Fly Fishing for Pike and Walleye

[meatinthefreezer]

Anyone out there try fly fishing for Pike or Walleye? I have been reading up on it and since I have easier access to pike and walleye lakes I am thinking of taking it up. I already have some equipment but mainly wondering what people are using for line and leaders? Any help would be great.

[Darren_buckhunter]

well i guide for fishing and use a 8 weight 9 ft. but i would go with a 9 weight at least so through bigger flies and use pike fly line cant remember who made it sorry.

[Doc]

For Pike, rods in the 8-10wt range work well. Not so much because the fish are big but more so for the big flies you'll be chucking. For lines, the big 3 (Rio, Cortland & SA) all have great pike lines making chucking those big flies even easier. As far as a pike leader, everyone has their own opinion on this one. My favorite is 4ft of 20 or 30lb mono attached to the fly line and then three feet of Rio's wire tippet to the fly.

Now for Walleye, different game all together. 5-7wt rods. Floating lines with 2X or3X long tapered Fluoro leaders or sinking lines stripped up drop offs. Leech & bait pattern flies work awesome (search Popsicle leech). The trick here is not depend so much on the feel of a strike but the visual clues. Watch the slack in your fly line while stripping it in. As you strip in, the line will tighten then go slack. If after your strip it remains taut, set the hook. If after a strip it then goes taut, set the hook. Biggest mistake I see with guys going after Walleye is worrying about hooking into a pike and using the wrong tackle. You may loose a few flies to pike throughout the day but when targeting Eyes, use the appropriated gear.

Here's some links that may help out.

Video: Pike On The Fly

Article: Got Pike?

Podcast: Stillwater Fly Fishing With Expert Phil Rowley

Cheers,
Doc

[Dust1n]

x2 on what doc said with the walleye dont worry about the take watch the line. I find that long slow retrieves with a bunny leech is ideal in black,brown,pink and olive and if you can try and fit 2 or more into each leech.
I dont like using clousers for walleye fishing because you usually end up with more pike then eyes that way.
I like to use 4x line with a maxima 10lb test leader.
Dont undergun your rod your not going to be able to set the hook as good with a 4wt compared to something a bit heaver. 6-7wts are what I like to use on rivers and 5-6wts on lakes.

I use my 8wt fly rod for pike because there mouths are basssicly all bone and you need some backbone to drive a big hook into there heads.6wts are too light for larger streamers and a 10wt is over kill to be casting all day. Leaders I opt for 0x and 40lb flouro instead of a wire leader because they tend to bend on the first or second fish. WF Hobbs creek line for pike but im sure theres better line made for chucking large flies around all day.
Flies i like to use clousers, Mice, Deceivers, Rabbit strip leechs, and a veraity of synthetic being they dont carry water!