Fly versus bait

No contest says "the Flee", who takes a step closer to the perfect pike.

Historically, Loch Lomond is well-known as a salmon and sea trout fishery, but over the past few decades it has also become famous amongst coarse fishers for the quality of pike it also produces. Pike fishers, equipped with boats, echo-sounders and the latest tackle and rigs, travel from all over Britain to seek the monsters that lurk in its waters, but I've found that it responds very well to a diligently fished fly.

Early this June, for instance, I visited the loch after a long spell of windy weather. On arrival at the Endrick bank I realised the water had become very coloured due to the stirring action of the wind.

Using a variety of Bunny Bugs and other flies, I managed to get one small jack pike to take, but I saw a number of bigger pike chasing schools of roach and ruffe, yet got no positive response from them, even though I managed to cover a few.

At home that night, I sat at my vice and tied some brighter flies to try in the coloured water. Next morning I was back at Lomond, and on my way along the bank I met three men fishing dead baits on conventional pike tackle. As I set up my rod I saw one of them land a pike about 16lb. Encouraging. Having landed the fish and re-baited, he then waded out to the top of his chest waders and attempted to throw the bait to Ardlui, far away on the opposite shore. I hoped the fish I'd seen yesterday had not moved out. I waded in to about knee depth and cast my bright yellow and chartreuse fly along the shore. To my complete surprise, almost immediately there was a huge swirl and my rod was almost taken from hand. A pike of about 12lb was landed and I noticed that it had a large bite mark from another pike on its flank - there were obviously some even bigger fish around here, too. I released the fish, and waded back in. To cut a long story short, I ended up with 12 fish, the smallest being the first one.

The three bait fishers, seeing how many fish I was catching, changed over to spinners, but I didn't see them catch any pike.

Over the last few months I have used these type flies on many lochs and I have caught over 50 pike on them. Interestingly, I have not had any under about 5lb on this particular pattern. The first time I used them on Loch Venachar I had five fish in five casts 7lb, 14lb, 10lb, 10lb and 7lb - not bad when two bait fishers had been there all day and had one small pike between them! If this doesn't convert you to fly-fishing for pike then I don't know what will! Over the past two years, I have occasionally taken friends of mine to try out pike fly fishing for themselves. Most of them now fish for little else! One of the exciting things about fly-fishing for these toothy predators is that you never know how big the fish eyeing up your fly might be. A few days after the day I mentioned here, I was back on Lomond's shores at day break. The loch was flat calm, and as I looked out towards the islands at Balmaha I saw a large vee coming straight towards me. I didn't get a clear look at it, as it turned about 15 feet from me in coloured water, but I did get enough of a view to estimate its length as about four feet long. I then watched the fish return to where it came from, and I could still the vee wake at least a mile away.

I have told this story to a number of people who all think I had to much to drink the night before. But I can assure you it happened, and I don't drink. Don't worry, the experience hasn't put me off visiting Loch Lomond again!

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Hook: 1/0 to 6/0 Mustad 3262.
Tail: Five inches of Mylar, pearl, blue, yellow etc, with the rear four inches unravelled.
Wing: Bucktail and Crystal Flash.
Head: Red fluorescent floss.
Eyes: Large Optic.
Colours: I find best colours are yellow & white, blue & white, or chartreuse & white for coloured water; olive & white, black & orange, and green & white are best for clear water.

Notes: The length of Mylar tube is lashed to the rear of the hook and is then frayed (or unravelled) with a needle apart from the first inch or so. Once this is done, run a collar of Superglue at the tubing/frayed Mylar boundary to prevent the tubing from fraying any further whilst casting and fishing - this rigid length of tubing protruding from the rear of the hook will prevent the frayed length of Mylar wrapping around the hook shank. The wing is built up in layers: bucktail (usually white) as the underwing, Flashabou, coloured bucktail, with perhaps another colour of bucktail, with a layer of Crystal Flash on top. Once the cone-shaped head of floss is built up, attach the large Optic eyes to both sides of the wing, directly behind the head.

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Article taken from November/December 1999 Issue of Fly Fishing & Fly Tying magazine