Dan O’Neill is back again this week with a feature rich edition of The River Whispers…
“Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” and seek knowledge from others”
This edition I speak about the roll cast and some ways in which we can utilize it. Our expert this week is Chris Barry from Go fishing Ireland and he speaks to us about his set up for targeting pike. We take a quick look at Rudd on the fly and my set up. Our competition winner is Brogan Brennan Quilty for his fantastic catch, well done Brogan, your prize is on its way.
Chris Barry on Pike
Our expert this week is Chris Barry of Go fishing Ireland, Chris is also a fellow APGAI-Ireland member. I first met Chris about 2 years ago and his enthusiasm for fishing was infectious. Chris has a very successful approach to teaching people and has a huge experience in guiding which makes him one of Irelands top guides and instructors. I was delighted Chris agreed to speak to us, let’s see what he had to say.
1. Tell us a little bit about fly fishing for pike on lakes
Fly fishing for pike has become increasing popular over the past few years. It’s extremely accessible with hundreds of great venues located throughout the country.
Fly fishing for pike is far from being a novelty. I’ve witnessed many occasions when the fly will out-fish conventional lures. It’s my number one choice when targeting pike on still waters.
More and more trout fly anglers are giving it a try during the winter months and the traditional spinning and lure anglers have figured out that it catches a lot of fish. Big ones too.
Our Irish lakes, rivers and canals have great stocks of pike in various sizes. Some have the capacity to produce very large fish, so never set out under gunned tackle-wise.
2. Can you tell us a little about pike fly patterns and is there any go to patterns or universal patterns to start us off?
Think movement, colour and size.
A good pike fly should have good movement in the water. It should pulse and dive and dart in way that entices the predator. Always study your fly in the water before casting it. See how it behaves and responds to different pulling strokes. See how you can bring it to life though various retrieves and pulsing movements of the rod tip.
Different colours can work on different days. The old adage of bright fly on a bright day/ dark fly on a dull day often holds true. But not always.
Consider the dominant prey fish in the lake you’re fishing. Is it roach or perch? On some venues the pike respond to imitative patterns that “match the hatch”. On other venues, it’s the non-realistic, garish patterns that get the best response. Keep an open mind and be ready to experiment.
I like to have a silver or white pattern, a black or very dark pattern and a bright fire tiger or orange pattern. Sometimes, in crystal clear water, a realistic pattern e.g. perch can be the right choice. In darker or stained water, the unnatural colours can catch the fish’s eye. A sparkling silverfish type pattern is always a good starter fly. Any of the Bunny or Whistler patterns catch a lot of fish.
Size of fly can be very, very important. I’ve caught some large “meter plus” fish on tiny 3-inch flies, in the same water where much larger mouthfuls were ignored. Keep experimenting on your local water until you find what size and colour of fly gets the pike in a biting mood.
3. When choosing a spot what do you look for, what is considered ideal water?
When fishing for pike from a boat on the lake, I like to take a drift along the weedy margins and cast the fly just to the edge of the weed bed. If you’re unfamiliar with the water, casting at weed beds, reeds and marginal drop offs is a good place to start.
Big pike will often hold up in deeper water, away from the margins. These bigger fish can be hard to pin down without the aid of a fish finder. They’re following the shoals of larger prey fish – bream and hybrids. But if you can track down the shoals of prey fish, get ready to cast with confidence. Work the edges of the shoals.
In my experience, places that look “pikey” usually are. In flowing rivers or streams, edges of reed beds, edges of decaying lily pads in winter, islands – they all have an appeal as pike holding haunts. As a fly caster, sometimes it’s nicer to have a target or feature to cast at, rather than casting onto wide open water.
4. What way should we set up, leader length, tippet diameter?
Unlike fly fishing for trout on loughs, you don’t need to use a long leader. There are two reasons.
First, in my experience, pike are not tackling shy and won’t be put off by the fly line in the same way as a trout. You don’t need to create a long distance between fly line and the fly.
Secondly, pike flies are often quite big, bulky, and tied with man-made fibres. This makes them more wind resistant. A shorter leader will improve the turnover and aid casting, especially on windy days (the best pike fishing days).
