Pike Fishing Rigs

My friend Mick wrote this about the setup he uses for pike:

"It depends on your personal preference as to what leader system to use. There are a few formulas out there, and I've tried a few. What I've settled on, is a straight 9' length of 40 to 50 lb. mono, which could be shortened to about 6' through successive fly changes, or retying after fish. it's ultra simple. I use a no slip mono loop as my connection to the fly. It allows a free swimming action to the fly, and can be tied in mono up to about 80 lb.

"Bruce uses 20 lb. wire with crimps. I don't like to have to-re rig when the wire kinks, but as I said, it's all about preference. If you want to use a tapered leader, I would just use the 60% butt 20% mid section, 20% tippet rule. If you want a knot-less leader, a regular bass leader will do. I'd cut off about a foot, and attach the tippet. I'm not that scientific about the whole thing."

More from New Fly Fisher

I watched a great episode on Extreme Condition Trout Fishing with Ian James. They were fishing on the Grand River in low, gin-clear water. They used small streamers and minnow imitations. I they they said: Bucktail #8, black nose dace and foam fly.

Ian said that fish are in shadows, in darker coloured water. He recommended FAST retrieve across the current. Cast downstream 45 degrees as minnows swim across the current, not with or against.

Setup:
5wt rod
WF5, 6 lb. Fireline 9', 12-24" Vanish (mono) @ 4lb test

Again, imitate fast minnows when fishing in clear water, but vary speed of retrieve.

Be careful you don't spook the fish, move slowly through the water and don't splash in the water. Wear clothes that blend in.

Look for tails and seams and use small flies.

Jean-Guy on Fly Lines

My understanding on lines is as follow:

If you only have one line, then the most versatile is the floating line, it allows you to fish the surface and up to a few feet below the surface with heavy flies or with weighted tippet.

Second line should be a sinking tip. It allows you to fish from a couple of feet down to maybe 10 to 15 feet or more down (just let the line sink before reeling it in). This will cover all the pike and carp needs.

If you get a third line then you can get more specialized, ie shooting tip, full sinking, fast sinking, etc.

Botton line, I would suggest getting a sinking tip. A sinking tip with a shooting head should help in getting a little more distance. Not necessary for carp, but could be usefull for pike, as it allows you to cover more water.

New Fly Fisher

This is a great show that I watch and always take notes when I do. Here are some of them!

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White River Trout with Ian James
John Gulley, River Guide
Setup:
- piece of yarn rolled into a ball to mimic an egg pattern 18-20" from fly and below split shot
- San Juan Worm
- Yarn egg pattern
- 3x tippet
5-6 Weight rods
10 foot leaders with 3x tippet
Bigger fish like lower pressure, cloud cover, changing weather
Keep mending!

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Bay of Quinte
Glen Hale - Guide
Make slow retrieves on slow fishing days.
Largemouth Bass live under floating mattes of grass. Large poppers are great for them.

Setup:
WF7F, 36" of 20# (X4), 36" of 15# (X1), 24-36" of 10 pound tippit (2X)

Use stiff leader material

Add Loom UV Knot, reduces snags on knots

Walleye are gone form the bay. Largemouth, pike and gar pike have replaced them.

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Advanced Nymphing Strategies with Bill Spicer on Grand River
Fish go where they can find:

• security


• water temperature


• oxygen


• food

Trout will go where they can find this most easily:

• riffles


• runs


• pools


• seams ** most common **


• pocket water

Seams: between fast current and slow current or deflection of stream current off structure. Foam lines reveal them.

Dead drift and follow along with rod tip.
Set the hook as soon as you see the indicator move.

Popular nymph patterns:

• Hares Ear


• Pheasant Tail


• Prince Nymph


• BH Caddis


• Emergers

Match the silhouette, size and coloration

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Brett Van Rensselaer
North Platte Lodge, Wyoming
- Rainbow trout

Shallow water, knee deep or less
#4 & #6 weight shot
First fly closer to the lead than second fly
Five feet incidator to lead
12"
8-10"

2 to 1 Nymph Rig
- for every 1 foot of depth, use 2 feet of leader

Nymphing Leader Setup for four feet of water
Tapered Leader: 9 feet
Strike Indicator set at 8 feet
Split shot 12"-16" from fly

