River Pike Fly Fishing In Winter - (EPIC Fly Weight Hack)

Andy heads out for some pike flyfishing. Pike fly fishing in winter can be tough but very rewarding, and in the cold of a UK river you have to make the most of your chances. Andy tackles pike fly fishing with an intermediate line and a 9' 9# rod, so if you're wondering how to fly fish for pike be sure to check this one out. Andy comes up with a great solution on how to pike fly fish with an extra weight, taken from the lure fishing scene. Also, check out Andy's pike fly fishing leader setup. We hope you enjoy: UK River Pike Fly Fishing In Winter - (EPIC Fly Weight Hack)
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Learn how to fly fish with the IB & Andy Fishing channel, your beginners guide to fly fishing for trout. With loads of tips on river fly fishing for beginners, UK Grayling fishing, how to catch trout in a river, how to euro nymph, euro nymphing techniques and much more. With some of the best UK fly fishing videos for UK fly fishing techniques, IB & Andy show you how to catch grayling & trout from rivers.
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[@EUAngler]

To catch pike on the fly and in the river is an absolutely score💪🎣 nothing can beat fishing them on the fly rod 👌💯

[@IBandAndyFishing]

They're a great fish that's for sure! 👍👍

[@andrewplayer9923]

Good video Andy, interesting use of the Chen weight, I'll have to give that a try.

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Thanks Andrew! Yeah it's a bit Heath Robinson and I wouldn't want to go too much heavier than the 2g I used, but it definitely got me down quicker than most other options 👍

[@Graham-1888]

Great video Andy, pike on the fly is hard to beat. Get some proper UK tied predator flies from Dave 'McFluffchucker' Lindsay 👌 superb flies that are responsible for some huge fish world wide. He's a good friend of mine and a lot of the top guys get their flies from him. Looking forward to more vids like this 😉

[@EUAngler]

Definitely agree his flies brought to me lots of pikes 💪🎣

[@noblestsavage1742]

Is that you barker? Totally agree on the flies!

[@Graham-1888]

@@noblestsavage1742 depends who is asking 😂😂😂

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Cheers Graham! We're blessed with some really top fly dressers in the UK and Dave is definitely one of those!

[@noblestsavage1742]

@@Graham-1888 it’s Ben.

[@blondie853]

Well done Andy.Cant beat a pike on the fly.

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Cheers Steve, I agree with you on that one!

[@Nicktgrief]

Pikes flies are awesome. theyre great used instead of 'normal' lures as well. I've always got some in my bag. Keep it up instead of the girly stuff :D

[@IBandAndyFishing]

😂😂 I feel like the Pike are trying to tell me the same thing!

[@roddersonthefly8067]

A great watch Andy, always difficult to get the fly down quick on those flowing waters, weighted flies the safest but to be able to use more flies in the box i would be the same as you and weight the clip one way or another, a purely sinking line dosnt do it on the short cast and when you are at the end of your retrieve and most of your fly line is in the end of the rod but you want to let the fly hang

[@IBandAndyFishing]

That's exactly what I was up against, it sounds like you've been in a similar situation. Maybe with longer casts with more time in the water a fast leader/fast line might have done it, but I was getting 10-15 seconds of fishing time max. 👍

[@GreatBustard1]

Such a great video thanks. Where is that river?

[@simonpeters3499]

What's Troutset?? Another great video, thanks and remember, "Don't troutset"

[@IBandAndyFishing]

A trout set is lifting the rod to strike, which is fine with smaller game fish but doesn't work well with hard mouthed species like Pike. Most of the time of you trout set on a pike it won't set the hook properly 👍

[@tyanez]

I love your trout videos, but I did not know you also pick up a 9wt and chase pike as well! Awesome. I love to euro nymph but there's no opportunity to do that in the Netherlands, so pike it is! Oh, and we also don't have a lot of moving water in which to catch them, but there are a lot of pike and zander here to be had on the long fly. Cheers

[@guy1234484]

Great video Andy - reminded me of how I kicked myself when fishing lead head flies for big perch on a reservoir with a Di-7 line and on my one take of the day from a fish that I’d lay money on being over 4lb a did the sort of set I’d do on a close range Euronymph rig. Kicked myself!! Quick question though: why didn’t you move up the bank and fish right in tight to the weir? Was it going to be too too difficult presentation wise? I’ve caught lots a decent pike right under the sill of weirs, including on fly.

