Due to the extraordinary teeth configuration of the pike, it’s always best to use a spinner, a spoon or a plug. If you’re going to use a soft bait type, artificial or natural, be sure that it’s going to be devastated by the time the pike will be resting in the hull of your boat.
However, if you want to try something different, and you’re willing to sacrifice a few nice and colored flies, fly fishing for pike can be very entertaining.
The tackle is pretty simple, you will be needing certain pieces without which it would be almost impossible to successfully catch a pike this way, though.
You’ll be needing a powerful rod because, especially if you’re aiming for a fat one, you should expect quite a merry dance. A small but solid reel should do, but make sure it can store a minimum of 100 yards of line, you will most certainly need that. For the line, double tapers or weight forwards seem to me to be just OK. I’ve had satisfying results relying on standard Weight Forwards.
Now, probably the most important piece of fishing gear in your pike fly fishing tackle is the terminal line. Since their teeth cut like a surgeon’s scalpel, you’ll be needing a steel wire trace, otherwise your end of the line will come back minus your fly, after a pike’s hit.
Lastly, your fly, the main element that will attract these freshwater barracuda. It’s said that, the bigger the fly, the bigger the pike, however a big fly will never stop a small ones to have a go, they are endowed with a really big mouth. I had the best results on flies predominantly black, with tints of white and lime green. Also, I caught a few on a “rat” fly.