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Pike Video

We had dreamt for months about that trip to the North. Finding the right place to throw our flies had been a nightmare. Trying to find the perfect blend of secluded lakes, gin clear water, lots of pike, catch and release management and affordable rates took us 3 month combing the internet. On June 3rd we traveled from France to Fort Mac Murray in Alberta Canada where we met Tim from Mikisew Sportfishing. A nice guy who brought us to a store to buy our fishing licences and to the hotel and lent us his brand new pick-up. The following morning we drove to the airport where the plane was waiting for us. A nice 200 mile flight above the oil sands on the first half part and above thousand of lakes on the second part, brought us to Potts lake where we landed in front of the camp. The lake has a V shape and the camp is situated on a small island in the north of the east arm, sheltered from the bears. About one third of the lake is very shallow, so the water warms quickly in the very first days after snow melt. Each arm is a one hour boat drive from north to south, so you need 2 hours to go from the camp to the west arm north end. A nice playground for 5 frenchies! We spent 10 amazing days here, with a nice weather. Warm, sunny and a poor wind. On the very first days we looked for the large pikes in the shallows and caught only

one of 1m20. All of the others were in the 4 to 8 lb range. But, what interesting fly fishing! We threw our flies to identified spots: weeds, points, straits, rocks, creek mouths; and very often as soon as the fly hit the water …Wham, fish on! Many times we would cast to a fish waiting for an easy meal right in the middle of a shallow flat. Lots of pike followed the fly without attacking or just trying to grab the tail of the fly. Only one out of every 4 fish was coaxed with the fly and boated. For the following 8 remaining days we fished all the places in the lake. Shallows and deep spots where we could identify likely holding spots: cliffs, logs , humps ,reefs, and river channels. We used 2 kind of fly fishing techniques: Floating line with dry and wet flies or fast sinking line with a buoyant fly (ballydoolagh bomber an irish fly from Alan Hanna). The second way was the most successful to stir up the pike, who often followed the fly all the way to the boat and my fishing buddy, Jean Claude would use his dry line and ep fly to tease and hooked them. That way ,every fisherman caught about 20 fish every day. That meant for a boat, 40 fishes boated and 160 follows! My brother Pierre who fished alone in his boat, caught more than 50 pike a day, because of the lack of competition. And, when nothing was working with the following pike he used a small spinning rod with jerk worm, the ultimate weapon. So the best fly to hook reluctant fish is not born yet. On the very last day Jean Claude and myself each had hooked and lost very large. Mine unhooked after a 10 mn fight and Jean Claude's after 5mn. Both fish were initially hooked close to the bottom in 6 ft of water near a rock cliff. We could not return to this spot because the following day was our pick up day to head back Fort Mc Murray. Since this trip, I still hear the loon and dream of this beautiful lake in this taïga setting . We all hope to return to this fly fishing addicts heaven.

• Re: Pike, Alberta Canada: Our Fly Fishing Dream Came True! by andre81 on December 03, 2008
  

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