[@IBandAndyFishing]

cheers bud! Yeah a killer isn't it? Even worse, you know you're gonna do it! In terms of fishing further in the weir, there's a few reasons, one of which was that I only had a short amount of time and didn't want to fish the same spot for too long - it can make for a pretty boring video! Also, the wind was ripping across the weir, the footage doesn't do justice to how windy it was. Another issue is getting there, this weir really drops off quickly, I could maybe fish 20% of the sill effectively without going for a swim!

[@francismead1399]

Yet another excellent vlog Andy...thank you. Have you ever tried copper weighted tube flies? The big advantage is that the hook is further away from the head of the fly and as pike tend to hit a lure from the side this might result in more hook ups. Just a thought. Thanks again for sharing your piscatorial adventures.

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Thanks Francis! Not tried a copper tube no, need a pretty big tube for a Pike fly I think?!

[@RichardWoodhouse-kp6zb]

You can’t use premade wire traces with tube flies as you can’t feed the trace though the fly. But you could use flies tied on Waddington Shanks.@@IBandAndyFishing

[@Hardlinesangling]

There is always time for that last cast 😆. I've only caught pike up to around 2lb on the fly would love to get a bigger one. I have caught my pb perch on a fly I tied myself using some of my dogs hair as an experiment.

[@IBandAndyFishing]

That's really cool, lucky dog hair too!

[@Flippin4Fish]

Cracking video! You’ve got the drug now

[@IBandAndyFishing]

hopefully it'll stop raining and I'll get another chance before the end of the season....

[@adamguerich9200]

liked and subbed, 'don't trout set' yup been there done that missed a lot of nice fish on streamers because of this.

[@IBandAndyFishing]

I'm glad it isn't just me Adam! Welcome to the party!

[@davidhunt6322]

I lost one at the net the other day, thought it was well hooked but it was just the fly materials wrapped around the gnashers, which is common for pike on the fly. Top video with two lovely fish, nice one!

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Ahhh man that must be so frustrating! I do wonder if that's what we see as a missed take sometimes? Thanks for watching David!

[@Cavanpikefishing]

Great vid Andy I'm just looking to no that I'm starting out with fly-fishing for trout this year what kinda line will I get and what leader please? Thanks

[@IBandAndyFishing]

hi bud, thanks very much! That really depends where you're gongs to be fishing. There are a lot of options here, it might be worth having a chat with somebody who fishes the venue you're going to be on and asking what folks there use

[@Cavanpikefishing]

@@IBandAndyFishing thank u😊

[@pb839]

Just wondered what you mean by trout set, and am I making the same mistake fishing for bass down here in Aus, was taught to fly fish in the UK in case you were wonder, now most often a soft plastics convert.

[@IBandAndyFishing]

hi bud, so the trout set is the lift of the rod to set the hook. This doesn't work well with heavier gauge hooks as fly rods are relatively soft in the tip. The idea here is to strip set, using the hand retrieving the line to set the hook rather than the rod

[@pb839]

@@IBandAndyFishing got it - thanks for that - I’m thinking of some local estuary fish that would work for too👍

[@gioelelapo7588]

Andy fishes for 5 minutes, Andy catch a bigger fish than me in a month of fly fishing for pike, great job man🤣🤣🔥

[@IBandAndyFishing]

It was a shock to me too bud!

