Pike flymphs

[Fishnkilts]

I will be going to Minnesota this August and one of the things on my bucket list is to catch a pike on a fly.

With all the success I have had with flymphs with trout, I had the idea why not tie a large one for pike? The obstacle that I'm facing is hackle. I was thinking how ostrich herl might do for hackle. I haven't tried it yet, but it may happen just to settle my intrigue of it.

Is there any other type of feather any of you could recommend for hackle? I'm thinking anywhere from a hook size of 4 to 6.

[SenecaLaker]

Here is a fly that a friend tries for smallmouths. Add some red and white and it makes a good fly for pike I would bet
It could actually be several flymphs attached together with shanks.

Dave

[DOUGSDEN]

Dave,
Now, that's a pretty interesting looking fly! Yes, a series of flymphs end to end! I like this! We gotta know how it's linked (hinged?) together!
Thanks for bringing it to us friend!
Doug

[Mike62]

Man, good luck; I'm really looking forward to seeing what you come up with for a pattern! We don't have Pike, but we do have Muskie. I don't think there's a huge difference, but then I don't know anything about either of them, really. Muskie have become established here in the Allagash. Thankfully, Allagash Falls is barrier to the rest of the watershed. Fishing for them has become quite a good business for the local guides; it's a nice addendum to guiding for moose and bear.

I've never seen a Muskie flymph, but I'm sure you can work it out; these guys up here throw giant 7"-8"- even 10" patterns to them. Literally, it must be like trying to cast the proverbial wet gym sock.

Lot of guys starting to use spey rods on the larger waters of the St.John. Fort Kent holds a Muskie Derby every summer and the winning fish has always been in the upper 20lb. range. I'm sure Minnesota fish are just as big. As far as hackle goes, I think you're just supposed to tie on the whole chicken.

[SenecaLaker]

Dave,
Now, that's a pretty interesting looking fly! Yes, a series of flymphs end to end! I like this! We gotta know how it's linked (hinged?) together!
Thanks for bringing it to us friend!
Doug

Hi Doug, I think Mark calls it a "Feather Game Changer" . He ties them in a bunch of colors. It is definitely predator food. We do well on smallmouth and large brown trout in our northern Michigan rivers with them. The fly is tied with a larger hook with several shanks attached and tied in. When waterlogged, it is a heavy fly, requiring a 7 weight rod or line to cast. Here is a link to a youtube video of one that I found this morning being tied. Hope this helps. It takes quite a long time to tie this one.



Dave

[Fishnkilts]

Dave, that's a very cool looking fly indeed, and I can surely see a smallish to an average sized pike taking one of those. I can also see that it would take a long time to tie.
Thank you for sharing that, it's awesome.

I'm not new to pike fishing, I have done it before when my wife and I would take a trip to Minnesota with her parents to visit their family and fish. We do have pike and tiger musky here where I live, and in some parts of Colorado, like the Rio Blanco Res., there is a bounty on pike, $20 a fish and no limit and size doesn't matter.

I used to use spoons and other types of lures for pike and did quite well, but I no longer fish with conventional gear and believe it or not, I tried casting a bait caster set up a few years ago and I can no longer cast a rod like that because I'm so tuned into fly rods. So now I want to catch pike with flies.

ForumGhillie, I certainly will be using large streamers, along with poppers in the shallows. And I will gladly accept any advice you want to share. So expect a PM from me. Thank you

[Fishnkilts]

If you Google search "Brad Bohen" you will see a lot of big musky / northern pike flies. Brad has his own guide business and is a good friend. Every year he offers to take me musky fishing in his boat on the big warmwater rivers in NW WI. I turn him down every year. I don't enjoy the thought of fishing with a 10wt fly rod and throwing 12" long dish rags for 8-10 hours, my arms would probably fall off. We do trout fish together at times in the Spring.

I will certainly look him up on Google. I figure a week casting a 10 weight with chickens on the other end would certainly buff up my arms and shoulders if anything positive comes out of it.

[DOUGSDEN]

Dave,
Wow-ee! Thank you for the link via YouTube! The pattern is just crazy good looking and definitely says to predators, come and get it! Thank you for doing this!
Watching in the Den,
Doug

[1Equinoxclan]

being from Ontario Canada, we have some fantastic pike and musky fishing available in our lakes districts .I have fly-fished for both these species for some time now. Remember that these fish are top predators , and will sit in ambush for their prey. With this in mind your success is not necessarily what fly you tie on(color etc.), but if you can plunk your "dead chicken" near to that lair .The main consideration in achieving this is to create a fly that is reasonably aerodynamic in the air and relatively light when wet , so that your extra heavy tapered head can drag the thing through the air. Not a finessed pretty site , however , still difficult unless your rig is set up correctly to allow you to double haul and with wind place that fly where you think the fish is.
To the fly... The most successful flies are multi jointed flies that utilize not feathers , but deer hair and flash (lighter when wet than feathers)a few hackled feathers are incorporated for profile and translucency .The deer hair on each segment is "reverse tied " on ONLY top and bottom of the shank (not spun , so as to reduce the mass of the fly yet achieve a broadside profile that suits) It is secured at the front of each segment with cut ends forward and tips folded back and secured with a thread dam in the front. Hackled body after that with flash dubbing applied. then on to the next segment. The overall taper of the fly from front to back is very important , so that the fly is aerodynamic in the air and ensures that when stripped the waterflow creates a hydraulic for each section that creates the movement in the section behind the hydraulic.

Look at musky and pike flies designed by Blane Chocklett and flies designed on this site

...

Hope this helps and good luck and remember to practice that double haul !!

Steve

[Fishnkilts]

[quote=1Equinoxclan post_id=106167 time=1614455429 user_id=2630]
being from Ontario Canada, we have some fantastic pike and musky fishing available in our lakes districts .I have fly-fished for both these species for some time now. Remember that these fish are top predators , and will sit in ambush for their prey. With this in mind your success is not necessarily what fly you tie on(color etc.), but if you can plunk your "dead chicken" near to that lair .The main consideration in achieving this is to create a fly that is reasonably aerodynamic in the air and relatively light when wet , so that your extra heavy tapered head can drag the thing through the air. Not a finessed pretty site , however , still difficult unless your rig is set up correctly to allow you to double haul and with wind place that fly where you think the fish is.
To the fly... The most successful flies are multi jointed flies that utilize not feathers , but deer hair and flash (lighter when wet than feathers)a few hackled feathers are incorporated for profile and translucency .The deer hair on each segment is "reverse tied " on ONLY top and bottom of the shank (not spun , so as to reduce the mass of the fly yet achieve a broadside profile that suits) It is secured at the front of each segment with cut ends forward and tips folded back and secured with a thread dam in the front. Hackled body after that with flash dubbing applied. then on to the next segment. The overall taper of the fly from front to back is very important , so that the fly is aerodynamic in the air and ensures that when stripped the waterflow creates a hydraulic for each section that creates the movement in the section behind the hydraulic.

Look at musky and pike flies designed by Blane Chocklett and flies designed on this site

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfbhrQucU2I[/media] ...

Hope this helps and good luck and remember to practice that double haul !!

Steve
[/quote]


Thanks Steve! I just sent a PM your way.