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42 NEBRASKAland • APRIL 2018 preparation for winter and are heavier than at any other time of the year. However, it can also mean long days of fruitless casting when cold fronts send pike deep. The biggest key is to stay mobile. Try a variety of depths and types of cover until you begin to catch fish. Pike move frequently at this time, following both their desired water temperature and baitfish. The colder the water, the more lethargic pike become. Your retrieve should reflect these considerations. In the fall, I like to make very long slow strips to make my fly look like an easy meal. I use the largest streamers during the fall, and flies of 8 to 12 inches are common. Just like people, pike crave hearty meals when the weather turns cold. Gearing Up The mistake most people make when selecting a fly rod for pike is thinking they should match the weight of the rod to the size of the fish they intend to catch. Yes, you can handle a decent pike on a six weight, but that same rod can't cast the large, sometimes heavy flies used for pike. Flies for pike can be big and air-resistant. For this reason, an eight, nine or ten weight rod is best. If you aren't sure about fly-fishing for pike and just want to try it, it's possible to "overline" a rod, or use a line one size larger than what your rod is rated for. This will help you cast large flies, although it's not ideal. Floating lines are fun in spring and early summer when pike will strike surface flies like frog or mouse imitations, but the majority of fly- fishing for pike takes place with a sinking line. Sinking lines help your flies get down to where the pike are. They also allow you to fish unweighted flies, which is a welcomed relief after a few hours of casting. Pike leaders are very simple – keep them short and strong. Pike aren't line shy, and a leader of four or five feet is plenty. For leader material, you have two options. The first is wire. There is always the chance of hooking the fish of a lifetime and many people use knotable wire for that reason. I sometimes use wire, but it is expensive and cumbersome to work with. Most of my pike fishing takes place with 50-pound fluorocarbon line. Fluorocarbon is abrasion resistant and the thick diameter keeps pike from biting through it. Keep an eye out for nicks though. Even a small pike can scratch up the leader, weakening it significantly. You want a fly reel with a smooth drag, but don't worry about line capacity. As mentioned before, pike are sprinters, and don't have the stamina to make large runs. If you think fly-fishing for pike is something you will enjoy, you might consider purchasing a spare spool for your reel. An extra spool allows you to quickly switch between a floating and sinking line with only one reel. Other pike- specific equipment include a stream thermometer for checking the water temperature, needle nose pliers to keep your fingers away from sharp teeth when removing a hook, and jaw spreaders for stubborn pike that clamp down on your fly and won't let go. Like anything, you can make your pike fishing as technical or straightforward as you wish. Flies There is a general perception that pike are gullible, stupid fish. While they are aggressive, they channel this aggression toward items they perceive as food, and will quickly flee if they sense danger. Like other fish, pike become educated as fishing pressure increases. Many pike have never seen a fly or lure, and these fish are the easiest to catch. Yet, lakes with good fishing develop a reputation, and these susceptible pike quickly become wise. Fly anglers live by the credo "match the hatch," and this is as true of pike as any other species, especially pressured pike. For those unfamiliar with the phrase, "match the hatch" simply means imitating whatever naturals are present in a body of water. Pike have a varied diet, and this means using flies that imitate everything from small minnows to fleeing crayfish to adult bass. In the spring, I have found medium-sized baitfish imitations work well, and flies such as large white woolly buggers, bunny leeches and deceivers are good choices. Summer sees the most life of the year in any lake, which expands your options. Skating a mouse or frog pattern across the surface is exciting spring through summer, and can even be successful in fall if the conditions are right. Fall is the time to offer up the largest flies of the year, and long articulated Eight, nine, and ten weight rods, sturdy reels, and large flies are the name of the game.