[@seanb5007]

Great video! I’d really love to see you try for pike again on the fly. That has got to be a blast catching them like that! Are you allowed to fly fish for pike year round, or is it only allowed at certain times? Thanks again for the great video!

[@IBandAndyFishing]

In terms of rivers you can only target them during the coarse season (June 16th- March 14th). On most (not all) stillwaters and canals you can fish for them year round, though most folks back off them while they're spawning and when the water temps are high as pike don't recover well in low oxygen conditions

[@seanb5007]

I hope to visit the UK again sometime soon. I didn’t fish the last time I went, and it’s something I really want to do while I’m there. Thanks for the reply, I really appreciate the info!

[@noblestsavage1742]

Damn those trout sets. I used to struggle with hooking them until Dave (Mcfluffchucker) did me some on circle hooks, now all I have to do is keep retrieving until I can’t, then enjoy the fight.

[@trevortray541]

The only reason you have back luck lure fishing for pike is because you forgot your flys all this time.

[@IBandAndyFishing]

It did occur to me that the reason I had been failing at Pike Lure fishing was that I had been using the wrong technique.🙈😂

[@paul_monaghan]

Well done Andy. Enjoyed the vid. You both have a good camera presence. Keep up the good work.

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Cheers Paul, much appreciated! 👍 👊

[@Flyfishingadventuress]

Nice pike Andy, congatulations !

[@jditrod]

I think I’ve asked in the past for this pike on the fly Vlog, well done Andy, it didn’t disappoint 👏

[@glennplatvoet7111]

Good day landed two lost 3

[@georgeholmes6099]

Was that leader to a wire trace? Is there anything to be careful of unhooking a pike? Cheers nice fishing

[@leework2562]

Andy i have a question for iam a mad keen all round fisherman i want to get in to put video on KZbin would I make money doing it if I done it full time

[@noblestsavage1742]

I see what your doing with the cherub weights; trying to instigate some Darwin awards and thin the river out a bit? 😂😂

[@Mo-xx9gg]

I caught a pike, on a trout fly - with a trout set the other day! Must have been luck lol

[@Sunray-Scumbag]

Cool! Really wanting to give this a go! As for the weight on the flies i fly fish in the salt and find that just using a sinking line is the best way to get down to fish but not sure how that would work for pike fishing? Any experience with full sinking lines for pike? (Hoping to just use my salt water gear for pike!)

[@IBandAndyFishing]

So in my experience nothing beats weight on the fly for getting down quickly, hence many tie both Pike and salt flies with dumbe eyes. I'm not sure that in a short range river fishing situation like this one that a sinking line and unweighted fly would have got me down fast enough in some situations. Plus the sinking line would have been too much in others 👍

[@Sunray-Scumbag]

@@IBandAndyFishing interesting! I suppose in salt water it's very different I can be fishing 20m of water and you never get that on the river. I shall have to give the intermediate lines and weighted flies a go. I did use a floating line with a closer minnow and found the casting to be horrible and never really gave weighted flies another shot. I shall have to experiment! Thank you for the response. Cracking content as alway!

[@barbcoll100]

Andy what's the make of the net you're using cheers

[@robertmajor4904]

Brilliant video, great pike, 9wt and set up did well! Thank you for the best fly fishing videos on KZbin!

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Thanks Robert! I don't know about the best, I'm no Spielberg, we're trying though! 👍👍

[@robertmajor4904]

@@IBandAndyFishing did not know Spielberg fished! 😂

[@IBandAndyFishing]

If he did, he'd make videos better than ours 👀

[@andrewdking]

That was excellent. Wish I had a river like that near me. So what does "trout set" mean please ? Oh, and please show us the steel trace attached to the leader, one end to the other.

