Fly Fishing for Pike on the Canal

[@stephenwelham]

Pike are predators and you usually only get one chance per fish

[@Fishwish]

Thanks for leaving a comment 👍. Really appreciate it. You’ve reminded me that I once used to fish with a guy who really didn’t get what you’ve written above. He would miss the take then spend hours flogging the same bit of water, rarely with any success. Small jacks seem more inclined to bite at the cherry twice though.

[@peteredwards1528]

I would love to buy a fly combo to have a go on my local canal instead of my lure fishing gear, but I have never cast a fly rod and the back cast would concern me in most areas where I normally fish

[@Fishwish]

Canal is an ideal place to give it a go because you can cast the fly line low and parallel to the tow path, instead of up and over the shoulder. It’s a great to way to improve your casting as you can watch the rod working the line backwards instead of just in front of you. You can also see how straight a path your rod tip is travelling (a common mistake for beginners is to arc the rod too much in a big U shape. Hope this encourages you to give it a go. A 7 to 8wt set up is fine for all but the biggest pike and would also serve you well on trout reservoirs

[@samuelpitcher4680]

Cheers Charlie, great day and great company. Let's do it again soon 😊

[@flyfishingchannel]

Nice video sir

[@Fishwish]

Thanks - that’s really appreciated. Especially from a big channel.

[@targetfishing5286]

Great video fishwish, perfect balance of comedy vs fishing/tactics enjoyed watching , shame bout those perch😲 be good on the fly👌

[@Fishwish]

Thanks 😊. Saving the perch for next time!

[@larsvegas1505]

Id reccomend not netting and laying a pike down on the ground or mat unless u really have to.. pike can be damaged easily esp the skin. The only fish i net is when i think its a pb.. or when its really hard to reach.. one of the big reasons its so hard to catch a pike is because people handeling them wrong.. they aint no carp thats for sure..

[@Fishwish]

When I’m on the kayak, that’s something that I often do, to avoid distress to the fish. From the bank it’s more difficult and in addition to reaching the fish there’s two problems with that. First is that you can end up with a hook in your finger after chinningnit. -connecting the lure and thrashing pike to your hand! Second is that you can’t check it for other peoples lost hooks, which is sadly a common sight in heavily fished or poached day ticket waters. Thanks for commenting though - I appreciate its not the best handling of fish in this video, but I try not to over edit them because I think it’s important to keep things real.

[@dannyharris3580]

Enjoyed watching that 👍 looked like a good bit of fun, only pike I've had on flies were caught while trout fishing at Blagdon lake so would be awesome to catch one from a river or canal.

[@Fishwish]

Thanks for kind feedback Danny. Was good fun. Only fished Blagdon the once and blanked!

[@P4R50N5]

Great video Charlie, the canal has been very clear for the past few months but always enjoy getting down there.

[@Fishwish]

Thanks mate. I’ve been taking the school groups there and it’s been hard slog! Have a great Christmas

[@EUAngler]

Great to see you with the fly rod after pikes👌🎣💪

[@Fishwish]

Thanks 🙏

[@carnaflycasting6287]

👏👏👍💪🎣🦈😉

[@harrihiltunen546]

very good and fine made pike fly fishing video.

[@Fishwish]

Thanks so much Harri. Always nice to hear from people who have watched what I’m uploading.

[@davidprocter1585]

You done good, boy! Superb sport when it works! 😊

[@Fishwish]

Seeing all three takes of the fish was probably the highlight of my year. Who needs chalk steams when you have the canal eh 🤣

[@davidprocter1585]

@@Fishwish my bloody canal is hopeless unless your deadbaiting, like scrumpy most of the time, winter and summer alike.

[@Fishwish]

@@davidprocter1585 yuk. No sympathy though as those rivers look amazing

[@davidprocter1585]

@@Fishwish I've never had a pike fly session getting more than 2, usually it's blank. I'm going to concentrate more on the rivers! My local river seems almost devoid of coarse fish this winter, though, all I'm getting is out of season trout! There's just one glide where I've had decent catches of good sized dace. Unlike your river Chew, our brownies are mostly very small too, so maybe a modicum of sympathy 🤣!

[@FamilyFlyouts]

Nice video Chas, I have never been fishing but really enjoy these

[@Fishwish]

Thanks! That’s really kind of you to say that and music to my ears as I’ve been trying to make these more appealing to non anglers, without much success

[@Fishwish]

Just had a look at your channel and subbed. Great to see you looking well and doing what you love with family involved too 👍.

