Was just looking at the photos' of pike in the photo gallery and Its got me interested in giving flyfishing for pike a try, I have no experience flyfishing for pike, so any help would be great.

What fly rod and reel would you recommend ?

could you use a 7/8 weight fly rod and reel, or is it better to invest in a pike outfit.?

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Their was a Russian philosopher once said ''the pathway to success is blocked by many high fence's but climb them anyway.''.

Itora Balickof.

www.sixmilewater.co.uk

At a push you could get away with a true 8 weight - although at a minimum you need a nine - the pike angling association recommend a 10 weight a minimum..

Check this out for the sheer power of the beasts!
http://urbanflyfisher.com/that-thing...ance%E2%80%A6/

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http://urbanflyfisher.com/

A 7/8 wt is ok for smaller lures on small waters ie nothing over about three inches long.
However for larger lures say six inches a 9wt would be a better choice.
Also remember to use a wire trace.

This might sound crazy but the best way to subdue a Pike on a flyrod is to keep the rod low, almost pointing at the fish. This way you use the butt power of the rod and the strength of the flyline a helluva lot more. Keeping the rod high doesn't tire them as effectively.

Mind you, you will have to ensure your leader and trace are up to the job as they will be under a lot more strain.


Dougie

Thanks Guy's for the info, much appreciated. Can't wait to catch my first pike on the fly.

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Their was a Russian philosopher once said ''the pathway to success is blocked by many high fence's but climb them anyway.''.

Itora Balickof.

www.sixmilewater.co.uk

Spot on Dougie!! Spot on!!!!!..Thats exactly what the PFFA rod is designed to do!

Saltwater rods are generally designed for lifting big fish and have much stronger butt sections than equivelent freshwater rods, so if investing money in a pike rod that may be something to consider.

Which is why when I developed the Pike rod for the Pike Fly Fishing Association I had the blank makers add a bit more "oomph" lower down

@Riverside - before "investing" in either a specialised pike rod or SW FlyRod I would really give it a go with a #7 weight rod. Its not just possible but also quite feasible. However in order for a #7 weight set-up to work you have to make sure that the flies you use are tied with modern materials (no bunnies or wet-socks) such as flashabou. My daughter (who is a very good caster (UK womens Champion by the way) and an FFF certified instructor) does not like fishing with #8 weights so she uses a #7 weight and uses flashabou flies up to 10cm long. No problems.

If you have the choice I personally would suggest an #8 weight fast action saltwater rod, I normally fish for pike with one and flies in the 12-15cm category are well within the capability of such rods and for casting serious (15-20cm) pike flies I prefer use a 2hander as opposed to a #9 or #10 weight 1hander.

Have fun deciding.

what Dougie says is spot on, the "method" can also be used on Tarpon, yellow fin tuna, dorade, large pollack 'cudas etc. You can practice (and test your rig-up) on a bucket of water/sand fixed via a pulley to a table or similar. Have a look at the tarpon film "chasing silver" - awesome

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Get Out There ..... www.balticflyfisher.com

Baltic, I know what you are saying, but i cannot agree with you

Yes a 7, even a 6 weight will subdue a pike, but, and its a big but, the pressure on UK Pike is high and its generally accepted that it is better to play a Pike hard and release it quickly rather than use "sporting" gear and take longer to land it, especially in the summer.

When I was asked to develop a fly rod for the Pike Fly Fishing Association I did a lot of research (I have a backgrond of 30 years of Pike fishing and 25 of fly fishing) both here in the UK and in the US, Canada, Holland and Scandinavia.

The rod i came up with is a 9/10 weight with a medium fast action. Big flies do not work on super fast action rods, simple as that You need a slower, more open loop to turn the fly (talking of 8-10 inch flies). It needed to be strong enough in the butt to handle large Pike from boats and to have the power low down to throw the large flies.

Pike fly fishing in the UK is all about conservation. Telling folk they can PFF with a 7 weight goes against all the PFFA strive to promote. Now, you and I both know that a 7 weight SWFF is a vastly different rod from a 7 weight trout rod, but the average Pike angler does not know that, and the PFFA has had some very hash comments made by the Pike Anglers Club of GB and some very high profile Pike anglers. Some Trout anglers have also tried to fish for Pike on some of the big reservoirs using trout gear and several large fish have ended up dead.

So, although i have fished 7 weights myself, and 8 weights on smaller waters, I do think a purpose designed Pike rod of 9 or 10 weight is the way to go in the UK.

I hope you see where i am comming from and i totally understand what you are saying and behind closed doors would agree with you...but as a member of an association having an uphill battle, heavier gear is the way to go