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Hi Andrew, thanks very much! I'm not 100% sure I know what you mean but the trace and leader? It's just 4' of 20lb fluorocarbon to the wire trace 👍

[@andrewdking]

@@IBandAndyFishing that's what I want to see. How is the wire trace connected to the fluorocarbon line. Surely its not the same clunky link swivel affair we would use if spinning ? Currently, I use a very thin braided wire trace tied in a loop just as if it was a hook to nylon style tippet. This is to keep it all thin and light as befits fly casting. This is because I don't know what the agreed norm is for pike fly fishing

[@IBandAndyFishing]

It's exactly the same clunky affair yes! Compared to the weight of a soaking wet fly, a sz12 link swivel is pretty much weightless- it cast absolutely fine. These are good quality traces, but they are just shop bought 👍

[@andrewdking]

@@IBandAndyFishing but you haven't answered my first question for what Trout Set means ?

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Apologies! Trout setting is trying to set the hook using the rod, which is fine when you're using fine wire hooks on trout and grayling. It isn't effective when using heavier hooks for harder mouthed fish like like though, where you're better off stripping the line hard to drive the hook in 👍

[@flyfishingchannel]

I need to try fish for pike in winter days🙂

[@Chrisowen1948Newbury]

Wow, excellent session Andy, stunning Pike, thinking I need to give my 8# Sage a go, would imagine Clouser minnows should work, great video as always. Tight lines

[@IBandAndyFishing]

A nice big bulky clouser would do a job for sure! Let us know how you get on! 👍👍

[@tomhammerton7697]

Get in there Andy! What a fish, and the second one was very decent as well. Thanks, I'm now inspired for my lake trip in April - I had better go and tie some big old flies. Do you prefer the natural colours? I see a lot of "pike" flies for sale that are brightly coloured and very un-natural.

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Cheers Tom! As ever I think a selection of colours is important, I chose more natural white and silver because the water was clear and it matched what I assume the bait fish would be 👍

[@BobbyBlues]

when you caught the second pike, i thought you were doing the ronaldo siuuuuuuu... but it was siiick.. haha.. i can only dream of pike that size near me lol

[@IBandAndyFishing]

😂😂 I have neither the balls or the style to pull that off!

[@lesdaniels9897]

Good video but,christ.you could talkthe fish on to the bank!

[@bigron8346]

Andy how long should your leader be?

[@IBandAndyFishing]

That really depends on the situation Ron, though as a rule the deeper you're trying to fish the shorter the leader 👍

[@bigron8346]

@@IBandAndyFishing thanks Andy.

[@harrihiltunen546]

andy makes exelent pike fly fishing video , i like it,

[@johnmaskell5124]

Can some explain what a trout set is and why he is trying to avoid it?

[@BlackCountryPiker]

What a great video, don’t trout set, don’t trout set, your an idiot 😂😂 some lovely fish there Andy. Definitely do more 👍

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Cheers bud! I don't trust myself to not do it these days 😂😂 Will try to get out and do some more, not today though, wind is howling!

[@BlackCountryPiker]

@@IBandAndyFishing 👍 I’ll definitely look forward to when you do

[@richardbawcombe8036]

That was awesome, Andy. Amazed they were all good fish. If I tried that locally, I’d be lucky to catch a five pounder!

[@IBandAndyFishing]

I was just as surprised as you!

[@Bro_N_Tiller]

I really enjoyed that,inspired me to get a fly rod for pike,thanks for the entertainment,some lovely fish caught andy 👊

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Thanks Conor, get out and give it a try! 👍🎣

[@durrantalan]

Great video. Thanks. Which river is this?

[@philipnicholas9371]

Brilliant vlog as always. Delighted to see you pike fishing as it’s something I’m toying with. Very useful, as are all your posts.

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Thanks Philip, you should definitely give it a go!

[@adamgrigg4703]

Another great video Andy. I’ve just taken up fly fishing for pike and found this really informative. Great idea using cheb weights definitely going to give it a go.

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Thanks Adam, let us know how you get on!

[@timwilliamsBWO]

Yet another fantastic video Andy. Definitely be great to see you do more videos on fly fishing for pike. Making me think I have to have a good at that😎👌🏼🔥

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Cheers Tim, give it a go!

