Pike fishing is almost guaranteed to offer the fisher a fun time that involves drags screaming, lines peeling, high-impact action, and adrenaline-pumping fun from the moment you get that first big strike. Pike fly fishing is much different from trout fly fishing, and the adrenaline is what draws so many people.

It’s true that northern pike haven’t always been a popular species to fish for. Many people didn’t believe in traveling long distances for them because they considered them a pest species. However, a surge in popularity for fly fishing brought on a similar popularity spike for pike fly fishing. Pike live in some of the most beautiful areas of the world, like Canada, Alaska, and Europe.

These regions feature stunning flat top mountains, vast lakes and forests, and landscape that looks like it came straight from the pages of a magazine. Today, thousands of novice and pro fishers come to this area and other spots around the country to try their hand fly fishing for pike.

When you land a pike of any size, you’ll get a great time. These fish are packed with spunk and a zest for life that demands they be free from the moment they give that first big hit on the fly. Nicknamed the water wolf, this fish may not be everyone’s dream catch, but both notice and professional fly fishers spend hours hoping for a chance encounter with one.

This fish’s reputation has undergone a massive change in previous years. It was a pest or nuisance in the not so distant past, and it’s now a beloved sport fish. The northern pike deserves respect from any angler that encounters it because it’s one of the water’s big game species.

Pike have a reputation for their explosive hits and how violently they’ll fight the fly and the angler lucky enough to land one. You can get them in deep or shallow water, but there’s something special about landing one in the shallows. The pike will attack the popper and cause the water to combust with a huge splash as the water wolf strikes the fly.

A pike can weigh up to 34 pounds as an adult, and they have a long, green body with a large head. They’re one of the biggest checks on many fisher’s bucket lists, hauling one in after an exhausting fight is a reward in itself. This is what sets pike fly fishing apart, and it’s what draws thousands of anglers to the picturesque back country of Alaska, Canada, and Europe.

Bragging rights, trophy-sized fish, photographs, and memories that will last a lifetime are all excellent reasons to get into fly fishing for pike. This is a sport suitable for all ages, and the sheer adrenaline-pumping action is more than enough to keep even younger anglers entertained for hours at a time.

If you’d like to know more about fly fishing for pike, read on!

Where Do Pike Stay In The Water?

You can find pike in shallow weedy water or sluggish streams, lakes, and reservoirs. Pike are also at home in rocky, clear, and cold water. Typically, the pike is an ambush predator. They are content to lie in wait for their prey to come by them, and they hold still for long periods. When they strike, the pike has remarkable speed. They’ll live in any body of water that has fish, but they also need places to spawn. Because pike have a cannibalistic nature, any fry or young pike need places where they can hide between plants, so the adults don’t eat them. Areas rich with submerged vegetation are necessary.

You usually won’t find pike in brackish water, but they are in the Baltic Sea area. If you fish here, your best chance to find pike would be in the open salty water or the river mouths. It’s also normal for a pike to make the switch back to freshwater after they’ve been in brackish waters. Since pike depends on vegetation to spawn, they like water that has less turbulence.

Fly Rod for Pike – Fenwick AETOS Fly Rods

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This rod comes in eight different sizes ranging from 6 to 14 feet long. There are nine different styles available as well that make it easy to match the pole to your fishing style and preferences. The rod has a high-performance fast-action blank with a large diameter gun smoke stripper guides that ensures excellent performance capabilities.

The aluminum anodized double up lock reel seat is resistant to rust and corrosion. The reel seat is also durable enough to handle the high-action that comes with landing a monster pike. There is a mini fighting butt with a full wells grip that makes leveraging your line less stressful on your body. This rod allows you to get a firm and steady grip in dry and damp conditions.

Pros

• Available in several sizes and styles
• Equipped with a mini fighting butt
• Flexes and bends without weakening or snapping

Cons

• More of a medium action rod than a fast action rod
• Carrying bag has a weaker zipper

Fly Reel for Pike – Piscifun Crest Fully Sealed Drag Large Arbor Fly Fishing Reel

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You’ll get the choice of three sizes with this fly reel in an electric green design that is study by eye-catching. This is a fully sealed carbon-to-stainless drag that is resistant to water, grit, and sand. You can use it for freshwater or saltwater fishing, and you simply wipe it off when you finish to get rid of any lingering water.

The CNC-machined reel features 6061 T6 aluminum. This aluminum is lightweight with a heavily ventilated spool that doesn’t compromise on durability. There is a U-shaped arbor that limits the line memory, and a flared crank handle lets you reel in your line quickly. There is a click-drag design with a silent retrieve built into this reel. Finally, each purchase comes with a lifetime warranty.

Pros

• Set for left-hand retrieve, but can modify it for right
• Available in two color choices
• Features anodized 6061 T6 aluminum,

Cons

• May only hold 30 yards of line
• Can take time to dry

Fly Line for Pike – RIO Fly Fishing Fly

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Suitable for a novice or intermediate angler, this fly line undergoes rigorous testing to ensure quality. This line comes designed to optimize rod performance with shorter and heavier head lengths. The line has a hard saltwater coating to help the line withstand more challenging conditions.

Pros

• Made to strict quality control standards
• Has a hard saltwater coating for durability
• Has a bright yellow look

Cons

• May lose the coating after a few days
• Might loop coming out of the reel

Poppers – YZD Bass Fly Popper

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This kit comes in three sizes, and you’ll get foam bass poppers in several colors. The colors work to entice your fish and encourage them to strike. You’ll hear a slapping sound when you use this bait, and this sound encourages the predatory pike to come to the area.

Pros

• Sound attracts pike
• Available in a few styles
• Easy to use

Cons

• Foam won’t last long
• More suited to bass than pike

When Is The Best Time to Fly Fish for Pike?

In the early spring months between May and June, pike usually move to the shallows. Adult pike like the shallows this time of year because there are plenty of weeds for hunting and spawning. May through June are usually the most productive months for pike. It’s essential to know when pike spawn because this fishing is usually best right before and after they spawn. So, the best time to catch that trophy pike is in the spring by the shore. They’re in easy reach of your gear.

Five Best Flies for Pike

Although there are thousands of different flies available specially formulated to catch pike, five stand out. All of these flies have a long track record of bringing in trophy pike for both amateur and professional anglers. You may have to try one or two different ones until you find the one that works best for your situation. They are:

• Chip’s Northern Magic
• Chip’s Monster Magic
• Barry’s Baitfish 2.0
• Poor Man’s Whistler
• Pike Bunny

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