TYING:
This fly is very easy to tie up and even a beginner can figure out the procedure using the closeup photos on this page. Color schemes can be whatever you desire and its probably a good idea to have a good assortment of variations in case the fish are a bit stubborn and finicky on a particular day. Red and White for pike spoons, spinners and pike spearing fish decoys have been traditional colors that have been successful for a couple hundred years.
Many of Alaska's lakes are a coffee-stained color due to leaching of organic material from tundra and swamp which cuts down on visibility. Other lakes may have algae blooms or contain suspended solids from creek or river flows into the lake. Quite often dark or black patterns are the most effective color scheme in these low viz waters.
We here at AFO want to encourage all southcentral Alaska fly anglers to give pike a try on the fly rod. They are fun....and even exciting....to catch and bunny leeches will entice the smallest hammerhandle to those ten to twenty pounders lurking out there. Keep your hooks EXTREMELY sharp, use the STRIP SET technique for driving the hook home in those boney mouths and use 20-30# wire leaders about 6 inches long to prevent bite-offs. And lastly, ENJOY the great delicate flavor of this white meat fish that is highly prized by Interior anglers and the entire Midwest in the Lower 48!
Pattern by Brad Hanson
Photo by B. Hanson ©2002
