For the 2010 trip fly fishing for Northern Pike in Canada, I’ve take a more utilitarian approach to tying. Two of my good friends are coming along, and neither tie flies so I’m getting started early. You can check out the 2008 pike trip and 2009 write ups.
Here are some of this year’s patterns that I’ve been putting into production:
I’m mostly fish only two kinds of flies, Icelandic Sheep Hair and rabbit strip. I vary the patterns — lead eyes and unweighted, and have been playing with different hooks from the ultra heavy duty Gamakatsu SC17 tarpon hook when I want the fly to sink, to the Gamakatsu B10S Stinger for lighter weight bugs. A couple new materials for me this year on the rabbit strip side — bunnybou is a great replacement for cross cut rabbit. It will definitely pulsate in the water — see the big chartreuse unweighted bug above. And magnum rabbit strips. The number one reason I don’t fish rabbit as much is because pike can bite off a tail too fast. But the magnum strips might slow them down.
Check out our videos of the pike trips below:
-MS
Nice flies, but I shun all Bunny strip flies. They certainly take fish, but get very heavy to cast, and often tangle around the hook. The Icelandic sheep hair looks very good, but I prefer big marabou streamers. They are surprisingly durable (I took 200 pike at Big Sand Lake, Manitoba in 2008 on just 6, because the rest of my tackle didn’t arrive for 4 days) and nothing has better action in the water. I’ve been fishing toothy critters for 20+ years and took 2 IGFA records at Reindeer Lake on the R/W marabou. You can see photos on my web site: http://www.pikeflyguy.com
I’m working on a big, foam-headed diver (like a Dalberg that won’t get waterlogged) for this season at Reindeer & Nueltin Lake, Manitoba. Should work great on big fish in skinny water.
Good luck
You’ve got me intrigued on the marabou idea. Never used it for pike. I love how bunny strips fish to much to give them up, even if they are heavy as a sock. They’re too fun to watch pike take.
Nice flies Matt.