Get on yer pike
MAYBE it’s the taste of that first frost but fish know the cold weather is coming and so do anglers so we switch up gears and start planning campaigns.
I was looking out my pike fly fishing gear after too long without a toothy critter and within a few days I got a message from my buddy asking me if I’d like to chase pike on Menteith or Loch Leven.
The algorithm also seems to know a lot these days and throws up fishing temptation on your news feed just at the right time as well, if I was swithering on whether to head out on a trout loch for predators a 43lb pike was caught from Chew on the fly!!!
Andy Cheetham’s fish might be a bit out of reach but there’s every chance some high 20s and some 30s are going to be caught as the temperatures drop. If you’re targeting fish on the trout lochs, there’s always a temptation to head for the shallows and reeds.
Fishing to structure is the most comfortable way and it’s often the most productive on any given day. Drifting on more open water or even anchoring up out in a bit of featureless bay can be a difficult prospect but there’s always more going on under the surface. Fifteen feet seems to be a bit of a sweet spot for me, you have to set yourself to fishing over open water and know you’d be catching jacks elsewhere but the chance of that one big fish is why you’ll put the time in.
The setup is similar for lure fishing – make sure you’ve got your unhooking tools, an unhooking mat and a net that can swallow a big fish.
On the tackle side you will need a specific setup that can handle casting big flies and landing big fish. Usually a 9ft rod rated #9 or #10, I favour cassette style reels and you will need pike taper fly line to turn over big bits of fluff, fluorocarbon tippet and a wire biting leader attached to the flies.
If you haven’t tried it, I can heartily recommend throwing some big feathers at pike this autumn. Meanwhile, congratulations to talented Thomas McNaughton who is the inaugural winner of the David Bell Merit Trophy awarded to the Scottish Youth Internationals Team
Thomas has gone above and beyond for the team this year and is a worthy winner.
Davie Bell passed away earlier this year and is a much missed member of the Scottish angling community.
He was a fantastic fly caster and instructor who taught 1000s of beginners and improvers from all over Scotland and beyond through his Loch Lomond Angling School. He also mentored many fledgling casting instructors, helping them attain their qualifications with both AAPGAI and SGAIC over the years.
If you knew Davie you know he appreciated effort and dedication and was a wise man if you needed advice in general. He knew you don’t need to be the fastest you just need to keep moving forward towards your goals and the Merit Trophy will carry that spirit on for the Scottish youths as they chase international honours.
Team manager Jim Litster said Thomas has been an integral part of a squad that had to overcome lockdowns and cancellations and has been a real standout.