Introduction

Being one of the simplest setups there is in fly fishing  it’s a good place for anyone to start as long as they have confidence and experience in handling these toothy predators.

Setup consists of:

. 8wt - 10wt rod.

. Intermediate fly line.

. 6ft - 10ft mono leader.

. 12inch wire trace.

Location

Pike are an ambush predator normally striking from cover. Look for structures, weed beds, drop offs and overhanging cover. On rivers they will seek the shelter of deep pools and slack water.

A roving approach is best to try and cover as many of these spots as possible.

Method

For most instances and for most anglers a 9ft 9wt is the go to rod, matched with a 7/8 reel. This is normally fitted with a 9wt intermediate fly line on most occasions. However a floating and sinking line will give you an advantage for certain times of year if the fish are either sat deep or taking off the surface. To this I add my mono lead which can be anything from 12lb to 20lb depending on the fish I’m targeting and location. On the business end is a 12inch wire trace, this is a must with targeting pike.

On a river start by casting downstream and stripping the fly back towards you repeatedly on different lines of retrieve, depths, speeds and fly colours until you’re happy there’s nothing there willing to strike.

On still waters it’s a similar method other than your cast pattern is done “around the clock”. Stat by making your first cast down one margin, then make repeated cast around the swim until you reach the other margin.

The strike from a pike can be as subtle as a small pluck to a full shelf hooking whack. If in doubt it’s always worth a small strip strike.

Once you’ve hooked a pike you will normally get one short explosive initial run followed by a kiting fight with short lunges. A large net and long forceps are essential and an unhooking mat is always a good idea if you plan to unhook fish on the bank.

Flies

The essentials 

Accessories