10 minute read
Home Waters: Fly Fishing for Toothy Critters
We flyfishermen tend to travel a lot. Most of the time, it´s a foreign river, another species or some other climate that really trigger us. Especially today, in the Instagram-era, you´re constantly exposed to fish porn from other places and regions – and it nourishes one’s urge to travel even more.
BY KRISTOF REUTER
What do you do when you cannot afford a big trip to some remote destination every single time you feel like wetting a line? Well, here’s an idea: How about giving that overlooked, local fishery a chance? It certainly makes sense if you want to spend as much time on the water as possible. And I promise you, there´s some cool fishing to be found just around every corner – just waiting to be discovered.
To me, this means targeting the European apex predator; the pike. Although I live in southern Germany, I do not have a lot of trout water close by. Fly fishing for trout usually involves a one-and-a-halfhour car drive and it’s too far for a spontaneous trip.
Luckily, pike are abundant in nearly every type of water, maybe except for the really fast and cold trout streams or the salt, and consequently I fish several rivers, lakes and ponds that are more or less right around the corner and offer decent fishing throughout the year.
The proximity, however, isn´t the only reason why pike have quickly become my favorite target species. It´s the possibility of seeing a fish come out of nowhere, attack your fly right in front of your feet with its mouth wide open, eyes full of fury and a body language that’s revelatory of bad, bad intentions. These moments of pure adrenaline oftentimes leave me with uncontrollably shaking knees. It´s what keeps me awake at night and it´s what keeps me coming back - even after several days getting skunked in shitty weather doing nothing but swinging heavy flies on sinking lines.
There are many overlooked little rivers and lakes that offer great fly fishing possibilities for pike.
Danica Dudes
Pike fishing really isn’t for everybody, but once you’re addicted to it there’s nothing to free your mind except another vicious attack... So, let me take you through a typical season of pike fishing in southern Germany. In most waters here, pike season starts in the beginning of May. The pike have now spawned and they are hungry and ready to feed again in order to put on some weight. (Love-making, as you know, can be exhausting).
Pike tend to gather up in shallow areas during the spawning. And, usually, they stay there a good, long while after the spawning because the shallow water warms up quickly – something that makes it attractive for both prey and predator. This combination of hunger and warm water really gets the pike in an aggressive mood, and big, funky flies that are fished fast tend to trigger the bite.
Slack and deep water usually hols pike - just believe in your home water.
Danica Dudes
Be safe: Use wire!
Danica Dudes
As the days get hotter in July and August, the pike fishing usually slows down. Rumor has it that these predators can´t stand the heat and simply hang out in the shade, chillin´ without even thinking about attacking anything. We had the same idea when Lukas, Kris and Maxi came to visit me a late August-weekend to fish my childhood river. It had been bloody hot the whole week, and that particular weekend was no exception. With temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius and not a single cloud to be seen, all we thought about was focusing on asp, another furious predator, and one that is known for feeding during even the most brutal of dog days. Our tentative plan was to use only the cooler hours in the morning and evening casting big streamers for pike and - not unlikely - catfish. But things turned out very differently!
It turned out to be one of the best fishing days we spent that year - not for asp, but for pike! We were catching one pike after other, ranging from small to big, and they all gave one hell of a good fight in the warm water and fast current. Sheltered places like small bays, undercut banks or back eddies that were close to faster currents and therefore still rich in oxygen, turned out to be the best spots.
Pure joy: Targeting pike together is great fun.
Danica Dudes
The flies did not have to be as big as usual. Lukas, for instance, caught his personal best fish on a smaller red-and-yellow Buford of about 10 centimeters. (Perhaps the pike were now targeting the rather small baitfish we saw in enormous amounts...) The fact that we weren´t wearing any waders and could take a refreshing swim every now and then was just the icing on the cake during a picture-perfect day!
In September, when the leaves turn from green through yellow to some fancy orange or red, autumn slowly emerges and the first few colder nights signal the fall migration. As the water temperatures drop significantly, the smaller baitfish leave the shallows and seek shelter in the deeper areas - and the predators, they follow in hot pursuit.
These migration patterns differ from one river to another, and in deed sometimes even between two stretches of the same body of water. Figuring them out can take a lifetime, but if you’re able to gain some insights your chances of finding good numbers of pike rise significantly. The constant connection between prey and predator is one thing that really fascinates me.
I am a firm believer that you become a better fisherman if you are capable of thinking like a pike, because you need to understand the fish and its behavior in order catch it on a regular basis. A friend of mine once said: „If you want to target the sharpest predator in our waters, you have to become even sharper!“
A chunky pike caught on a fly will put up a great fight - oftentimes with acrobatic aerial displays.
