Dan O’Neill is again once more this week with a function wealthy version of The River Whispers…
“Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” and search information from others”
This version I converse in regards to the roll forged and a few methods wherein we will put it to use. Our skilled this week is Chris Barry from Go fishing Eire and he speaks to us about his arrange for concentrating on pike. We take a fast take a look at Rudd on the fly and my arrange. Our competitors winner is Brogan Brennan Quilty for his unbelievable catch, effectively accomplished Brogan, your prize is on its means.
Chris Barry on Pike
Our skilled this week is Chris Barry of Go fishing Eire, Chris can be a fellow APGAI-Eire member. I first met Chris about 2 years in the past and his enthusiasm for fishing was infectious. Chris has a really profitable strategy to instructing individuals and has an enormous expertise in guiding which makes him one among Irelands prime guides and instructors. I used to be delighted Chris agreed to talk to us, let’s see what he needed to say.
1. Inform us a bit bit about fly fishing for pike on lakes
Fly fishing for pike has turn into growing widespread over the previous few years. It’s extraordinarily accessible with a whole bunch of nice venues positioned all through the nation.
Fly fishing for pike is much from being a novelty. I’ve witnessed many events when the fly will out-fish typical lures. It’s my primary alternative when concentrating on pike on nonetheless waters.
Increasingly more trout fly anglers are giving it a strive through the winter months and the normal spinning and lure anglers have found out that it catches a whole lot of fish. Huge ones too.
Our Irish lakes, rivers and canals have nice shares of pike in numerous sizes. Some have the capability to supply very giant fish, so by no means set out underneath gunned tackle-wise.
2. Are you able to inform us a bit about pike fly patterns and is there any go to patterns or common patterns to begin us off?
Suppose motion, color and dimension.
A superb pike fly ought to have good motion within the water. It ought to pulse and dive and dart in means that entices the predator. All the time examine your fly within the water earlier than casting it. See the way it behaves and responds to totally different pulling strokes. See how one can convey it to life although numerous retrieves and pulsing actions of the rod tip.
Totally different colors can work on totally different days. The outdated adage of shiny fly on a shiny day/ darkish fly on a boring day typically holds true. However not at all times.
Think about the dominant prey fish within the lake you’re fishing. Is it roach or perch? On some venues the pike reply to imitative patterns that “match the hatch”. On different venues, it’s the non-realistic, garish patterns that get the perfect response. Hold an open thoughts and be able to experiment.
I prefer to have a silver or white sample, a black or very darkish sample and a shiny fireplace tiger or orange sample. Typically, in crystal clear water, a practical sample e.g. perch will be the appropriate alternative. In darker or stained water, the unnatural colors can catch the fish’s eye. A glowing silverfish kind sample is at all times a great starter fly. Any of the Bunny or Whistler patterns catch a whole lot of fish.
Measurement of fly will be very, essential. I’ve caught some giant “meter plus” fish on tiny 3-inch flies, in the identical water the place a lot bigger mouthfuls have been ignored. Hold experimenting in your native water till you discover what dimension and color of fly will get the pike in a biting temper.
3. When selecting a spot what do you search for, what is taken into account supreme water?
When fishing for pike from a ship on the lake, I prefer to take a drift alongside the weedy margins and forged the fly simply to the sting of the weed mattress. In case you’re unfamiliar with the water, casting at weed beds, reeds and marginal drop offs is an effective place to begin.
Huge pike will typically maintain up in deeper water, away from the margins. These greater fish will be laborious to pin down with out the help of a fish finder. They’re following the shoals of bigger prey fish – bream and hybrids. However for those who can monitor down the shoals of prey fish, get able to forged with confidence. Work the perimeters of the shoals.
In my expertise, locations that look “pikey” normally are. In flowing rivers or streams, edges of reed beds, edges of decaying lily pads in winter, islands – all of them have an attraction as pike holding haunts. As a fly caster, typically it’s nicer to have a goal or function to forged at, quite than casting onto large open water.
4. What means ought to we arrange, chief size, tippet diameter?
In contrast to fly fishing for trout on loughs, you don’t want to make use of an extended chief. There are two causes.
First, in my expertise, pike should not tackling shy and received’t be delay by the fly line in the identical means as a trout. You don’t have to create an extended distance between fly line and the fly.
Secondly, pike flies are sometimes fairly huge, cumbersome, and tied with man-made fibres. This makes them extra wind resistant. A shorter chief will enhance the turnover and support casting, particularly on windy days (the perfect pike fishing days).
To make the chief, I typically use a 4-foot size of 25-30lb fluorocarbon. Tie a loop in a single finish and fasten to the fly line with a loop-to-loop connection. On the different finish, tie on a minimal 12-inch size of wire tippet (There are numerous knotable wires available on the market). I prefer to maintain the wire tippet fairly lengthy as an enormous pike can inhale a fly into the again of its mouth. By no means use brief, 6-inch wire traces. You threat shedding each fly and fish. To the top of the wire tippet tie on a dependable lure clip or just tie the wire direct to the fly. I just like the cross-lock fashion clips. Be sure that it’s sturdy, closes securely and doesn’t pop open simply underneath stress.
