How to Rig a Fly Rod for a Northern Pike

Fly rods can be rigged for northern pike.

There are very few thrills in freshwater fishing that can top watching a huge northern pike thrashing around after you have hooked it. It is even more thrilling to watch one chasing a fly in shallow water. Northern pike come into the shallows to spawn right after the ice melts. This is a popular time for fly anglers to target them. With the right equipment, it is not difficult to rig a fly rod for northern pike.

Instructions

1. Purchase a 9 weight or 10 weight fly rod. This is the backbone of your rig. A fly rod that is this heavy will be capable of handling the large streamers and poppers that you need to attract pike. It also has the power to handle a fish that weight 20 lbs. or more.

2. Equip your rod with a high-quality, large fly reel. Your reel will need to be equipped with a disk drag system to handle the hard pounding fight of a northern pike. The reel also needs to be large enough to handle the heavy line that is necessary to handle northern pike.

3. Purchase some high-quality fly line that is designed for northern pike. There are many such lines that are available to fly anglers such as Cortland Precision Big Fly Pike Taper, 3M Scientific Angler Mastery Series, or Air Flo Tru Cast. These are all high-quality lines that will be capable of both casting the large flies and handling a trophy pike.

References

• The Fly Angler: Pike and Muskie fishing in Minnesota
• Pike On The Fly: Your source for northern pike fly fishing