Calling the Pike Dudes!

[scotty9]

Ok Paul, Scott and Col and those others who I have probably missed!

What is the preferred line density when pike fishing and weight also? I'm planning a setup that is going to work for everything from trout to pike to salmon to salt water fushes so need some sort of idea as to what is going to be involved!

How often do you use a floating line? Is an inter more often used, are you using sinkers?

Cheers 

[aliferste]

The best answer is: it depends!

For Pike it really depends where they are hanging around and what they are doing whether they are feeding or just chilling out.

In water up to about 6 or 7 foot I just use a floater and give the fly a bit longer to sink.

It is much better to have your fly a little high than too low - the Pike looks up but not down.

I use a 9 weight most of the time unless I am tossing really huge flies in which case I get the 10 weight out (not that often)

[Malcolm]

I've only been out 6 times this winter for pike - the cold weather put paid to several trips.

Tackle for me is a salmon rod with size 11 lines. Floating and medium sinking. Medium sinking on colder days. The ideal would be one of the new short shooting head rods. There is a lad at the club who has a great 12ft 9in 10 weight (these are salmon line weights so much heavier than equivalent trout lines) that will cast 120+ feet with no problems.

I would suggest the very lightest outfit you would want for pike is an 8 weight rod which will be fine for smaller pike flies. It's the fly size that determines the line weight as you well know. One of the most sought after Pike rods is the Hardy Ad Swier. This is and 8/9 weight (I think 8ft 6) However it is the most powerful 8/9 weight I have ever used and feels more like a 10/11 weight to me. Even so it is not as good as my 11/13 weight - which you have used - for the big flies.

You'll struggle to get an all round outfit Scotty. Pike is the odd one out you could just about get an all round 9ft-9ft 6/7 weight that would be a decent compromise for the others. It's what I use for salmon on my local river.

[scotty9]

Cheers guys.

Alistair - that's interesting about the pike looking up, not down. Thanks, didn't know that!

Malcolm - well the rod is going to be the #6 TCX which can handle 8 and 9 weight lines without too much issue. The rod ERN's at 8.6! It won't be a heavy pike outfit, quite a light one but the pike is just a fish that I will likely dabble in from time to time, not too serious at first.

I know it will be hard to have the all round outfit, but I'm going to give it a dam good go!

[3 weight]

Alistair is spot on with his comment about the pike looking up, I tend to use a floater 90% of the time as most of my piking is with surface flies, I would only bother changing to inters or sinkers if it was baltic or really sunny, I like a 10# for chucking these flies but I dunno how that would work on a 6# rod! When you come back theres loads of wee ponds and lochs I could show you with a decent head of pike, tie up loads of gurglers or poppers :

[Inchlaggan]

I agree with 3 Weight, and use nothing smaller than a 10#. On most, large waters there is a real chance (OK just a chance) of a 30lb pike on a surface fly (as with 3 Weight, I use a floating line 90% of the time). That is going to be quite something on a 6# set up!
Best results are around the margins- pike are ambush predators in the main- reeds, weeds, sunken rocks and tree stumps will play hell with a sinking line.
For flees mostly poppers of budgie proportions.

[Ferg]

Ive done a bit of pike fishing, always on a floating line with a leader 6-10ft and a wire trace of 18". The rod I used is a 9wt and wf9f line. I usually fish from my boat into the margins or parallel with the bank in the canal. Just make sure you have long, sturdy forceps and a good sized net! Would definately take someone experienced in piking with you as they can be rather intimidating compared to an 8oz brownie

[3 weight]

Inchlaggan is right, most of your pike will be caught  the margins in 2 or 3 feet of water, sometimes less, takes and runs in such shallow water can be pretty special! Don't be afraid to fish on the top in deeper water though, I've spent a bit of time watching big pike cruise near the surface in water I know is upto 20ft deep. Seriously huge flies are a big advantage I find, wee 1lb pike still take 9 inch long flies,also, they are essentially lazy fish, they dont like to chase meals that arent gonna provide much sustainance so your offereing has to be worth all that energy that they expend in the attack.

What kind of waters are you planning on fishing Scott?

[haresear]

I'm with Col.
Intermediates mean you can retrieve quickly as soon as the fly has landed and still be pretty much on the surface. You can let it sink and retrieve quickly and the fly will stay pretty deep.

With a floater, you retrieve and up the fly comes. You have to retrieve very slowly or sink and draw to get the fly down again.

For me, intermediates are more adaptable than floater, but why compromise? Buy both.

As for size.  I use a #10 line to carry budgies.

Alex

[scotty9]

Thanks for all the information. The rod might have a #6 on the label but it is really an 8 and a half... Here's on caught on almost the same 6 weight rod: http://www.sexyloops.co.uk/cgi-bin/theboard_07/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST&f=1&t=11817&st=50#entry216157

Scott - I don't have a clue, what makes you think I had thought that far  :lol: :lol:

I think this definitely falls under an exploration and see what happens, I'll know pretty quickly after a fish or two or the inability to cast  :lol: whether it is going to work or not. I'm hoping to test the rod here on some barracouta, salmon or kahawai and big trout obviously! If it doesn't arrive in time my #5 will be going after the barracouta!  :shock:  : But it's not really a #5 either.

I think in terms of practicality and casting big flies I'd probably rig some heavy shooting heads or some of the integrated type shooting heads like the rio outbound or similar. It's going to be an experience anyway!

The smaller salty fish here will be my first test of things and I'll take it from there.