In case you don’t really feel assured making your personal chief, there are some prepared assembled pike leaders available on the market now which might be a may place to begin. I’ve used the Airflo Predator poly leaders with wire tippet and discover them fairly good.
5. Do you utilize a floating line or intermediate, as learners what can be finest for us?
I discover a floating fly line with a sink tip, or a straight intermediate line will cowl most conditions in water as much as 10 toes deep. For shallower canals, lakes and rivers (lower than 6 toes deep) a floating line shall be superb. There’s some weight within the chief, wire hint and pike fly which ought to be sufficient to get you into the strike zone.
When fishing deeper lakes (20–30-foot zone), you may additionally want a full sink line e.g. DI6 and DI7 to get right down to the fish. In colder water, or in the event that they’re in a dour temper, they are often sluggish to chase a fly, so that you’ll have to get your fly “of their face” to impress a response. I typically additionally use these sinking strains together with a buoyant, floor popper kind fly. On the retrieve, the load of the sinking line attracts the fly downwards, however on the pause the fly’s buoyancy causes it to rise again in direction of the floor. This could be a lethal methodology on sure days.
Depth is an important consideration when concentrating on pike on the fly, particularly the bigger fish. Be ready to make adjustments throughout your fishing session. I like to begin larger within the water, then progressively go deeper till bites materialise. On some days you’ll discover all of the pike are holding on the similar depth. Discover that depth and sport will be hectic.
6. What weight / motion rod can be appropriate for fly fishing lakes
In case you intend to focus on huge fish with huge flies from a ship, then a ten# weight rod with matching line is the best instrument. It has ample spine to ship the flies the required distances in windy circumstances. For many smaller stillwaters, a 9# rod will do the job. I’ve each 9# and 10# weight fly rods in my assortment and revel in utilizing each. Regardless of the place you fly fish for pike in Eire, at all times be able to take care of an enormous fish. They’ll flip up in stunning locations. Even small rivers and canals. So by no means exit underneath gunned. Trout fly rods should not appropriate for pike fly fishing. They solely lead to a protracted battle inflicting pointless stress to the fish.
The fly rod is simply nearly as good because the angler casting it. When pike fly fishing it’s a good suggestion to study to haul and double haul. These casting methods will assist enhance line velocity and enhance your capacity to realize the specified distance in a managed means. Hauling methods can bit a bit tough to study for a newbie, so search assist from an skilled caster or teacher.
7. May you give us one newbie tip?
Pike have distinct feeding spells throughout any day. If the spot you’re fishing appears to be like good, ticks the packing containers, and fills you with confidence, however doesn’t produce, don’t write it off. Attempt it once more later within the day, particularly if climate circumstances (notably wind) have modified. There’s most likely a fish there.
And one more- if it’s a tricky day, earlier than altering your fly, strive altering the fashion and charge of retrieve. Lengthy sluggish pulls, then brief, snappy tugs. In colder climate, pauses are extraordinarily essential. Don’t be afraid to let your fly grasp for so long as 10 seconds. That is perhaps simply sufficient to show a half-hearted observe right into a scintillating strike.
Like all kind of fishing, the climate will pay an essential half in creating supreme pike fishing circumstances. An east wind is mostly unhealthy information, and bites shall be few and much between. Give me an overcast day, with the specter of rain, a pleasant westerly breeze making a chop on the water and I’ll be casting with confidence. Examine the climate forecast. If a chilly entrance is approaching, attempt to get on water within the last 48 hours earlier than it hits. That is the time when huge pike go on the hunt.
All the time deal with pike fastidiously and gently. Carry a correct lengthy nostril forceps or pliers and bolt cutters. In case you can, use single barbless hooks. Play your fish firmly, preserve fixed rigidity and also you’ll land simply as many as with barbed hooks.
Go fishing…
Programs
Dan shall be working many programs in 2025… I prefer to maintain my programs from 1-4 anglers in order that they get probably the most out of the course and I get to spend the correct amount of time with every individual. This makes it extra inexpensive too because the course value will be cut up 4 methods. In case you don’t have a full group don’t fear simply point out to me that you simply want to be part of a gaggle and I’ll make up the numbers.
The course dates for the “Preparing for the trout season” course are listed under.
In case you are ship me an e-mail at [email protected] and I’ll ship you on the course content material.
Preparing for trout season
- eleventh January
- 18th January
- twenty fifth January
Pike and Perch on the fly
- twelfth January
- nineteenth January
- twenty sixth January
Casting clinics
- eleventh and twelfth January
- 18th and nineteenth January
- twenty fifth and twenty sixth January
