Having caught hundreds of pike around the UK, Snowbee’s Jon Dyson offers some lessons learned to help you get more pike in the net.
How to catch more Pike?
At Snowbee, we are often asked how to catch more fish. Whether that is from our local Devon streams and rivers to canals and lakes around the country, and even deep-sea wrecks. Indeed, using the right tackle will make a massive difference regardless of your chosen venue, quarry or time of year and our extensive range of products can certainly achieve that. It is a great place to start, but that only goes half the way – especially when it comes to catching more pike.
As a favourite species of mine, I have come up with my seven top tips for pike fishing with the fly. If you’re not a fly fisher though, many of these tips are transferable to lure fishing for these prehistoric beasts too.
1. Keep the fly in the water
Around 80% of my takes come right under the rod tip. Often just as I’m about to lift the fly out of the water and cast again. A little pause before you lift the fly – referred to as ‘the hang’ – will often induce a take.
2. Mix up your retrieve
Pike are aggressive hunters. Short, sharp strips tend to work best due to creating a lot of movement of the fly and commotion. However, don’t forget to pause – Pike will often hit a fly while it is on the drop.
3. Change the fly
Got a follow but no take? I would change the fly pattern immediately. A quick switch in profile, size or colour can be just enough to trigger a hit. Like with any type of fly fishing, sometimes an imitation can be a little too close to the real thing that a fish will be hesitant to take, whereas something garishly different may be what is required.
4. Stay mobile
Like with many other wild fish, when pike fishing you want to cover water. Don’t waste time in dead zones – keep moving until you find feeding fish. I have come across many anglers on trips who are struggling for takes, and it can simply be they aren’t hitting fresh water quick enough. I can cover miles in a session.
Keep an eye out for signs of bait fish too. If you find them, you will find the pike.
5. Match the hatch… most of the time
My first fly selection will always be close to what a pike will likely be feeding on at any location. Therefore, I will always lean toward natural colours that imitate baitfish first and foremost. Like I mentioned in point 3, if a follow doesn’t provoke a take, when takes are generally slow, don’t be afraid to throw something bright and flashy. Often this is enough to provoke a reaction.
6. Seek out guidance
If you're a novice, my best advice is simple: go with someone who knows what they're doing. Whether that is a professional guide, a local angler or a friend who has fished for pike before, you’ll learn a lot more in a day than just fishing on your own.
Also, a guide can show you how to correctly handle a pike to prevent cuts on your fingers.
7. Be prepared
While this point won’t technically influence more takes, it is vitally important for any day’s pike fishing to be well prepared. Always carry the essentials: long-nose pliers; a large unhooking mat; and a big rubber mesh net. Keep the fish safe and the handling quick, and there will be pike to return to on another day.
Depending on the size of the fly I’m casting I will change between an #8 and #9 rod, historically the Prestige G-XS 9ft #9 Saltwater Graphene Fly Rod and now the new Spectre Pro 9ft #9 model which I have been testing (see pics) is fantastic. On both rods my go-to lines are the #8/9 SPECTRE PRO BIG FLY Lines in Floating, Countdown 4 and Countdown 7. For big reservoirs I use the ultra-fast sinking Countdown 7 and for canals and small waters the medium/fast sinking countdown 4. They all cast beautifully and turn over big flies with ease. I tend to load these onto the Spectre #7/8 Cassette Fly Reel - Silver.
As a final point, always handle pike with care. Pike might look like aggressive predators, but they’re actually quite a delicate fish. Avoid targeting them during very hot spells, as they don’t cope well when the oxygen levels are down. Keep them in the water as much as possible, handle them minimally, and always let them rest and recover before release.
Jon is the Customer Account Manager for Snowbee and our specialist ‘alternative’ species fisherman. Jon has caught an array of trophy fish around the UK and Europe, from catfish to pike, carp, tench to name but a few, and has a particular love for saltwater fly fishing around the Devon and Cornwall coastline.
For more tips and tackle advice, please email: [email protected]
