Monster Weather and Manic Pike

My count for Northern Pike was one over 36 inches, four over 34 inches and sixty over 26 inches. These results are typical for our annual fly-fishing trip to Ontario, Canada.

However, let's take a moment and put this in perspective. Most anglers would be ecstatic to catch a single trout or bass that was twenty-six inches in length, much less sixty. If you have a chance to go fly-fishing in Canada for Northern Pike and Smallmouth Bass, I strongly encourage you to make the time.

Early in the year weather is the biggest wild card. During last year’s trip temperatures were warm and we were able to catch Pike as well as large numbers of Smallmouth bass.

We could tell right away this year would be different. The lake had been free of ice for less than a week and water temperature was 43°F when we arrived. Tough conditions.

Initially large Pike were found in 8-10 foot of water near feeding areas. However, they were scattered, the strikes were soft and sometimes you did not even realize a fish had picked up your fly.

In response I slowed down my retrieve and included a five second pause to give the fly a chance to sink. This change produced a heavy 36-inch Northern Pike as well as ten others over 31 inches.

36-inch Northern Pike

Later that day a low-pressure storm front began moving into the area and the next morning the approaching storm turned on the bite. Everyone in the group caught 10-15 pike until thunder and lightning ran us off the lake.

The front dissipated that evening, and the next day dawned sunny and bright with no clouds, no wind, and a rising barometer. This is usually a challenging situation.

We tried to compensate by targeting Smallmouth Bass on the rocks and Pike in shallow water, but fishing was slow. The only good news was the water was now rapidly warming in the bright sun.

After two days of difficult fishing the water temperature reached 50 degrees and the bite picked up. You could now see Pike flash in the water.

These are large powerful fish that look like a torpedo heading for your fly. Sight casting for large Pike is a blast that never gets old.

 Our last two days ended strong. The front was gone; water temperature was above 50 degrees and  there was moderate wind chop on the surface.

These changes triggered aggressive strikes and large Pike seemed to be everywhere.

During this final two-day period, the group landed eight trophy sized Pike ranging from 34 – 36 inches.

Heavy 35-inch Northern Pike

35-inch Northern Pike

This trip was a success after a challenging start because we adapted to the changing weather and water temperature. You can do the same thing on your trips:

·       No hits, no problem. Move and try different areas until you find the fish. For us this was  changing the depth of the water and distance from the shore.

·       No strikes or soft strikes? Show down your retrieve and include an extended pause to allow your fly to sink. With this change you could see Pike pick up a motionless fly from the bottom after they refused the same fly when it was moving.

·       Adapt to the weather and water temperature. Our best fishing on this trip was two days before the storm and two days after the sun warmed the water above 50 degrees. In the meantime, do not get discouraged. The Pike are still there; they are just sulking and have temporary lockjaw. Now is this time to seek out different areas and experiment with different retrieves.

·       Bright sun and glass calm water are always difficult. Look for wind chop on the water and find places where the waves are hitting the bank. The waves churn up food and bring in the Pike.

·       Use flies specifically designed for the water you are fishing. Generic patterns will usually catch a few fish, but specialized patterns will catch a lot more.

The large number of 26–36-inch Northern Pike I caught on this trip would not have been possible without custom designed patterns.

The flies used on this trip are available on the Website under the “Your Custom Design” option with Max-Level pricing.

Place an order today if you want to catch more trophy-sized Northern Pike!

Go Fly Fishing

Glenn Personey

Founder and CEO

Bear River Tackle