[@alexdayes9685]

Great video Andy. Some nice fish there as well. Yes like this type of fishing so more videos would be great. 👍

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Thanks Alex! Can't promise another one in the first 5 mins but I'll try!

[@stuarty567]

Very good Andy i enjoyed that well done, all fish were clean as a whistle which means they were very active 👍🐊🐊🐊

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Cheers bud, I think I hit it at just the right time 👍👍

[@jamesnorman7842]

Cracking video m8. Best one ive seen on your channel.......👍👍👍👍💪

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Thanks James, that's very kind!

[@garymillar5143]

Brilliant video Andy, worth our patient wait 😉 Looking forward to your next episode of ' Pike on the Fly'! 🎣

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Cheers Gary! If it keeps raining like this it might never happen again!

[@proskipper1]

Happy for you - what a great video natural style - illustrates a perfect fishing experience...

[@IBandAndyFishing]

that's very kind, thank you very much!

[@andrewplayer9923]

Chen weight, predictive text...

[@frog2200]

Great vid enjoyed all the tips. Just wanted to see the set up on the terminal tackle as I'm not sure how this is done? Keep up the good work 👏

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Hi Phil, apologies. In this order: Fly line - 4' off 21lb fluorocarbon- 30cm 9kg wire trace - 1 or 2g cheburashka weight - fly Hope this helps!

[@geoffhadley1760]

How did I miss this last year?? Epic stuff, mate! Isn't it strange how sometimes they stick and sometimes they just don't, no matter how right you think you've got it?🤷‍♂️ That's a truly cracking brace! Inspirational. In fact... I'm going to give it a go this afternoon...!🎣🐊

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Cheer Geoff, hope you found a few!

[@geoffhadley1760]

@@IBandAndyFishing I've done ok thanks, mate. Nothing big, but plenty of 'em... 👍🐊🎣

[@zacharybattams9453]

Enjoyed this Andy, really need to get a pike set up and give this a go. Have a lovely venue sorted just have to make it happen 👏👏

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Plenty of toothy critters round your way bud!

[@williestew68]

Spider session at the start of the season? Anyway, another great vlog mate!! 😁

[@IBandAndyFishing]

That's the plan Willie! Thanks very much!

[@tjdevel07]

Top stuff, Andy!

[@IBandAndyFishing]

cheers Jed! I thought of you the other day when I was suggested Max Fosh's video - how cool was that?!

[@tjdevel07]

@@IBandAndyFishing not as cool as bagging up on the pike! Hopefully see you in the summer (y)

[@leejacksonfishing]

just got in from a blank and got this to cheer me up🤣 cheers andy!...would love to see more pike on the fly! maybe some smaller jig flys for perch to.

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Cheers Lee, definitely something we could work on 👍👍

[@leejacksonfishing]

@@IBandAndyFishing 👀🎥🎞👌👍

[@stephenbuckham9964]

Brilliant video and gorgeous fish well done. Ever thought of fly fishing for carp I think you'd really enjoy it

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Yeah I think we've got a video from way back of us doing just that!

[@stephenbuckham9964]

@@IBandAndyFishing I'll have to have a look

[@montagegaming8437]

Which lures you using

[@sergioharillo5899]

Brillante sesion Andy! Now is the turn to go after some perch on the fly.

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Thanks Sergio! That's definitely something for me to work on!

[@andysfishingandflytyingcha2310]

That's a great hack Andy. Makes all your flies super flexible as regards to weight and how deep you want them from unweighted to whatever you need. Makes tying the flies quicker and easier too. A win win. I got myself 2 and 3gm chebs. for my autumn and winter pike fishing on the Avon around Salisbury. You only get shortish drifts there so the flies will have to get down quick. Not sure if anything heavier than 3 gms would be great to cast with a 9#? What do you think? Thanks again for a great common sense tip. Edit. Just thought though, adding a cheb would only amount to the same as tying with dumbbell eyes or a tungsten mask wouldn't it? So maybe you could go heavier than a 3gm cheb?

