Northern pike is likely to be carefully associated to muskies, however they’re not muskies. They’ve very totally different feeding habits. They exhibit totally different predatory behaviors. Pike are additionally smaller. But regardless of this, I’ve observed that many fly anglers wish to deal with pike like muskies in relation to gear. That is very true with novices. Visions of 50-inch pike captivate them, main them to imagine that larger and heavier deal with is the best way to go. Chasing northerns on the fly is one among my favourite issues to do, and I’ve finished it throughout North America. What I’ve discovered is that much less is usually extra in relation to being profitable. As fall creeps in and people water temperatures drop, I begin getting revved up for pike, however what I gained’t be doing is spending hours on the vise or strengthening my arms to get after them. You shouldn’t both. Right here’s why.
Skip the Meat Stick
Muskie anglers have a tendency to make use of a minimal of a 10-weight fly rod. In some excessive circumstances, I’ve seen muskie fly freaks bump all the best way as much as customized 15-weights. This, I can guarantee you, has little to do with needing that sort of energy to struggle a muskie. In muskie fly fishing, nonetheless, you do want a heavier rod to throw massive, heavy flies. It’s additionally useful for driving the hooks into their jaw as a result of bear in mind, you may solely get one shot a day, so that you need no matter benefits you may get. Lastly, a powerful fly rod permits you to put severe warmth on a muskie and get it to the online rapidly. If you happen to listen, muskie guys—each fly and traditional—don’t let the fish run. They need it within the bag instantly. However as quickly as you step all the way down to pike, utilizing a 10- to 15-weight fly rod makes little or no sense.
If you happen to occur to stay someplace loaded with pike that continuously hit the 40-inch mark or higher, totally different story. The truth, nonetheless, is that fisheries like that exist in only a few locations. For many of us in pike territory, you’re catching giant numbers of smaller fish with the occasional trophy combined in. Subsequently, sporting your self out throwing a 12-weight on the off probability a forty five incher exhibits up is sort of foolish. You’re now overpowering 90 % of the smaller fish and dampening their combating capacity. Likewise, it’s not unusual to get dozens of photographs at pike per day, so having a rod that can get each fish within the web in 3 seconds isn’t essential—for those who lose one or two, it’s a not a giant deal. I take advantage of an 8-weight rod for pike no matter whether or not I’m fishing regionally for fish that common 20 to 25 inches, or in Saskatchewan the place a shot at a 50-incher may be very actual. If that fifty eats my fly, I’m not fearful, as a result of I do know an 8-weight has loads of energy, and extra importantly, I understand how to correctly struggle a big fish with a fly rod so being barely under-gunned is OK.
You possibly can solid an 8-weight all day with out getting worn out, and I’ve used one to land my personal-best fly pike, which measured 46 inches. That pike, by the best way, ate a 6-inch fly, not some 12-inch mass of feathers, hair, and flash that took 4 hours to tie. This brings us to fly choice.
Skip the Meat Flies
A giant muskie may snatch a giant meal as soon as a day, perhaps even as soon as per week. Level being, there may be worth in creating gym-sock-like flies that match big forage, transfer extra naturally, ramp vibration, and use no matter accoutrements essential to journey a fish’s set off. Muskies usually require severe coaxing to open their mouths. Pike, then again, are usually simply extra prepared eaters (which is why I like them greater than muskies). That’s to not say there aren’t circumstances and eventualities that make pike choosy, however for essentially the most half, in the event that they’re hungry, they’re not very discerning. Consider that increased chance that you just’ll rating a pile of pike in a single day, and you may financial institution on having a variety of flies destroyed. If you happen to’re throwing $15 customized muskie flies, that hurts.
I tie most of my very own pike flies, and I maintain them extremely easy as a result of I anticipate getting one or two fish per fly earlier than it’s relegated to the trash bin. My desire is a 5- to 7-inch streamer with some flash and a tail that has some motion. That may be so simple as some lengthy hackle feathers, a pinch of tinsel, and a gob of artificial dubbing for a head. One other favourite is a Dragon Tail with a flashy dubbing head—which takes lower than 5 minutes to tie.
These streamers present a large enough profile to attraction to trophy pike, however they’re not too massive to show off smaller specimens. They’re additionally sparse and streamlined sufficient to ship effortlessly on an 8-weight rod. If you happen to don’t tie your individual flies, put money into some Whistlers, bunny snakes, and easy artificial baitfish patterns.
Skip the Cable
As a result of a muskie angler may solely get one shot at a fish in a day (or per week), it’s not unusual to see them incorporate heavy metal cable or 200-plus-pound fluorocarbon into their leaders as chew safety. It’s an insurance coverage coverage, and I get it, however the actuality is that muskie enamel aren’t any sharper than pike enamel, and I’ve by no means had a pike—together with 40-plus-inchers—chew by way of a skinny piece of metal wire.
My go-to for years has been Cortland’s Tie-In a position Stainless Metal Chief Materials, and whereas it’s out there in as much as 50-pound breaking energy, I’ve but to come across a pike that might reduce by way of the 20-pound. The fabric is coated in inexperienced nylon to scale back glint and visibility, and it’s supple sufficient to knot with out slippage. This makes it straightforward so as to add simply 10 to 12 inches of wire to the tip of my chief with no need crimps or a barrel swivel.
Most significantly, utilizing a skinny, versatile wire lets your flies have most motion. Whenever you’re coping with an enormous, material-packed customized muskie fly, it will probably transfer sufficient water on account of its bulk that an extra-heavy chew wire might not have an effect on its motion drastically. However for those who’re utilizing smaller, less complicated streamers for pike, too heavy of a chew tippet can squash the motion. If the sunshine wire will get bent or twisted after a number of fish, it’s straightforward to easily clip one other piece off the spool and substitute it. I additionally prefer to tie a small duo-lock snap to the tip of my wire so when one among my flies will get too chewed to carry out, I can rapidly swap it out and maintain hammering.