To make the leader, I generally use a 4-foot length of 25-30lb fluorocarbon. Tie a loop in one end and attach to the fly line with a loop-to-loop connection. At the other end, tie on a minimum 12-inch length of wire tippet (There are various knotable wires on the market). I like to keep the wire tippet quite long as a big pike can inhale a fly into the back of its mouth. Never use short, 6-inch wire traces. You risk losing both fly and fish. To the end of the wire tippet tie on a reliable lure clip or simply tie the wire direct to the fly. I like the cross-lock style clips. Make sure it’s strong, closes securely and doesn’t pop open easily under pressure.
If you don’t feel confident making your own leader, there are some ready assembled pike leaders on the market now which could be a could place to start. I’ve used the Airflo Predator poly leaders with wire tippet and find them quite good.
5. Do you use a floating line or intermediate, as beginners what would be best for us?
I find a floating fly line with a sink tip, or a straight intermediate line will cover most situations in water up to 10 feet deep. For shallower canals, lakes and rivers (less than 6 feet deep) a floating line will be fine. There is some weight in the leader, wire trace and pike fly which should be enough to get you into the strike zone.
When fishing deeper lakes (20–30-foot zone), you may also need a full sink line e.g. DI6 and DI7 to get down to the fish. In colder water, or if they’re in a dour mood, they can be slow to chase a fly, so you’ll need to get your fly “in their face” to provoke a response. I sometimes also use these sinking lines in combination with a buoyant, surface popper type fly. On the retrieve, the weight of the sinking line draws the fly downwards, but on the pause the fly’s buoyancy causes it to rise back towards the surface. This can be a deadly method on certain days.
Depth is a crucial consideration when targeting pike on the fly, especially the larger fish. Be prepared to make changes during your fishing session. I like to start higher in the water, then gradually go deeper until bites materialise. On some days you’ll find all the pike are holding at the same depth. Find that depth and sport can be hectic.
6. What weight / action rod would be suitable for fly fishing lakes
If you intend to target big fish with big flies from a boat, then a 10# weight rod with matching line is the ideal tool. It has sufficient backbone to deliver the flies the required distances in windy conditions. For most smaller stillwaters, a 9# rod will do the job. I have both 9# and 10# weight fly rods in my collection and enjoy using both. No matter where you fly fish for pike in Ireland, always be ready to deal with a big fish. They can turn up in surprising places. Even small rivers and canals. So never go out under gunned. Trout fly rods are not suitable for pike fly fishing. They only result in a prolonged fight causing unnecessary stress to the fish.
The fly rod is only as good as the angler casting it. When pike fly fishing it’s a good idea to learn to haul and double haul. These casting techniques will help increase line speed and improve your ability to achieve the desired distance in a controlled way. Hauling techniques can bit a bit tricky to learn for a beginner, so seek help from an experienced caster or instructor.
7. Could you give us one beginner tip?
Pike have distinct feeding spells during any day. If the spot you’re fishing looks good, ticks the boxes, and fills you with confidence, but doesn’t produce, don’t write it off. Try it again later in the day, especially if weather conditions (particularly wind) have changed. There’s probably a fish there.
And one more- if it’s a tough day, before changing your fly, try changing the style and rate of retrieve. Long slow pulls, then short, snappy tugs. In colder weather, pauses are extremely important. Don’t be afraid to let your fly hang for as long as 10 seconds. That might be just enough to turn a half-hearted follow into a scintillating strike.
Like any type of fishing, the weather can pay an important part in creating ideal pike fishing conditions. An east wind is generally bad news, and bites will be few and far between. Give me an overcast day, with the threat of rain, a nice westerly breeze creating a chop on the water and I’ll be casting with confidence. Study the weather forecast. If a cold front is approaching, try to get on water in the final 48 hours before it hits. This is the time when big pike go on the hunt.
Always handle pike carefully and gently. Carry a proper long nose forceps or pliers and bolt cutters. If you can, use single barbless hooks. Play your fish firmly, maintain constant tension and you’ll land just as many as with barbed hooks.
Go fishing…
Courses
Dan will be running many courses in 2025… I like to keep my courses from 1-4 anglers so they get the most out of the course and I get to spend the right amount of time with each person. This makes it more affordable too as the course cost can be split 4 ways. If you don’t have a full group don’t worry just mention to me that you would like to join a group and I will make up the numbers.
The course dates for the “Getting ready for the trout season” course are listed below.
If you are interested send me an email at [email protected] and I will send you on the course content.
Getting ready for trout season
- 11th January
- 18th January
- 25th January
Pike and Perch on the fly
- 12th January
- 19th January
- 26th January
Casting clinics
- 11th and 12th January
- 18th and 19th January
- 25th and 26th January
