Your
first big Pike cart wheeling away at a formula one pace is certainly
something never forgotten
The
standard set up I would recommend is 6 - 8 ft of good quality mono in 20
-30lb, looped to the fly line and then using an Albright Knot splice in
at least 1 1/2 ft of
20lb twisted steel strand wire. This allows for fly changes and takes it
where the fly is engulfed. It is not uncommon
to remove the fly from well inside a Pikes mouth and this means that the
teeth have clamped down on the trace. To attach your chosen pattern
thread on a couple of crimps, pass the wire through the eye of the fly
and secure 1/4 inch up from this point by closing the crimps with
pliers.
This allows the fly to swing loose and aids movement once in the water.
Allow
the fly a little time to sink and then start a very quick retrieve with
a couple of momentary stops, remember you are trying to imitate an
injured or dying fish, my
standard retrieve is to use very quick strips of 2 feet or so and then
stop dead. Hard, rod wrenching takes often occur just as the fly
stops or when you resume
the retrieve. One fantastic element of fly fishing for Northern's
is that often the strikes are so visual, with a great push of water
towards your fly or the incredible sight of the fly vanishing into the
huge mouth of a hungry Northern Pike!
The
rod should be powerful, I would certainly go no lower than a weight 8.
There are two reasons for this, firstly the
flies that are needed to lure Pike are big 3 - 6 inches ! and secondly
if you hook a large Pike it will lead a very merry dance indeed.
Once
hooked your Pike will do everything in its power to shed the hook, and
quite often they succeed, but even this is a fantastic spectacle as the
fly is tossed
away in a shower of spray and teeth
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