I shall be having a few outings later this year for pike. What weight rod is best suited? It'll be on a river so no long distance casting just need enough backbone for playing the fish.....if I manage to hook one!! I am told that there are some decent sized fish in the place where i'll be going, certainly double figures.

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The best things in life aren't things.

General consensus is about #9 - balance between casting heavy/big flies and getting fish in quickly without undue stress. Saying that, my limited attempts haven't seen my pike fly gear tested as yet! Will give it another go down a local river this year though (have had plenty spinning over the years, just not on fly gear)

Was reading an article in Anglers Mail the other day, some chap had been catching plenty, big doubles too, from Wyrley & Essington cut on fly gear. Have also spoken to other pike fly anglers who reckon its better than spinning gear where its do-able, because the flies are soft and more mobile and pike don't tend to spit them out like they sometimes do with hard lures - makes sense to me.

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I usually use my 7-8 rod that seems to be ok for me, but it depends on what type of flies you use too.

Flies made out of natural fibres like rabbit fur weigh alot more when waterlogged and can be difficult to cast with a light rod.

9 weight if you want to use big bushy flies.

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10# weight minimum unless you know for certain that there are no big fish in the venue, Pike look mean but are fragile and if you hook a large fish you will play it harder and land it quicker on a 10#, in warm weather ie spring and summer Pike stress up easily, they may swim off after being released but can die, they dont always belly up on the surface but die on the bottom.

1. The line delivers the fly, the rod delivers the line, ergo the rod choice depends on the size of fly you wish to cast. That said...

2. The rod should be capable of quickly taming for safe return the largest pike that is likely to be caught in the waters you fish. If that means horsing a lunker out of snags you need a #10 or at least a strong #9.

By all means use #7 if you want to take an age and increase the likelihood of a prime breeding specimen pike failing to recover from being caught.

Talk to David Wolsencroft-Dodds....he is the pro and has his own rods. (Designed by him and built by me)
Mick

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Thanks for the feedback. I would be only fishing in winter and it's on a river so no long casting.

I've had an offer of a couple of bits of tackle (i'm on a budget) one of which seems too light but the other is a Vision Nite SW which is a #8/9.

Does that sound OK? I've never used one of these rods or even a rod over a #5 so no idea what they are like.

My main concern would be having enough strength in the rod to bring the fish in quickly.

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The best things in life aren't things.

On a river its always a bit of an unknown as to what could turn up and that could mean you get latched onto a big fish so I would go for a 10# minimum, rivers are usually snaggy and the extra power will come in when you have to stop a big fish getting near a snag, I fished with Steve Gait recently who was in the England Pike finals last year and he uses a 12#, try a 10# out and you will see that it bends no more than a medium action spinning rod.

i switched from a #9 to #10 - and pike fishing got loads more enjoyable - definitely helps with the big flies.
Check out Temple Fork Outfitters TRXi - very good value.

good luck