You don't get out much, do you?

That seems to be the question I have been asking myself lately. Not that I have been keeping track, but it has been seven weeks, two days, and four hours since I last did any serious fly fishing (actually, I don't really know how long its been - but that seems like a reasonable estimate). Clearly one of the strangest years on record; I can't remember a summer this devoid of angling action in over thirtyfive years.

I wouldn't say the summer has been a dissapointment thus far. Just....different. I have been out camping a few times, and have even managed to dabble a line here and there, but my activities have not afforded me the opportunity to pursue the main purpose of my blog. That being to provide timely information on insect hatches, flys, and flyfishing in Alberta. I guess this is just one of those summers where other things take prioroty.

I do enjoy identifying, documenting and photographing any hatches I see in my travels - I find it to be a natural addition to my flyfishing experience. I also enjoy sharing my experiences with others - not to sell something, or bolster my ego, but to simply point out aspects of the bug world that generally go unnoticed; things that often lead to those ah-ha moments that increase our overall enjoyment and facination with the sport.

So if things are a little sparse on my blog for awhile, bear with me - things will pick up again as my life returns to normal (whatever that is).

Pike on the Fly

It has been a few weeks since I was last able to venture into trout infested waters – and with other home projects and family commitments, it will likely be a couple more. The best I could manage this weekend was a short foray to one of my favorite Northern Pike haunts on the North Saskatchewan River.

Conditions were ideal. With the river still in runoff, many of the backwater areas just off the river that are normally too shallow were now several feet deep. The high water pushes the bait fish into these backwater areas as they try to avoid the main thrust of the current; and if the water is deep enough, the pike will follow. Under conditions such as this large pike can sometimes be found several hundred meters from the main river. This makes for some exciting fishing – stalking pike in the narrow channels with surface flies.



Tall grass and willows along the banks make roll casting a necessity

The takes can be spectacular (and sometimes downright violent), and the fish seem to fight harder in the confined quarters. Most fish are small (2-4 pound range) but I did manage to hook a nice 7 or 8 pounder that tore up and down the channel, stripping line and taking air at one point.

One of the many smaller Northern Pike found in the North Saskatchewan River

Simple 4” long slider or popper patterns tied tube style are the way to go.

All black, or yellow/olive are the most common colors that I use.

Expect fish to materialize from anywhere. I usually alternate between casting straight to the far bank, quartering down and across, and straight shots down the near bank. Always let the fly sit a few seconds and then give it a few final twitches before picking up for the next cast - pike will often follow the fly right into shallow water before making a final lunge for it.