Bruce Rueben - Fly Fishing Pays Off!
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Bruce Rueben - Fly Fishing Pays Off! |
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If you are like me, you are willing to spend some serious money to go on a pike quest in the far north. I read articles and search the web all winter looking for that next fly-in adventure. After planning and researching, I book a trip that I hope will lead me to big pike on a “trip of a lifetime” wilderness adventure.
When you put so much into a fly-in trip, wouldn’t you want to learn the best approaches to catch those really big pike that make the memories last until the next trip? There is a way to catch big pike that most pike enthusiasts still don’t know much about.
Fly fishing for pike is a fun and exciting way to catch pike and lots of them. It is pretty easy to learn and gives you the excuse to buy some new equipment if you don’t already have a fly rod for bass. Who among us wouldn’t welcome the chance to buy more stuff for our next Canadian fishing trip?
If you love to catch big pike you will love fly fishing for them. That is, once you know some key things that make it easier to learn.
Last July, my fifteen year old son (Jon) and I headed up to Munroe Lake in northern Manitoba on a big pike quest. We learned a lot about how effective fly fishing can be a few days into our trip.
Summer started early in the far north last year. A hot spring had moved the pike out of the spawning bays early but they weren’t active yet in and around the emerging main lake weed beds. The pike fishing had been tough.
This particular day, our party of six decided to meet for a shore lunch on an esker that overlooked the main lake. When we all gathered there at noon, we were still short a fish or two. Since we already had lake trout, I offered to fish in from of the esker for a small pike to fill out our menu.
Jon and I began to cast rapalas as we stood in ankle deep water next to the boats. We cast parallel to the bank in the narrow but deep bay as the others cleaned the trout and got the lunch stuff ready. Jon and I clearly pulled the best assignment.
As soon as the splash from my lure settled, a small eruption engulfed the lure and I had our small pike on the line. When I brought the fish in, I was shocked to see two giant fish following my small catch as I brought it to net. What happened next will cause some to think I was selfish but bear with me. This is about fly fishing, not sharing great fishing spots.
I didn’t say anything to anyone about what I had seen. When we finished the shore lunch, I volunteered to clean up the dishes and stay behind to clean up the lunch area. The other two boats took off for more trout fishing across the lake. Now Jon and I had the place to ourselves.
I quickly let Jon in on my discovery. Since we were in a wind protected bay, I suggested we both fly fish. Jon was not very confident with a fly rod. He had only tried it a few times before but he agreed to give it a try.
Jon used a 9 weight fly rod with a weight forward floating line. The line was a 10 weight line with a “pike” taper made by Scientific Anglers. Using a line weight that is rated one level higher than the rod weight allowed Jon to cast more easily. That is a tip that makes it easier for beginning fly casters.
He used a six foot leader with a short 18 inch wire tippet. The leader was a short bass leader that was rated at 15lb test. The short stout leader made it much easier for Jon to cast the wind resistant flies used for pike. The usual nine foot leader is much tougher to cast with big flies. The wire tippet was 15lb. test tyger wire with a strong snap. The snap allowed Jon to easily switch flies.
I positioned the boat in the middle of the bay but close enough to the drop off so that Jon could cast into the narrow strip of shallow water and retrieve the fly back over the drop off. Jon chose a four inch long chartreuse Dahlberg diver that I had tied the night before. He likes this particular pattern because it is made with a feather tail that is easier for him to cast than my favorite, the rabbit strip diver.
Jon began to strip out line on to the bottom of the boat. He stripped out enough for the short cast he would need and was careful not to pull more line off the reel than he could cast. He false cast a couple of times watching his back cast by turning his head to see the line in the air behind him. By turning his head, Jon was allowing enough time for the back cast to fully unfold in the air behind him before he initiated his forward cast. He was handling the fly rod pretty well but his forward cast wasn’t pretty.
He tended to stop the rod too low and push the forward cast too hard. This caused the fly to hit the water hard and the leader to land in a bit of a pile. Luckily, the pike don’t require perfect casts or a delicate presentation.
Jon straightened the leader out on the water by stripping in the line until the slack was out of the leader and he had a straight line from the fly to the rod tip. Then he began to make the fly dive and gurgle by holding the rod tip pointed at the water and giving the line a strong pull. On the second strip, when the fly reached the dark water that signaled the drop off, a huge mouth engulfed the fly. At this point the fly was only 20 feet from the boat so Jon and I saw up close, the strike and the big pike’s body as it dove for the deeper water.
Jon felt every surge and head shake as the fish tore off into deep water straight out from our boat. It even managed to pull the boat out into deeper water. After several runs, Jon reeled the fish in close and I got the magnificent fish in the net. Jon’s first cast produced a beautiful 42 inch trophy that we measured and released. I held the fish for a picture and Jon had his first Manitoba Master Angler of the trip. For about three hours, we stayed in the narrow bay off the main lake, catching and releasing over twenty fish including three more giants over 40 inches.
Fly fishing for pike is pure excitement. It can be challenging but you can make it easy to learn by making sure a few key conditions are in your favor.
The first thing to do is choose the right water at hopefully, the right time. Fly-in trips to trophy pike destinations like Nueltin, Kasba, Athabasca, Reindeer, Wollaston or Munroe Lakes will put you on the right waters for numbers of big pike. Choose early or late season for pike in the shallows that are eager to attack flies.
Use flies you can easily cast. Big wind resistant monster flies will definitely catch pike. Bunny flies made with rabbit strips are deadly on pike but big flies made of material that soaks up water like a mop make casting very challenging. Instead, go with flies made of feathers or artificial fibers that shed water on the cast and are minimally wind resistant. The biggest pike will hammer four inch leech patterns in shallow water.
Catching fish while you learn to cast makes the learning fun. Learning to cast while fishing for pike in Canada is a blast and gives you immediate rewards for your efforts. You can learn to fly fish on trout streams where the fish are easily spooked and the casts must be near perfect to trigger a strike. But Canada is better and the pike make it much easier.
Get yourself a 9 foot 9 weight rod, matching reel and good quality fly line. Use a short stout leader, short wire tippet and some easy to cast flies. Seaducers or lefty’s deceivers are good choices. Four inch rabbit strip leech patterns and Dahlberg divers with feather tails are also great pike attractors. Always, always, always pinch down the barbs. Its easier on the fish and easier on you if the fly hits your shoulder or your buddy’s ear.
Catching big pike in Canada is fun with any type of tackle. Once you start fly fishing for them, you may find that it quickly becomes your favorite way to catch and release these great fish.
Click the mailbox to e-mail. Last updated on ...April 7, 2007
