STARTER PIKE FLY KIT GUIDE
"July 2017 , just an up date , im still using the same kit as listed below never failed me yet "
the only real change in the info is that pikeshack is sadly no longer trading due to the cost of importing materials , i used to buy fastach links from them , but you can buy them in the uk from the guys at lure lounge
buy fastach links here
This is especially true in warm weather when oxygen levels are low, and in Trout waters where pike attain specimen size much more quickly but tend to have a shorter life span because of their bulk.
There is no place in modern pike fly fishing for line class fishing where credit was once given for landing specimen fish on the lightest line possible.
.jpg)
"July 2017 , just an up date , im still using the same kit as listed below never failed me yet "
the only real change in the info is that pikeshack is sadly no longer trading due to the cost of importing materials , i used to buy fastach links from them , but you can buy them in the uk from the guys at lure lounge
buy fastach links here
Rods,
Rheels and Lines
Fly
fishing for pike demands the use of powerful rods in order to cast
the heavy lines needed to present large flies. A 9 or 10 foot rod
designed to cast a 10
weight
fly line will also possess enough backbone to subdue large fish. Pike
which landed and returned to the water quickly, and with the minimum
amount of fuss, will recover much more quickly than fish which are
played to a standstill on light tackle.
This is especially true in warm weather when oxygen levels are low, and in Trout waters where pike attain specimen size much more quickly but tend to have a shorter life span because of their bulk.
There is no place in modern pike fly fishing for line class fishing where credit was once given for landing specimen fish on the lightest line possible.
Several
manufactures now offer rods designed specifically for pike fly
fishing, and the use of one of these is strongly recommended , I have
used for the past 3 years a pikesaber fly rod from www.pikeflyrod.com
this has served me well and is light enough to cast big flies all day
without having to take a lot of breaks all day , I use these rods
with 10 wgt fly lines sinking , floating and intermediate and so far
I havent in my opinion found a better rod yet
REELS
reels
now theres a can of worms and everybody has there own ideas and
favourites and for a long time I was using top of the range fly reels
that cost nearly £300 pounds uk and spare spools for it were £89.00
pounds a shot I was happy with for a lot of years until I found what
has to be quite possibly the best value and actually bloody greatest
reel ive used in a long time and thats the PIKETREK SUPER-LIGHT 9/11
WEIGHT CNC-CUT FLY REEL from piketrek , this reel retails around the
£90.00 uk mark and is just as good if not better than the high
priced reels it features a nice wide spool capable of holding100yrds
of backing (not that you’ll ever need it) and your fly line .
The
other bonus is that’s its extremely light and made from aircraft
grade alloy and also has a fantastic drag this reel is ideal for
beginners and experienced anglers alike fantastic bit of kit .
Of
course everbody has there favourites this is mine by way of
experience and using them
lines
Casting
large flies is made easier by the use of heavy lines, and special
Pike taper lines with an exaggerated weight forward profile are now
available. Another option is to use a shooting head, but whatever fly
line you choose it is vital ensure that your reel can also hold at
least 100 metres of good quality backing.
Pike
are capable of making short but very fast runs, and so it is
advisable to use a reel with a good drag system which will help to
absorb any sudden lunge made by the fish
you
may be confused by the sheer amount and price of lines out there but
if you just starting out fly fishing for pike id recommend maybe not
spending £50 to £60 pounds on a line it simply isnt going to make
you a better angler or enable you to cast the perfect line indeed
only practice will give you that and also you really dont need to
cast a monster long line to be able to catch pike in fact most of
them will be caught just a couple of rod lengths out for the beginner
id really recommended checking out the range of lines from piketrek
starting at £12.99 these are just as good as the major names in my
opinion
July 2017 update
im still using the lines from the guys at piketrek and they have managed to out live the more expensive brands and to be honest i cant see me going back to the name brands great lines great value
you can see and purchase the full range here
LEADERS
When
using large flies turnover is aided by the use of a relatively short
leader and many pike fly fishermen use a leader of 2 metres (6 feet)
or less. The choice between a tapered or level leader is largely a
matter of personal preference. However, its breaking strain must be
at least 12 lbs. and a leader with a breaking strain closer to 20
lbs. may prove to be more manageable. I do know of people that use in
excess of 30lb leaders this is never advisable as if get snagged up
you’ll probably break the fly line before the leader and to be
honest theres no pike that you wont be able to land on a fly rod with
a 20 / 25lb leader
for
the most part I use seaguar flurocarbon in19.14 to 23.5 pounds b/s
ive tried many leaders and this always sits the most comfortable with
me for turning over flies without kinking or getting knotted this is
my personnel opinion and im happy with it.
