APRIL 2018 • NEBRASKAland 43
flies, or those with two connected
hooks, are highly productive. Of course,
much of this is dependent on the lake.
The important part is to imitate what
the pike are already eating. If there is
a large population of small bluegill
present in your lake, use flies that
imitate the color, movement and profile
of those bluegill. The same goes for any
forage species you might encounter.
The Water Wolf
at Your Door
Fly-fishing for pike is fun and
challenging, and the rewards are often
measured in feet! Undoubtedly, some
of the thrill of pike fishing lies in the
sheer size of the fish. The 40-inch
barrier is a hard one to break, but
there are certainly a few fish of that
size or larger swimming in Nebraska.
In fact, now might be the best time
in Nebraska's history to catch a giant
pike.
The official state record caught in
1997 weighed just over 30 pounds,
but in 2014, Jake Rodiek caught and
released what would have been a new
state record at an unnamed public lake
in northern Nebraska. Rodiek's pike
measured 45 inches long with a girth
of 27.5 inches. Applying formulas
used by fisheries biologists to calculate
fish weight based on length and girth
measurements, that puts his catch
around 33 pounds. Even better, Rodiek
released the fish, making it possible
for another angler to hook the fish
of a lifetime. Without a doubt, there
are some huge pike swimming in
Nebraska. Monsters with big teeth may
be scary, but they are also a ton of fun
on a fly rod. ■
Ryan Sparks is a freelance writer
and photographer originally from
Louisville, Nebraska. He has been
contributing to NEBRASKAland since
2017.
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