Hi Guys

I was up the canal the other night, saw 4 or 5 pike just under the surface ..............to date ive "NEVER" caught a pike ive cast at

They seemed to be scared stiff and take off even if i cast miles away from them ...... (2/0 Yellow bunny bug)

Ive only ever caught pike that ive never seen or only seen at the last minute just as the slam into the fly ............

Interested in your experiences ??

Have you also noticed that if you walk back past an area you've been flogging with the fly, you often see pike just under the surface obviously attracted by the disturbance ??

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Englander

"Barbless since 2008"

Vision GT Four catapult 9' 6#
Vision GT Four SW 9' 9#
Vision 3 Zone 9' 5#
Vision Cult 9' 3#
Shakespeare Trion 9' 5/6#
Cortland Endurance 9' 6#
Shakespeare Expedition float tube
Vosseler DC3 reel
Okuma Helios 8/9 reel
Greys G series 3/4 reel
Snowbee Geo 3/4 reel

If you can see them clearly....they can probably see you...

I know a slack on a river i fish where there is always a pike, not the same fish but there's always one(sometimes 2) there. I've taken them on my standard weighted streamer pattern and also poppers. There's some tall reeds a short distance away for cover, pop up and have a look to see who's home then a cast putting the fly past the slack, then fishing the fly into it works everytime. !t's either taken as soon as it enters the slack or shadow'd then smashed into just as it's leaving.

This one came from this area:


I hope to catch it on film this year(fingers crossed), watch this space...

Cheers,


Graham

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www.wildflies.com

Englander are these pike your sight casting to tailing, actively feeding or stationary or holding in the shallows? - like every other predator pike have their feed times / active times / or time on the bite... as ambush predators pike usually feed aggressively on the surface or sub surface and this is the time to throw a popper or surface lure over the snout of an ambush predator like a pike.

Finding pike on the surface that look like they are almost sunning themselves is not uncommon and to be honest they are easily spooked.

In essence frenzied takes by an ambush predator like the pike who are obviously camouflaged succeed with the element of surprise and a maximum speed of close to 30 mph over short bursts don't do well waiting for prey - flopping around on the surface as obvious as a dogs red nuts!

Also pike being territorial will investigate any surface disturbance in the form of anglers trashing the water with heavy flies.

I live very close to a disused canal and its full of Jacks from a few ounces to around five pounds .
The local kids spend hours blasting fluorescent plugs and spinners across the water and the pike take none of them. It seems they have learnt very quickly that anything with a modicum of colour is bad news.
I have had lots of fun sight fishing the beasties but the only tactics that work with any regular success are using a drab sinking lure. I cast these over the fish allow to sink into the silt and literally inch them through the muck. It’s a great feeling when one of them starts to turn in the water, homing in on the movement and following the moving silt only a few inches from the lure. This is usually followed by a slow list to one side and a fast strike.
Works a treat but you will need a large weighted pike fly.

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One fish, one fly, one man, several hats.

I've used gartside gurglers, umpqua pike flies and deceivers to sight cast to pike and have had the ambush and the sprint style takes... I've also had the not interested stance as well

I have had similar experiances on the canal - I think we fish the same one

My next tactic when this happens - I have not tried it yet - is to use a popper - cast the popper as close to the Pike as you can without spooking it and then let it settle - the Pike should be a bit interested in it and it will know it is there - slowly start to inch the popper along and if the Pike shows any interest then really rip it back - with any luck the Pike's instincts should kick in and it will attack it - result!

Got to be said though not tried it yet but this was the advice I was given and will be trying it out the next time I am on the canal.

Other Pike I have absolutely no luck with are cruising pike - sometimes you see the beasts just sauntering along without a care in the world - going at maybe a walking pace - they look as if they are trying to get somewhere but are not in any hurry to get there - I have followed Pike along the bank for a hundred yards and trying to get them to take is impossible - I have tried casting directly at them, running up the bank and waiting on them with the fly in the water to ambush them with the fly as they go past - sure sometimes they will change direction and have a look at the fly but just saunter along - in fact when I think about it I have only ever managed to stop one of these sauntering pike - the beast leapt straight out the water looked me in the eyes and then spat the fly out - leavng me feeling like a chump. I think I may have foul hooked it in the mouth as I was trying to get the fly as close to it as possible.


You can get some big fat Pike in the canal.

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http://urbanflyfisher.com/

Might be worth taking a mat if you intend lying fish to take pictures and there's nothing soft around to lie them on

Another thought: The fish we spot are mostly in shallow water(so we can see them), some folk are of the opinion that these fish are not feeding but digesting after feeding, the warmer water that the shallows(or lying shallow) offer speeds up the process thus allowing them to get on with a good feed again asap.Could be why they're often not interested in flies.......

Just a thought...

Cheers,


Graham

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www.wildflies.com

Yes - you are quite correct - and quite possibly a pillow to rest its weary head on seeing as how it has just done a few laps of the pool, and possibly some plasters and a dap of anaesthetic for its sore mouth as it has a great big hook stuck in it - maybe even a duvet as it is a bit nippy in the cold air out the water. I could have had a dead fish standing by ready to plop it back in the water so that the Pike did not feel hard done by seeing as how it was not actually getting an easy meal.

Yes - all these things I could have done for the 5 seconds (approx) I had the fish out the water and laying on that nasty wet wood - that's right wood, not gravel or stone - some wet wood.

In the grand scheme of things Graham laying the Pike down on some wet wood is really the least of issues you should have with that photograph if you feel so strongly that you have got to point out something to do with a fish and its welfare on a fishing forum.

Just a thought...

Cheers,

Alistair

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http://urbanflyfisher.com/

No need to jump on the defensive, eh old boy?