Best Fly Lines for Fishing Northern Pike

Northern Pike are a streamer fisherman’s best friend. The way they mercilessly slaughter your biggest streamer will take your breath away, and leave you wanting more.

I have been told, many times, you cannot tie a fly too big for a northern. And I believe it—a 3-pound  northern will murder a 12-inch fly faster than you can pull the fly out of the water.

Amped up yet? Before you do a burn-out in the driveway, you should know the ins-and-outs of choosing the right fly line for pike. Otherwise you may fish above or below where the pike are and there’s nothing more frustrating than not being able to reach the right water column because you have the wrong line. There are three schools of thought on fly lines, and choosing one or the other can influence when you might hook into your next water-wolf.

Floating

Few things are more exciting than spotting a “sunning” pike in three feet of water and watching it follow and inhale your fly. Fishing with a floating line means the fish are shallow. I typically fish floating lines when I suspect pike will be holding in 4 feet of water or less. Floating line is also the right choice when poppers are on the menu. The time to use floating lines is typically from ice-out to early summer. I have found that as you near 5-to 6 feet of depth, floating line doesn’t quite get the job done.

Some fisherman add a short sink-tip to reach that deeper water and that works. Just know, adding a sink-tip makes casting large flies chunkier, but will add to the action of the fly. A three-to five-foot fast-sinking sink-tip is all you really need, and creates an irresistible rising action in the fly. A couple perfect floating lines for pike in shallow water are Airflo’s Warm Water and Rio’s InTouch Pike/Musky. Both lines are designed to turn over heavy flies at a distance with ease. One thing to consider when choosing between the two lines is Airflo’s head is 41 feet while Rio’s head is 29 feet. The longer head makes long casts easier, while the shorter head is perfect for quick pick-up-and-throw casts.

Intermediate

The pike have finished spawning. It’s an overcast day in late spring. There is a light riffle on the water. Talk about a perfect time to throw intermediate line. Fishing with a slow-sinking line allows you to effectively work the five to nine-foot flats that pike love to hunt. With a slow-sinking line, you can aggressively strip one-to three-foot sections at a time, then follow it with a two-to three-second pause. The pauses emulate a suspended baitfish, which is simply irresistible to an apex predator like a northern pike. My favorite intermediate line for pike is also Rio’s InTouch Pike/Musky with a sink rate of 1.5/6 inches per second. Built heavier than the industry standard and with an abrupt head, this line can turn over flies you measure along your forearm.

Fast Sinking

I find myself fishing fast-sinking line more than most other lines. I prefer to throw a fast-sinking line during late-summer when the pike are along drop-offs and are very willing to chase a panicked baitfish. My go-to fast-sinking line is 30 feet of T-8 followed by 115 feet of 35 pound Rio Slick Shooter. The T-8 sinks at 6-7 inches per second and can be fished successfully in depths as deep as 30 feet. However, this line isn’t for everyone. There is definitely a learning curve when it comes to casting it. The trick is to work all 30 feet of T-8 beyond your rod tip before you complete your final double-haul cast. The line can be thrown with a six-weight fly rod, but I recommend using a seven or eight-weight. This line combination turns over heavy flies well, and sinks in a hurry.

If you’re like me and can’t afford to buy all three lines, start with a heavy floating line, and a sink-tip. This allows you to effectively fish most scenarios, and not have to break the bank.

Here in northern Idaho, we have an abundance of northern pike. Personally, I don’t hold back any secret fishing spots when it comes to chasing northerns. If you are at all interested in chasing one of the most vicious freshwater fish in the country, stop by North 40 Flyshop in Sandpoint/Ponderay, and I will give you the skinny on how to catch your next big northern.