Fish in bottom 20% of water column
Add weight until you hit bottom or snag bottom

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Elk Creek, PA
Jeff Blood

Strike indicators:
Nymphing Maniac Kit from Loon
Biostirke from Loon
Pinch on Float
Avoid in very shallow or clear water

Nymph fishing can be used to catch smallmouth bass, carp, walleye, pacific salmon, catfish and steelhead, not just trout

High sticking minimizes drag
Rod tip follows fly in drift

Downstrem nymphing is difficult
Perpendicular Position is ideal
Upstream position can be very effective

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Credit River, Ontario
Chris Marshall
- riffles and tails
- under sunken logs

Working the Water:
Look for structure, food lanes, deeper spots to hide and cover.

Sidearm Casts
Dapping
Roll casts

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Small Streams
Caddis, Mayflies, Stoneflies
Check spiderwebs, stones

Peasent tail beadhead Nymph patterns
Blue Wing Olive
Ant patterns
Madame X

Research what will work in your area

Catching up

You have your whole life to start a blog and about a day to update it.

Here's a great article on carp fishing:
A Taste of Saltwater in the Midwest
by Michael Schmidt

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I need to learn more about nymphing. Here's some notes on Czech nymphing:
- use three nymphs
- have the biggest in the middle about 20" from the other two
- red mini-con
- use about a yard of flyline
For more, read A primer on Czech Nymphing

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Fish your way out, you might pick a fish up on your way.
The fly that is in the water is the fly that catches the fish.

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More on ways not to freeze in the winter while flyfishing:
Don't Freeze

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Glen Hales
Michigan Wiggler
Coburg River late November
Egg patterns
Nymphs
- bright for sunny days
- dark for cloudy days or stained water
Ganny, Wilmot, Credit
6 pounds
4 pound in clear water

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Modern Streamers for Trophy Trout
by Kelly Galloup
Jerk strip for Trophy Trout
Manistee River, Michigan
Rio Density Compensated Full Sinking Fly Line WF6S4
Kelly's Formula:
Flyline 18" of 20 lb, 24" of 10 lb.
Bob's Formula:
Flyline 24" of 20 lbs., 10" of 15 lb, 14-16" of 10 lb.

Recommended flies:

• Maxima Cumma


• Zoo Cougar


• Kiwi Muddler


• Butt Monkey


• Strip Leech

Recommended Sizes: 2&4
Recommended Colours: Brown, Olive, Black, Chartreause

Big fish will take big flies. They will eat half their body length!

Remember to fish around rocks and fallen trees

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Casting Tips
Keep it simple
Move as little as possible
Don't open up the elbow
Make punch with fist
Waltz 1-2-3
Thumb to the sky
Slow down
Pull from behind hand
Practice hand on, hand off
Pick up at guides
Strip always have right hand on flyline
Pick up with no slack in line
Flick the tip
Lock in and down
Keep tip parallel to floor. Don't make an arc.
Keep hand in front of you
Lock in before laying down
Strip in through hand
Let out with left hand.


Don't line pull through the tip

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Smallmouth bass on Clearwater streams use longer leaders
3x tippets
smaller flies
fish direction minnows are swimming
shake tip gives impression of injured minnow

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Bob Jacklin
Recommends Courtland Intermediate Sinking Line

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Clink and Dink
- tie leader to clinkhammer with a loop knot

Hopper & Dropper Rig
Floating 5wt flyline, 9' 5X leader to hopper, 12-18" dropper to nymph

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Fish from the bottom of a pool up and from the shore out and from the bottom up in the river

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More Nymphing Setups
Two Nymph Rig
Beefy Nymph Rig
California Right-Angle Rig

Waking the Fly presentation


Bombers for Salmon/Bass
- Size six or eight
- Basic colours



Smallmouth Strategies for the Fly Rod
by Will Ryan

• Use crayfish patterns with short claws 1-1.5"


• Crayfish switch from baitfish to crayfish in August, switchback in late September


• Use a very, very slow retrieve


• Clouser crayfish, Bill Smith crayfish


• Lighter colours work best but match crayfish to local colour

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Four colours for flies:

• Black


• Tan


• Olive Green - lakes


• Chocolate Brown

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Knots to learn:

• Uni Knot


• Nail Knot


• Mono Loop Knot