[@LanceandLouise]

Hi, great video, what do you think of the Agility rod, i'm thinking of getting one for bass fishing and a bit of pike fishing, does your mate like the Maxcatch rod as it maybe a toss up between the two.

[@Fishwish]

Hi, Thanks for the kind comment. Depends on your casting style and how durable you want the rod to be? Manufactures compete to offer the stiffest, strongest and lightest carbon at the best price possible. MaxCatch wins that comparison. Consumers will be won over by ‘faster action’, mainly because they think fast = further but also because of their denial of being unable to cast perfectly enough to gain the benefits of a fast action rod. Maxcatch achieve that competitive price by compromising on finishing (the paint was coming off after one session!); In short, the Agility is a slightly softer and heavier rod, and would be a better but less favourable option for most. I’m being rushed by family so will have to leave it there for now! Will try to add some further thoughts to this later today .

[@LanceandLouise]

@@Fishwish Thanks for the reply, may go for the shakespeare.

[@noblestsavage1742]

Nice one, the numbers of canal pike fly fisherfolk is growing. Welcome to the club, it’s so much fun. 🤘i pretty much use a standard weight forward intermediate all year, I tend to over line by 1 size as it helps casting in cramped conditions. Your canal is very similar to mine, 3-4ft deep, narrow and crystal clear! Love it lads, keep at it!!

[@Fishwish]

Thanks for the kind words. It’s great to see fly fishing growing in all these different directions. I fished the Kennet and Avon canal in Bath for pike a decade or so ago, for a couple of seasons, using a #7/8 rod, until an over zealous bailiff pointed out that it contravened club rules! Tried getting the club rules changed but they insisted it was too dangerous 🤯

[@noblestsavage1742]

@@Fishwish I fish the Edinburgh union canal, it’s passers by that complain here. Saying that we shouldn’t be fishing as we nearly hit them. I usually end up pointing up that I had to pay for the privilege ask them how much they pay to use the towpath and then let them know that perhaps they should let anglers know they’re passing rather than expecting us to have eyes in the back of our heads. I used to be really polite to them but I really can’t be bothered anymore so I usually end up being a little curt these days.

[@Fishwish]

@@noblestsavage1742 a walker got hit Grafham Res and now they’ve banned fly fishing from it so be careful what you wish for! There’s some real idiots about. I totally get what you’re saying though. I personally feel that dog owners should be licensed and charged so that we can have towpaths with less dog crap everywhere. It’s vile. Thankfully I don’t get any hassle of passers by as the canals here are a little more remote.

[@Spyridon1980]

Good video thanks , have u ever fished the Gloucester canal purton Saul junction etc..? Thinking of having a go for some perch Taunton a bit far for me

[@Fishwish]

Hi Dominic, not sure how I missed this comment. I’ve fished the Gloucester to sharpness a couple of times. I found it very difficult but it was freezing cold and coloured up on both occasions. My friend managed a couple of small zander and I managed a small jack. We did a lot of walking!

[@Spyridon1980]

@@Fishwish ha no problem thanks for replying. I did get down there and managed a nice jack .. but it is hard going . Huge wide canal and finding the fish was difficult . That was spring however so maybe easier now it's warmer 🙏

[@Fishwish]

@@Spyridon1980 would be good to give it a proper go in early autumn before it gets too cold. I always seem to have a bit of a nightmare when it comes to zander

[@geoffsaunderson5766]

No offence, but public school lol

[@Fishwish]

Your comment needs to make sense before any offence can be taken. Try harder.

[@geoffsaunderson5766]

@@Fishwish clearly made sense 👍

[@Fishwish]

@@geoffsaunderson5766 still not sure what you’re on about. If it’s an attempt at reverse snobbery, you’re mistaken as I went to a comprehensive and got an F and and U in my A levels. Anyone can fly fish.

[@geoffsaunderson5766]

@@Fishwish I posted that on the wrong page, (half asleep, just got in from night shift) I would of deleted it (as you do) but thought the reaction funny! ..don’t worry 🙂

[@geoffsaunderson5766]

@@Fishwish tho if I remember correctly?! that chinning of the Jack was a bit “little lord font Leroy” wasn’t it ?😂

[@TomoWalker_fishing]

Great video mate :)

[@Fishwish]

Ah good you found it. Thanks for commenting and I’m glad you’re enjoying the drop shotting 👍