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FEATURED ARTICLES Canal Pike on the Fly
I am always surprised at the lack of attention canals get for this growing branch of our sport. These long, narrow waterways might lack the splendour of giant lakes, but are ideally suited to the fly. The pike are not exactly record size; with 2-3 pounds frequently being the average stamp you might describe it as “pike fishing in Lilliput”. Nevertheless, these venues are often stuffed with wild, toothy predators and offer a welcome break from playing the numbers game on big waters. The fishing is also visually thrilling, with the often gin clear water allowing you to cast to visible fish and watch the pike savage your carefully worked fly! Better still, you can get away with lighter tackle, turning encounters with even modest pike into rod bending battles and putting a little more of that forgotten f-word ( that’ll be FUN!) into your fishing. All that is needed is a little tinkering with your tactics and a mobile approach. If, like me, you previously assumed fly fishing to be a poor substitute for bait or lure fishing, then think again. Contrary to popular opinion, fly fishing is a deadly method that can produce far more takes on its day than lure fishing, especially as the temperature drops. A fly can be fished at slow speeds for lethargic fish without losing its fluid, “living” action. A fly also hangs up less in weed and is the perfect antidote for pike that have grown wary of the dozens of plugs and spinners thrown at them every winter. You might say that just as pike thrive on neglect, pike anglers thrive on neglected methods. Indeed, catches of a dozen pike in a day are quite possible once you have cracked it. But these are not the only benefits. For sheer pleasure, the fly is unbeatable. Play a ten pound pike on a fly rod and you may never want to use heavy conventional kit ever again! It is also a delightfully elegant method that will not spook fish in clear, shallow water. Equally important however, I am convinced that a single, barbless hook is far better for the safe return of these superb fish than two treble hooks; a point worth noting as hopefully more of today’s anglers give this deceptively fragile predator the care and respect it deserves.
Tackling up… The beauty of fly fishing on shallow canals or drains is its simplicity. There is no need for sinking lines or distance casting, and whilst huge, highly visible flies may be useful for searching acres of water in large reservoirs, flies in the 3-4 inch range will be fine for your local cut. You can also put away those heavy rods taking 10-11 weight lines. In fact, a 7-8 weight rod coupled with floating line will be adequate in most situations. This may sound light, but we are talking about the sort of tackle that would easily be capable of landing a double figure rainbow trout. Remember, a fly rod is simply built to bend, so play hooked fish with confidence and common sense. I use a 7/8 weight Greys GRX, which has successfully landed pike into double figures. At the business end of tackle, fairly short, 7-8 ft leaders can be used, made up of line no lighter than 12lb breaking strain. Avoid knotted leaders made up of several line strengths: these just add weak points to your set up. It should also go without saying that a wire trace is absolutely essential, despite the dubious claims of American anglers who use heavy mono (duh!?) and there is absolutely no excuse for not carrying a large net (since we are not using trebles you’ll seldom get net tangles) and the correct unhooking equipment. I will often also take wellies or waders so I can release pike in the water with a minimum of handling. Indeed, if the hook is visible and the pike is small, you can simply reach down and pluck the hook out without handling your quarry at all. However, it’s worth remembering that although many small, narrow venues are jack city, even the most unimposing little drain can throw up a double figure pike, so be prepared. In summary, you should aim to travel light in order to remain mobile, but must not skimp on the essentials. Don’t forget a pair of polarized glasses either; you will see double the number of pike than you could hope to spot with the naked eye, which makes for more excitement, as well as more fish on the bank. Most vitally of all though, polaroids protect your eyes from big flies travelling at high speed.
Chew on this! Pike simply love flies. Whether it is their flowing, “breathing” action or sheer provocative looks, active pike and even lazier old crocs always seem to want to take a look. However, working your fly is more than just a case of rapidly stripping line (although this can work). Even your fastest retrieve, remember, will be a good deal slower than your average plug or spinner. I am convinced that it is the fly’s superb movement, even at slow speeds, that makes the method deadly. The pike simply has more time to take a chomp. Indeed, I believe that far more pike are interested in the lures we use than we ever realise; we just don’t give them enough time to strike, especially when they are not in a chasing mood. For this reason I like to experiment. Sometimes I like to pull the fly hard to induce a take, but at other times the fly can be worked very slowly. Even at a snails pace flies have enough natural movement to tempt a fish. One of the real pleasures of fly fishing for pike is the intimate contact you have to your quarry. No other method gives you direct contact with the line at all times and that finger tingling sensation of a bite, from heart stopping smashes to the gentle pluck of a pike sucking up the fly. However, it is surprising just how many takes are deceptively gentle, the slamming, smash and grab takes often coming from smaller fish. Bites are a subject of fascination of their own and needless to say, it pays to stay alert and to watch the end of the fly line carefully for any unusual movement. Sometimes the line will dip or move slowly sideways. Occasionally the end will slacken as a fish comes straight towards you. Brightly coloured lines aid bite detection and don’t seem to put the pike off.