[@yicafresh]

Love that bucko .. class fishing

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Cheers GP, I did wonder if I might run in to a spotted horse around there 👀

[@dibbygibby]

Fantastic Andy - informative and entertaining - lovely pike!

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Thanks Mick, glad you enjoyed it!

[@carnaflycasting6287]

🤩🤩😍👏👍💪🎣🦈 Bravo magnifique fly pike bien joué 🍻😉

[@IBandAndyFishing]

oui?! Merci!

[@ianfirkins6460]

Excellent! Another one of my club tickets 😉

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Only those who know it will know 👍

[@Cumbrianangler]

Great video Andy really enjoyed that one.

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Thanks bud, much appreciated!

[@FishingFredrik]

Really Nice video 🙏

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Thanks for watching!

[@FishingFredrik]

@@IBandAndyFishing no problem i really enjoyed the video. I tried to fins more of it in youre videos but i only round other kinds of fishing. You should Come to sweden and fly fish for pike in the ocean.

[@IBandAndyFishing]

It's the first Pike fly video we've done, will try to do more! Will get on the plane to Sweden tomorrow morning!

[@FishingFredrik]

@@IBandAndyFishing Nice! Its to mutch ice at the moment of you dont fish down here where i live.

[@insanescotsman1]

nice fish 😎

[@MrBlode1]

Well done Andy, definitely more of the same thanks 👍

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Thanks Lewis, will do my best!

[@victorfitzwalter4042]

Nice one Andy. The best way to catch a pike mate. 💪

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Cheers Victor, really nice to get back at it! 👍👍

[@noblestsavage1742]

Been waiting for you to do this Andy. Nice one!

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Cheers bud!

[@limmaanka]

Awsome!

[@philipmurray5493]

That was great like some more please

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Cheers Phil, will best!

[@andysfishingandflytyingcha2310]

Really enjoyed that Andy.

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Thanks Andy!👍👍

[@timwilliamsBWO]

Yet another fantastic video Andy. Definitely be great to see you do more videos on fly fishing for pike. Making me think I have to have a good at that😎👌🏼🔥

[@IBandAndyFishing]

I'll try to keep working on this then, cheers Tim!

[@timwilliamsBWO]

Have Ago at that* lol 👍🏼👍🏼

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Get out there and do it, if I can catch them anybody can!

[@timwilliamsBWO]

Your a great angler with a lot of talent and followers and it’s people like you that gives us the will to try something new 👍🏼👌🏼🔥🙏🏼

[@IBandAndyFishing]

That's very kind, I do get lucky sometimes too 🙈😂

[@briggsy3155]

Well done andy great video

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Cheers Briggsy!

[@danielwhelan9736]

Nice video Andy. Red and sliver I find is the best for pike

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Cheers Dan, it sure worked for me!

[@danielwhelan9736]

@@IBandAndyFishing go 2 last year one 11 and a half and the other 15

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Great fish Dan! 👍👊

[@bs5am]

What is a “trout set”?

[@marcomontefusco7596]

Set the hook lifting rod

[@baywing73]

Do more of this 👍🏼

[@IBandAndyFishing]

I'll try!

[@bigron8346]

Nice pike Andy!!

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Big Ron = Hero

[@Matt-uq3in]

Top job Andy 🎣💥🤘

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Cheers Matt!

[@jamesalexander4203]

What a belter !!

[@IBandAndyFishing]

thanks James!

[@kevd2908]

Looks class 👌

[@IBandAndyFishing]

cheers Kev, much appreciated!

[@Tillflyfisher]

Nice one Andy 👌

[@IBandAndyFishing]

Cheers Leigh, hope you're well? 👍👍

[@Tillflyfisher]

@@IBandAndyFishing all good thanks❤️