Danica Dudes
As I’m writing this (it’s the end of November), the really good fishing is just about to start. As it gets colder and colder day by day, rain and wind mix in and especially after the first couple of frosty nights, the pike fishing really picks up. I don’t know why, but I think it really is the first frost that triggers their feeding habit, as if they suddenly realize that they need to; “hurry up, winter is near!”
If you find the right spot - which at this time might involve good structure like a sunken tree, a big stone or a slow back eddy with deeper water and forage close by - and you present your fly at the right time, you have a good chance of getting several eats within a short time span. When the days get shorter, it really is all about good timing (and of course a bit of luck).
In my experience, pike have some kind of feeding window, an oftentimes short timespan during the day - and sometimes even during the week - when they are actively looking for a meal. It usually takes a couple of outings to find out when these feeding window occurs, because it usually differs between different water and sometimes also based on the weather conditions. But as a general rule, lowlight conditions such as morning and evening are good if it’s not yet too cold. If the water temperature really does get low during mid-winter, the best time, in my opinion, is usually early afternoon when the water has warmed up a little.
Pike flies are fun to tie - and the main feature to think about is volume.
Danica Dudes
Winter fishing can still be very frustrating at times. If you can´t get the fish to bite, be it if you haven´t found them or they just aren’t in the mood - and you´ve spent hour after hour outside in the cold with your fingers numb and your shoulders sore from casting heavy lines - you will, sooner or later, come to the point where you´re asking yourself: „Why the heck am I doing this?!“.
Getting skunked is something you definitely have to get used to, when pike fishing during the winter months. At least that´s how it is on the waters that I am fishing. There´s generally a lot of fishing pressure in Germany, which means that the fish are fewer and more “educated” than elsewhere.
I always enjoy being out on the hunt, and if I catch a fish, well - then it´s even better. But I´m not taking anything for granted. This kind of fishing is not a numbers game! There are days when you get a couple of fish per session, but usually it is all about that one fish. I know this can be totally different in other parts of Europe, like Sweden for example, where more than 20 fish per day doesn’t seem to be anything special. I, for my part, feel more related to the guys overseas who are chasing musky...
Not much gear is needed for targeting pike: a fly rod and reel, some wire, a stripping basket and a handful of big, pulsating flies.
Danica Dudes
When the days start to get longer and the temperatures rise again during late winter and early spring, this is the absolute best time for pike during the whole year. Our pike season ends in mid-February, when the pike get a well-deserved break in order to reproduce. But the last few weeks of the season are really something special if the conditions are right – and in my part of the world this means no winter runoff.
In my opinion, there are several reasons for this: First of all, the water is usually pretty clear at this time, with hardly any weeds anymore.
This means that the fish can see the fly from a much longer distance, which is a huge advantage since streamers are relatively inconspicuous underwater, at least in comparison to all those lures the spinning guys use.
Clear water conditions are actually not too good during the rest of the season, since it usually goes along with low water that generally doesn´t put predators in a hunting mood. Besides, pike seem to be a lot spookier if the water is clearer than they are used to. But then - and this is actually the second reason - the pike are getting hungry as hell since their metabolism starts to roll on again as the water gradually gets warmer after a long cold winter, and they need to put on some weight before the spawning.
Thirdly, the pike are already gathering in certain spots of the river - probably for some kind of pre-spawning partner check.
Deer hair flies are great for inducing some hectic surface action.
Danica Dudes
I´ve found spots where a whole bunch of pike were following my fly whilst others seemed total fishless. If you´re able to find one of these „gathering spots“, you´re off to some crazy-good fishing.
To finish off my little manifest I want to talk a bit about something that every flyfisher has a foible for: Tackle. But first note that you really don´t need a lot when fishing for pike. Tackle-wise, it’s a fairly simple deal. I personally like a rod with some backbone; ofr instance a #8-10 Scott Tidal or Meridian. I then match the rod with a good Scientific Anglers line, for example the Titan or BFT lines, which – due to their short and powerful tapers - can really carry a big fly
The harmony between these components play a really important role, which too many people underestimate. Your combo should allow you to load the rod quickly and carry the big streamers to your desired fishing spot with as few false casts as possible. This makes pike fishing so much more effortless and therefore so much more fun!
The reel is usually less important, but it should have a brake you can rely on when it´s needed, balance the rod and be saltwater resistant, since brackish- or coastal water offers some real outstanding fishing for our toothy friends. Having multiple spare spools is very handy, since this allows you to change between several line sink rates in the blink-of-an-eye. Finish off with a strong monofilament leader with a 0.80-1mm bite guard and a snap for quick fly change, and, last but not least, a couple of flies in different colors, actions and profiles, tied on very sharp and durable hooks (I prefer Ahrex). Then you’re good to go!
If you want to learn more about our local (pike) fishing in Bavaria or simply feel like talking toothy critters, do not hesitate to contact us through our blog page, Facebook or Instagram!