A Simple Pike Fly You will be best served by tying up a selection of flies in the 3-4 inch range in a limited range of colours; black, white and orange with a little sparkle all work excellently. White and dark colours make great prey fish imitations, whilst bright reds and yellows are useful for more coloured water and provoking territorial fish that are not especially hungry. Avoid the temptation to use too much material: sparser dressings cast better and also provide superior movement in the water. There is no need to be too fussy with neatness however: this is not a trout fly and even the most pleasing effort will not look so pretty after coming into contact with a pike’s dentistry! By all means experiment with size, but don’t get preoccupied with using huge flies: they are horrible to cast without heavy tackle, especially in a wind and are better suited to reservoirs. Spring also sees the arrivals of great shoals of fry, which means even decent sized pike may grab small targets. Having said that, my optimum size fly is about 3 ½”, which I find is fair game to any jack, whilst big enough to get the attention of the odd larger beastie.
Clearing things up… Whilst gin clear water provides exciting fishing however, I have generally caught the bigger fish when there has been a tinge of colour in the water. Perhaps the bigger pike are wary in ultra clear conditions; they can certainly spot the angler more easily and it pays to be stealthy. At six foot five tall this is a particular concern for me, and I try my hardest to move slowly and quietly! I take my inspiration from the heron- another lanky git who overcomes his ungainly size with stealth and timing! Many times however, in spite of a careful approach, I have seen pike shoot away from the near bank before I could cast. If you catch all you fish from the far bank and nothing close in, you need to be less clumsy. It also pays to watch your shadow by keeping low when the sun is behind you and avoiding loud conversation. This type of clear water piking will really sharpen your senses and force you to reconsider just how bold or “fearless” pike are. It can be frustrating, but I find that observing pike in aquarium-clear water just can’t be beaten. The sinister, slinking motion of an Esox, big or small, following a fly is something truly magical. On one occasion I can remember looking into clear water with my brother at a big, submerged stick. We both agreed that the stick looked just about big enough to shelter a pike when seconds later out raced a fish almost exactly the same width as its shelter!
Casting on the cut Your average canal or drain poses few problems for catching pike on a fly rod; you don’t need to cast far to cover all the water and holding spots. However, they do vary greatly in terms of casting space. You must be continually aware of what is behind you (including pedestrians!). Most canals will have a fair selection of bank side trees, bushes, fences etc which must be negotiated if we are not to spend a day catching trees rather than pike! This is where a few little tricks and dodges will serve you well and, incidentally, improve your general fly casting for any species in tricky spots. The steeple cast is ideal where you have an obstacle such as a hedge or fence directly behind you. Instead of bringing the fly line straight behind you on the back cast, you are aiming to flick it up at a sharp, upwards angle, taking the line clear of obstacles, before casting forward in the usual fashion. Side casts also work in cramped spaces, but perhaps the best trick is to cast at a diagonal angle, rather than straight ahead and behind. By changing the direction of attack and using the space to your sides as well as behind you, you will create more space to work the line.
Strong wind is another concern, especially with bigger flies, and it can help to cast with the rod at slightly lower angle to cut through breeze, around shoulder height, rather than passing directly overhead where the wind is strongest Once you are getting the line out far enough, the only other problem is snagging features on the opposite bank. Practice will help you judge distance, but a good trick is to start with a short line, slowly taking more line off the reel a few feet at a time. I like to do this until I have just enough fly line to reach the far bank and no more, before tightening the drag. By doing this you will find the line will shoot the perfect distance every cast, stopping dead by far bank features- perfect! This is also brilliant for covering trees and other protruding snags without losing your fly. Come fly with me…
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