Fly fishing is no longer just a way to spend a day on an exclusive chalkstream trying to catch trout. In recent years more and more anglers are realising how effective fly fishing is for catching coarse species, making for an exciting and refreshing change in how we catch our fish.
One fish that is particularly exhilarating to catch on a fly is a pike. Lure and fly fishing ace Robbie Northman has been a pioneer of using flies for them and recently landed a monster pike weighing a staggering 30lb 4oz from the Norfolk Broads.
"I had dedicated this winter to catching a 30lb river pike on the fly. After catching some big pike across multiple venues recently, I was very hopeful I could achieve it," Robbie told us.
"My boat partner and I set out on the broads to chase big pike using musky-style flies, having experienced some incredible action on previous trips."
"The tackle was slightly upgraded to handle these larger fish. I used an #11wt Greys Saltwater Rod paired with a large jack pike imitation fly."
The trip got off to a fantastic start, with Robbie landing a solid double-figure fish that boosted the confidence in the boat. After returning the fish, they continued drifting down the river, and within a few minutes, another fish struck Robbie's fly.
"As I was teasing the fly back, I got hit with such force that the line went slack as the pike swam toward us," he recalled.
"I stripped back the line as quickly as I could to set the hook, and by then, the fish was almost under the boat. A couple of gnarly runs followed, along with some rapid direction changes, which made for an interesting fight."
"An intense under-the-boat battle ensued. Thankfully, the heavy rod allowed me to take control of the situation and guide her into the net."
"I thought I had hit my target earlier in the year. That fish, while longer at 122cm, just fell short of the 30lb barrier."
"Despite being 4cm shorter, this beast broke the barrier at 30lb 4oz, eclipsing my target for the year. It was an unbelievable feeling," he said.
"The hunger to catch an even bigger fish is now driving me to get back out for the remainder of the season, but any pike caught on the fly is always a thrill."
IF YOU PREFER DEADBAITING FOR PIKE, CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE FOR ALL THE HINTS AND TIPS YOU NEED.
