[DavidEdwards]

The other night I decided to tie up a pattern I'd seen on a US based forum - it is by a talented tyer called Jonny King and the fly is called a Kinky Muddler (I'd seen a tie of it by Andy Elliott)... I had a little play and this is a very imperfect first attempt at this tie... I used white for the underside and the top wing a combination of shrimp, pink and black marker pen with a little blue flash... as I say it was a play... craft eyes were bonded in place.
So Friday morning I woke to a hard frost and decided a trip to the trout fishery was not on(there are pike in there )! Too cold... so I went for a mooch nearer home... To cut a long story short I had a follow and then a boil from a bigger fish behind the fly and then a cast that resulted in this jack... nice to have the string pulled.

Fly fishing for pike has to be the best method... certainly is for me... (note the really important bit of kit... the unhooking mat - please, please if you fish for pike and you are doing C&R please use a mat they aren't hardy fish and don't go back wel if roughly handled)

And it's a pattern I'll tie up for the bass as well.

 

[Alex Jordan]

Nice Pike - I use unhooking mats - doubles up as a safe place to drop your running line too when fly casting!

 

[Andy Mason]

Well done. Never seen a Pike caught on the fly. I agree with the unhooking mat bit. If you don't chin the fish, release the lure and pop it straight back in again then an unhooking mat is essential. I'm as guilty as the next man when in a tight spot and in need of a quick photo and more often than not the photo doesn't tell the whole story. I always carry one and use it where appropriate but guilty as charged !! It's great to see some fish being caught in this cold cold water regardless.

 

[Darren Edwards]

dave,what weight does a jack turn to adult ?

 

[DavidEdwards]

Fishing for pike on the fly has to be one of the most thrilling ways to target this magnificent of predators... late summer fish doing the tarpon walk is amazing... the minimum rod weght I use is a 9 weight... some folk will tell you that you can fish them on 7# or less if you know the water is full of jacks... problem is what if Momma takes a fancy to your fly... get them in quick and get them back quick... much less than an 8# you'll have a fish that won't go back well.

Jacks mature in the 2nd/3rd year Darren - under 8lbs a fish could be either sex and it would be rare to have a male over 12 lbs... maturity and weight don't seem to go hand in hand - more the fishery enviroment they are in.

Although I'll still be hitting the pike this year my main aim this summer will be bass and mullet on the fly.... but I also know a little known fishery that may yield a very large carp on the fly!! To much fishing and not enough time to do it in!!

 

[Mick Ward]

Top stuff Pikey!! One day I will be over to show you how to catch a Pike with a stick of liquorice, hehe, like Cyril did on the fishing adventurer.

 

[DavidEdwards]

Top stuff Pikey!! One day I will be over to show you how to catch a Pike with a stick of liquorice, hehe, like Cyril did on the fishing adventurer.

Just like I showed you how to catch a bass with a pike lure eh!!!

 

[Mick Ward]

Just like I showed you how to catch a bass with a pike lure eh!!!

You certainly did mate, it was a good day

 

[DavidEdwards]

Mick that was a great day... my first two bass ever... hooked!