those are some large pike you guys have picked up and a 10 would not be out of the question. I have a 10 wt, 9 ft, 2 piece I use for salmon, trolling for lakers and have tagged some sizable pike on it. Casts large flies well. Just a cheapo Temple Fork 10 wt.

[WinFwt]

As an example of what has been said above, my main pike combo is a Fenwick World Class 9wt, 9 ft., 4 pc rod with a Redington Rise III 7/8 reel with a SA Mastery WF9F line. I have a spare spool with a SA Sonar Sink Tip WF-9-F/S IV for getting down a few feet when the action is not on the surface. These reels can be loaded with enough backing for pike.

I also have a 7wt set up for casting trout streamers that will work, depending on the wind conditions and size of pike targeted. This setup is a TFO Axiom II, Pflueger President 2078 reel, with an AirFlo Streamer WF-7-F on it.

As said above, the size of fly and wind conditions will typically dictate the rod/line combo you will want to use.

Leaders to consider are a Rio Pike/Musky in 20#, 7.5' long, or Climax 0X in 5' to 7' length with a Rio Powerflex Wire Bite tippet 15 or 20 lb, or heavier (30#) for the monsters you're chasing.

Any fly that is large (4" - 7"), colourful, lots of flash (garish), durable and looks like a pike's dinner will do the trick. Lefty's Deceivers, Dahlberg Divers, Bunny Bug flies, Moss Zebra (perch), Whistlers, Clouser Minnows and a variety of other baitfish imitations all reside in my pike fly box.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[pikergolf]

If you are new to chucking large flies you will want a helmet and some flaps for your ears. A stitch kit would be advisable as well.

[Savage Bacon]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

If you are new to chucking large flies you will want a helmet and some flaps for your ears. A stitch kit would be advisable as well.

That fear is always in the back of my mind when fly fishing.

I have about 4 or 5 hours total experience.

Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

[TEQ]

I use a 8 weight, 2 piece TFO rod with a large arbor Nile Creek Flyshop reel (kind of a knock off Nautilus) and a RIO VersaTip line which lets me switch to a sink tip really easily. For leaders, I use the RIO Pike/Musky as mentioned above.

[3blade]

TFO Big fly 10 or 12 wt. I’d go 12.
Don’t worry about number of pieces, that’s a trout rod thing
Lamson Guru reel
TFO pike leader
Flys are personal creations.

I have a TFO bvk 8 wt and lamson guru as a general “big fish” setup. Good combo for medium sized pike but it’s under gunned for anything over 15 lbs or really big flys.

I HATE casting sinking line with a passion, so if I can’t catch them on floating line I go back to hardware.

Also - barbless. Everything must be barbless. Because you will nail yourself and everyone else in the boat eventually

[WinFwt]

Originally Posted by pikergolf

If you are new to chucking large flies you will want a helmet and some flaps for your ears. A stitch kit would be advisable as well.

Haha! It's called "chuck and duck" for a reason. Debarb those hooks, makes it easier to extract from an ear, neck, etc...!

[Altaboy]

9 weight rod and a full sink 6 line and a short #40 mono leader. 18” is plenty and that will turn over large flies easier

[jednastka]

Thanks everyone! Lots to digest there. I hope to have some photos to share when we return in July.


Vic

[32-40win]

Hard to beat a TFO for the price, 9 or 10wt for the bigger stuff. Somewhat depends on the water depths, a good pike floater line, a fast sinker, or a shooting head is useful. TFO is friendly to overlining usually, I run 10wt lines on a 9 a lot of the time, 350-575gr heads work, but, I only use the heavier ones in deep water, to get down fast. I use 30lb Tyger wire for tippet, as it is easy to change flies on, there are a few versions of similar stuff out there now. I put a swivel on a 20lb salmon leader to attach it to. Deceivers and Clousers are the bulk of what I use, chartreuse and whit, red and white, orange and white, blue and white, flashy and not too flashy versions. Keep threatening to tie some as balanced versions, that's a roundtoit at the moment.

[walker1]

Originally Posted by Savage Bacon

That fear is always in the back of my mind when fly fishing.

I have about 4 or 5 hours total experience.

Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

Bacon. wear the shades..... we only have 2 peepers! With streamers for sure and the wind. My head is cement, according to my wife and guys I fought playing hockey but a # 2 streamer in the cranium still hurts!!!!

[catnthehat]

The vast majority of my pike are caught on an 8 weight using 40 pound Mason mono for a leader. it turns big flies over super.
I bought this salt water rig for Mexico in '92, but have since sold it because it was a bit overkill even though some of my fish were better than twice this size.
Cat

[Off in the Bushes]

Casting for pike is a lot of fun. I think that’s where the term “Chuck and duck” got coined. Lol.
As for rods I use a 8 wt. with a shooting head, so you don’t need a lot of line out get it out there. And it helps turn the big flies over easier. It really comes does to fly selection ie pattern, and the Color. Like hollow flies, or poppers or synthetic’s, I like synthetic flies on the first back cast all the water is out of the fly and it lighten up some compared to deer hair and feathers. Also weighted flies if your fishing subsurface.
How deep do you plan to fish. Might be worth a sink tip line.
For a leader I use 2’ Rio bite wire as it’s can be tied like normal line. And 5’ of 30# fluorocarbon. And a small snap swivel. Flouro, bite wire, snap swivel.

[petew]

I use 6,7,and 8 weights , , mostly 8's for jacks and walleye. It is nice to have some different lines spooled , in floating fast sink, or slow sink . For a tippet I tie on about 18" of 50# or 60# leader material to the 20# section ,or extra reels for different depth's.

Bright and big do the trick, with yellow ,red, white, beind the dominant colors, and often some glitter strands tied in. Hook size is the bigest I can find, like a 2/o or even larger. These fish are not spooky , they eat big flies like a snack.

I have Fenwick, TFO, and several other rod brands, but most times I rig up a Maxcatch Black Star, or Extreme rod and Eco reel with maxcatch lines. I tie my own tapered leaders .

It doesn't have to be expensive to be a very good outfit. A complete setup in the Maxcatch Extreme model is about $100 to $110. can. to your door including a very good case.

[catnthehat]

Pete, I think there was a few boats shaking their heads at us two old farts in my 12' thinner ,chucking flies with our 7 and 8 weights and boating good sized 'eyes a few years back at my place !
Cat