.jpg)
There
is a school of thought that says you should used tapered leaders this
in my opinion is rubbish for predator fly fishing and usually comes
from those entering the sport from a game fishing angle where tapered
leaders are the norm it wont catch you bigger or more fish, getting
the fly in front of a predator is what its all about and you can do
his just as well with a 6 ft length of fluro .there is also nothing
wrong with using a bog standard length of clear mono whatever your
pocket can afford it will still work going down the tappered leaders
road will lead you to very dark places and have your head spinning
WIRE
LEADERS
there
is a massive school of thought out there on wire leaders for pike I
have tried pretty much all of them and in the last season I have
settled on the best I have come across in the form of authanic wire
from www.predatorbite.com
this is a flexible soft wire that you knot easily ive had the same
trace on all season and its still perfect and ive never yet had any
kind of problem with it . I always use around 8 inch traces I know
people recommend 12inch traces but ive yet to have a fish swallow a
fly where that would be needed 8 inch traces are perfect .
With
the normal wire type traces ive used before ive found that they have
a tendency to fray and kink when fly fishing with them these normal
wires were designed for dead baiting where threes not the same
casting pressures as there is in fly fishing id say stay well clear
of these its a false economy as you could be having to change traces
every 5 or 6 casts .
You
also may have seen out there titanium traces , these are fantastic
for chucking big lures and crankbaits around but ive seen way to
many fish sliced up when they roll on them when fly fishing so id say
stay well clear ,
of
course everybody will have there own view, this is just my opinion
after 35+ years fishing for pike and my observations
CLIPS
Everybody
has their own ideas on end tackle I’ve tried absolutely everything
out there trust me been there got the t-shirt , if you one of these
people that like to only use one or 2 flies a day then tying them on
is obviously going to be best for you with something like a jam knot
. With flexible wires liken authanic this tying flies on isn’t much
of a problem these days but if you’re a fly tying nut like me then
you want to change flies quite a lot you need a quick change system .
Swivels
obviously are the way to go and for many years after a few false
starts with various links I settled on the American cross lock , this
did me well for a lot of years but this lock did have its limitations
as some hook eyes wouldn’t fit on the bend in the clip , so after
quite a few years of using these I then was browsing an American
saltwater fly fishing site and some of the anglers on there were
using the coast lock swivels when targeting larger predatory species
on the fly so I ordered some from the states (there were none
available in this country at that time) as soon as I got them I
noticed they were a lot lighter and after a few months use I was
impressed enough to keep using them and do away with the crosslock
type
im
still using the above links to this day and have had a number of
doubles on them and they have held up fantasTIC
Other
essentials
these
are things that you really should have with you
A
large landing net
is vital. Although many pike anglers land their fish by hand, the
length and flexibility of a fly rod makes this less practical for the
fly fisherman although after a while you may feel confident enough to
chin smaller fish out . Round or pear shaped nets should have a
diameter of at least 30 inches. Alternatively a bow framed triangular
net with 42 inch arms may be used. The net should have a soft
knotless mesh its also advisable to add some foam to your net handle
so if you drop it in the water the handle will float.
Unhooking
tools
It
is important to carry a pair of long nosed forceps for hook removal.
Hook-out tools are a good alternative, and many pike anglers find
that long nosed pliers give good purchase on the hook shank. In the
event that a fish is awkwardly hooked, a pair of side cutters will
enable the hook to be cut and removed in two pieces.
Once
the pike is in the landing net, you may find that you can remove the
hook without lifting the fish from the water. If you don’t intend
to weigh or photograph the fish, it can then be released immediately
from the net, thus removing the need for any unnecessary handling.
If
you do remove the netted pike from the water it must be prevented
from damaging itself by thrashing about or slipping. In most
circumstances an unhooking mat will be required to protect the fish
whilst it is lay on the ground or in the bottom of a boat. As an
alternative bubble wrap may be used, but on no account should the
fish be laid upon a hard or rough surface.
My
unhooking gear
*i
have not been paid or revived any kind of gifts for writing this page
, its based purely on my own experience and the things ive used
myself of course there’s many alternatives to the gear above this
is purely a guide to help you get started in this fantastic sport the
best way to learn is to get out there with a fellow fly fisher and
find your own groove ..
tight
lines
mcfluffchucker
Posts
