For years now I have been passionate about catching pike on a fly rod. If you have never tried it you are in for a big shock, simply because the fight these Lake District pike put up on a fly rod has to be experienced to be believed. Having tried loads of rods and reels I have finally found my ideal pike fly rod and reel combination. It came via Matt Hayes and those excellent Swedish tackle makers Guideline. Along with the legendary LPXe salmon rods ( christened with two sea liced fish off the Derwent this last week) they also sent me a 9 weight pike fly/bass rod. Having coupled it with their designated intermediate/sink 3 pike fly line I can honestly say it is simply the best pike fly outfit I have ever used. It does all I ask, casts well, sits light in the hand and is really responsive both when both casting and fighting fish. Admittedly I’ve not had any real lumps on it yet ..the best so far being a feisty tail walking 15lb fish but it has plenty of backbone and has that ‘steely’ feel that I really like in a fishing rod. To avoid criticism of being biased, I passed it to my old pal Ian G the other evening when we were out in the Doghouse and Ian was so impressed he refused to hand it back and in the end I had to fish his Sage! (No comparison by the way!) So if I set myself up as being biased, sorry but it is a very good rod and the lines are just the best. On the subject of pike fly fishing, I have a range of proven fish catching flies available. Tied with H20 fibres and bucktail on Partridge Ad Swier hooks they have epoxy heads and eyes and are built to last. Hookers and White Bimbos (5 inch) are the best summer patterns for the lakes at the moment and I fish them on a WF9 intermediate/sink 3. If you want to get ahead in the pike fly fishing stakes try these, they really are good and hand tied by me unlike some of the stuff advertised on t web as being Hopes pike flies! Not cheap at £4.75 each but they will last for dozens of fish and boy do they work! Otherwise all is well with lake district fishing, the recent rains have filled the rivers and the lakes are fishing well.

I’m off for an hour down the river,

Tarra

Proper Fishing!!

The Business end !!!

Andrew Hayes and a thirteen pounder on a fly