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IgotWood

Help with pike flies

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So, a friend of mine is planning to target pike this season. He asked me to ties him a bunch of flies, which I am obliged to do. But, I have ZERO experience with pike. What colors/combos, and what style flies do you pike guys like??

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Although it might not seam like much help, start off by just Googleing pike flys and watching some YouTube videos. Purpose of this is to get an understanding of what some different pike flys look like, there colors, and what materials are used. From this you can either follow some of these patterns you look at, or create your own. What your generally looking for in a good pike fly is something bright with lots of movements. Your key materials are going to be rabbit strips, buck tail, long feathers, and a variety of synthetics. Colors such as yellow, orange, chartreuse, red, black and white are all good choices. Some on there own, and others a combination of a few. Start off simple and work your way up from there. Such as a large classic clouser, chartreuse on the back white on the bottom and some flash in between. Bam, you have a killer pike fly that will catch more pike than you would think. Your flys dont need to be big to be good pike flys, often it is the opposite. A clouser on a size 2 or 1 streamer often will out fish a large fancier articulated fly on double 5/0 hooks. Some other good patterns to start off with would be some large bunny leaches. Tye on a bunny tail, wrap the bunny up the hook to create a nice fluffy body, and maybe some eyes to give it weight so it will sink better and your done. Another killer pike pattern. Tye this in various colors and your set. You dont need to make your flys complicated, keep em simple bright and with movement and you will be set. One of my favorite pike flys is also one of the simplest that i tye. 5/0 hook, large clump of buck tail as a tail, surround this tail with flash, than wrap a bunny strip up from the tail to the head for a body, and an epoxy head with eyes. Simple yet honestly one of my most used and productive flys. Again, tye this in various color combinations and you will have another ready to go pike fly. Pike flys are fun as there is really no wrong way to tye one. Just have at it.

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I've gone to mostly synthetic materials for pike and big pickerel flies, or I might stream a couple feathers off the back to start out the tie, then synth forward.. They can be tied pretty large and shed water well, so still cast decent. Any of the synthetic hairs work ( and add some flash at the bend of the hook to stream back, not over done but just "some"), I have one material called just that " Synthetic Hair" it's a generic brand in yellow with a slight greenish cast to it. In certain light it's unmistakably yellow, yet in other light it takes on a chartreuse tint to it. My favorite though is probably Syn-Yak. You can look up videos on how to tie these fibers in backwards then stream it back and and lock them that way with a few turns in front of the stack. Then add the next and the next in the same way. Very easy tie for making 3,4, 5 and 6" bait fish or larger even.. This makes for a great fish profile, it gives body or a bulked look but not heavy at all. Add markings with marker, add eyes etc. You got a winner. I tie the bigger ones ( 5-1/2-6") on 2/0 hooks.

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I really like Whistlers in white/white and chartreuse/white on 3/0 hooks. If he is going for smaller pike, keep it simple and easy.

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4/0 or greater hook

 

Schlapppen

 

Chrystal flash (or flashabou or whatever)

 

Grizzly hackle

 

Marabou.

 

Bead chain.

 

Viola.

 

 

Tie in contrasting colors.

 

 

 

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Lots of great stuff here! Colors, black, chartreuse, red, orange, white are the basics for me. I personally like the gandalf fly and delivery man paterns (look them up on youtube). One more thing I'd like to add if he is going after pike or musky in a serious way. Tie attractors in very flashy colors (e.g. chartreuse) as well as realistics colors to imitate the baitfish on the specific bodies of water he is going to target (e.g. perch, tulibee, shad, redhorse, etc...). Sometimes, especially in clearer waters, realism is the name of the game. Sometimes its just visibility!

hope this helps!

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Thank you guys!!! I think this will be fun. I've been experimenting a bit with very big deceivers, and a few others. It's just funny to be tying for a species I know nothing about! And he is only beginning to pike fish this year too. Thank you for the color recommendations. That was a big help.

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