Fly Fishing with Doug Macnair:
Assembling the System Part 6: The Pike Family
From his manuscript, Fly Fishing for the Rest of Us

For those who been waiting, now comes the discussion of the fresh water wolves: the pike, the muskellunge a.k.a. musky, the tiger musky and, finally, the humble chain pickerel. These gentle creatures are the dear loves of a few dedicated fly fishers, fly fishers who know better than to stick their fingers inside the mouth of these innocent creatures. (While God may protect fools and idiots, I don't believe he would protect anyone who could be this foolish.)

From everything I've ever read or heard the waterwolves are a formidable adversary on a fly rod. But before going further, let me fess up to the fact that I have never caught a pike or musky on a fly rod, only the pickerel ... To be sure, I've caught pike, but never a musky. My pike came in Alaska using the more traditional fish hunting methods of bait and spin casting. I hope this does not dampen your enthusiasm for reading what I have to say, because the waterwolves are closely akin to a couple of toothy critters in saltwater that I have caught. The waterwolves are tough fish, even the little chain pickerel.

If you are into really big nasty fish, the muskellunge awaits your pleasure. This monster is one you are most likely to meet it when you least expect it. Surprise, surprise! How big is it? The last time I checked the IGFA recognized 70-pounder caught back in 1970. That's getting into the ranger of tarpon. Sort of makes the pike look like a runt, don't you think?

Since I am not a marine biologist, whenever I look a picture of a pike or musky, I think about barracuda. Both have the long slim lines, both have a mouth full of teeth, and both have the same evil eyes. I know what a barracuda can do -- either at the end of a fly line or to the end of your finger, leg, or arm. I have heard there are legends of the North regarding ancient pike so big that it would make a world-class barracuda look small. Suffice it to say the waterwolves, fresh or salt, are not fish to taken lightly.

So what do all you folks do who are dedicated to "catch and release?" The answer is simple: If you lucked into a tiger musky, hit it in the head, take it home and mount it as a fish you can brag about for years to come. The fact is the tiger musky cannot reproduce because it is a hybrid -- the product of a tender love affair between a pike and a musky. The tiger is considered the trophy of a lifetime!

On the other hand, if you catch a pike or musky, use great care or there might be blood upon the water -- yours! When I'm fishing the salt, I use a Ketchum Release manufactured by the folks at The Waterworks in Ketchum Idaho. It's a gadget that keeps your fingers and hand away from the fish and enables an easy, quick and safe release. I recommend you do the same. Reeling with a stump is tough.

Think of the musky as a large version of the pike, and the pickerel as a small version of the pike. Whatever the case, the waterwolves all have a habit of attacking from ambush. They are also fickle and finicky. Sometimes they will not attack anything; even more frustrating are those days when they follow the fly all the way to the boat close enough for you to look into their evil eyes.

The pickerel isn't quite so difficult to catch; if it were, I probably wouldn't have caught one. While Texas doesn't have pike or muskie, it does have pickerel, a really fun fish on light tackle -- the same kind we discussed in "Panfish 'n Perch." As always with this family of fish, beware of the teeth.

The Line. Anyone who tackles either musky or pike with less than an 8-weight line probably would be happier gigging deformed frogs. These days we have lots of them, as you know. The exception to this rule is the pickerel. For the littlest of the pike family, a 5-weight is perfect, at least in my view. In all cases, the floating line is the preferred weapon of choice. These fish typically strike at or just below the surface, negating the need for other lines. I sort of look at the pike family very much I like I look at their saltwater brethren. Heavier is smarter!

The Rod. An 8-weight line begets an 8- or 9-weight rod. My choice would probably be a 9-weight, 9-foot, fast action rod if I were using an 8-weight, weight-forward floater. Yes, you read correctly. "Won't work," you say? "You can't cast an 8-weight line with a 9-weight rod!" say you. Say I, "That's so much horse residue -- to bad you don't know more about the sport you profess to love!" In truth, the day a fly fisher's mind closes to a new idea is the day he or she should recline, get comfortable, and wait -- the end is close at hand.

Methinks it important to consider the lifting power of the rod when discussing fish such as the musky. I contend that a rod's lifting power can become all-important in whether or not a trophy musky or pike is brought to the net. Hopefully, you folks know better than to fight the fish with the rod tip; to the contrary, it's the butt section that must do the work. Of course, if you are big into buying new rods, by all means use the tip! What then would be my choice of rods? I suggest trying the G. Loomis Mega Taper series. Macho fish deserve a macho rod.

The Reel. No big deal! If a Pflueger 1497 can catch a tarpon, it can catch a pike. Yes, a musky or pike will take some line; perhaps even get into the backing; but neither one will run forever! While they are savage fighters, the pikes will typically dig deep for structure and a break-off. True, a reel with a smoother drag might be desirable, but it is not an absolute. I have yet to hear about the pike that ran 100 yards, paused, and was last seen going west. That doesn't mean a pike hasn't done that, but these would be exceptions, not the rule.

The Flies. In the case of the musky or pike, bigger is usually better. Big top water poppers and sliders and big deceivers would be my choice. Don't leave your eel or snake imitations at home. Of course, a big woolly bugger, say size #2, is always a handy fly to have available. Whatever you choose, by all means go weedless. If you can entice a strike, it's most apt to come from heavy cover.

The same is true for the little pickerel except it will take almost anything, including a #10 wet Royal Wulff. That's the fly I was using when the last one struck. He went a little over three pounds. Wish I had all the answers for the pike family; unfortunately, I do not. On the other hand, I don't think many of the experts have many more than yours truly.

Summary. The waterwolves of fresh water link nicely to the last of our ventures into assembling the system, saltwater. As I said earlier, there are some close comparisons that can be made between the waterwolves and the toothy critters of the salt. There are also some distinct differences. The nice thing about fishing for the waterwolves is your reel won't rust: fish the salt and without dedicated maintenance and it sure as hell will! Stay tuned for what follows.

The discussion continues with Part 7, "Assembling the System - The Last Frontier, Saltwater." Until next time, God Bless you and yours

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Reviewer Date Posted Grade larry dahlberg 1/16/05