Fly Casting for Pike

[zeolite]

Fred..You are a big poof! Mrs Z is 5'1" and can swing a DH all day. She struggles with the SH because her wrists are not very strong and she can't get a good stop. however with a DH no strength is needed with good technique and all the strain is shared on both sides of the body. I have seen her fish down a pool on the Conon with MY 15" B+W Norway with a full sinker on and she was as consistent as you like.
It seems strange to me that you have spent all that money on rods and spent a lot of time on casting technique to just dismiss DH fishing as difficult for you. I prefer DH casting as a pastime. I like the movements and the rythymn. It is like a martial art in that respect.

[Wildfisher]

Just not interested in it Ian. Like cricket I suppose. 

[zeolite]

Fred..I should be in Dyce next week so if you want to pick me up and take me to the river I will show you how to use it with both hands like a real man.

[Wildfisher]

What? A cricket bat?   

[3 weight]

Apparently a lot of the guys that fly-fish for pike in the baltic sea use switch rods, I'm not sure of the difference (if there is any). I have wondered about using DH rods for my pike fishing too but I have never used one before and I cant imagine how I would fish with it, are all double-hand casts "off the water" types, i.e. roll, spey casts etc? Theres a few places I fish where the extra reach would be useful.

Scott

[scotty9]

Scott - they're mainly done using speys and rolls etc. But there is no reason you cannot cast over head, especially with a shorter DH rod. It can be done but it is a pain in the arse wielding it for overhead casting to be honest. I've messed about OH casting with mine, not for me!

[Fishtales]

Overhead casting with the DH is fine, until you get whacked on the back of the head with a three inch brass tube  :roll: Not recommended 

With ordinary lightweight flies it is easier.

[3 weight]

I've skelped myself with big pike flies a good few times, I now fish for pike with my hood up 99% of the time! :lol:

[Robert Engleheart]

Malcom,
I've not fished for pike in years, but did have success with smaller flies about 2-3" in leech, mouse and muddler patterns. My friend lived on a lake that had been "infested" and we would fish out of his drift boat, covering structure. Most of the time we could see them in heavy cover, reed beds, etc. Used a 9' long nine weight, WF floating line and 3-4 feet of 40# Maxima level leader. They weren't leader shy! Lost at least 1/2 due to cut leaders. Sure liked the take on a muddler or mouse chugged along the surface. This was on the Kenai in Alaska and pike are hated there as there is fear of them getting into the anadromous river systems. Further north around the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers there are people who've developed pike fishing and there doesn't seem to be the same concern. They get fish into the 30# range there. We never weighed ours but I'd guess about 6-15 lbs was the range.
I'd think if your lakes have leech populations a 2-3" pattern would work for them; try a mousie around cover! Lot more fun than throwing the big junk.