Canada

[bam]

It's been a couple years, but I'm thinking of going back to Canada this June with a group of guys. We get 6 full days of fishing in. Our quarters are a couple four man house boats in which we tow a couple smaller aluminum fishing boats behind. We mainly target smallmouth, pike, walleye and might spend a little time trolling for lake trout.

If I go, I plan on toting my 8 weight for smallies and pike and I need some quick but effective ties. I don't do it often, so I don't want to buy a bunch of material that ends up just laying around. I'm thinking of just tying up a bunch of flashy zonkers in various colors and weight. I figure they're a solid baitfish imitation I can tie in a couple minutes and I won't be angry when the pike rip apart fly after fly.

For those that do a lot of lake fishing, does this sound like a good approach? Should I be tying these on long shank hooks or should I go with a 3/0 or 4/0 worm hook for extra bite? The smallmouth are big, so hook gape won't be a big issue...

 

[gfen]

Smaller hook means less fishing throwing the hook, most saltwater ties you see are tied on real short shank hooks for that reason.

 

[David]

I would recommend your standards... deceivers, poppers, half&halfs, etc. and I've always been a fan of whistlers.
I would say go with stainless hooks like mustad 34011s. they don't have the bigger gap, so even the smaller smallies can inhale it, but more importantly, they are strong enough to hold the big toothy critters. Plus, you can throw them in the salt whenever the opportunity arises.

 

[sandfly]

I have used size 1- 4/0 3407 or 34007 for both species in canook land.don't forget some rabbit strip flies too. and a few with weed guards.

 

[bam]

Good call on the weed guards... I'll definately tie some of the weighted flies with them. Do you think I'd be better off with a down eye rather than a straight eye if I want to tie a steel leader down the shank?... though a steel leader w/ a snap swivel might offer more articulation....

 

[skiltonian]

the only thing steel leaders got me was skunked - cable up on the flouro and you should be fine. i think you are on the right track with flies

 

[bam]

gfen,

I like the idea of a short shank hook for the reasons you stated and especially since pike tend to attack the head of a fly, but unless I'm tying with longer fibers... hair, synthetics, bucktail, etc., it will be tough to get the size of fly I'd like without a few inches of metal to wrap some rabbit strips.

 

[bam]

Well, it's decided. I'm heading to Canuck wilderness June 3rd and returning the 11th. Montana is out this year... outside maybe a long weekend.

 

[AFISHN]

Bam...don't hesitate to throw small tarpon flies like the roach...I've had very good luckl on pike in orange and brown;yellow and brown...they are also generally sturdier,in the event you get a monster.

if you are in my neighborhood (West Chester),let me know & I'll give you a couple that have worked for me in Canada
Tom

 

[bam]

Thanks afishn, I will take you up on that offer... if nothing else but to try and duplicate the roach pattern since I can't seem to bring it up through a google search. Look me up once they drop a few buckets in the Brandywine and I'll meet you.

 

[bam]

actually, I just came up with a few hits... don't know what happened the first time I tried. I'd still like to see what you have though...

 

[sandfly]

I have caught more musky and pike on this than all the other patterns I have. great up north and down here.

 

[bam]

easy enough. Was that tied towards the rear of the hook so the shank acts as a short leader?

 

[sandfly]

4 saddles at rear of hook, strip of mylar on each side, then saddle wrapped in front thick. eyes optional. all tied at rear of hook, no cut offs this way, and no steel leader.

 

[djmyers]

what hook is that?

 

[Pittflyguy]

For trips like that I tie almost all of my flies with weed guards and then snip them off if they are not needed. Can't really put them on if it is really weedy and then you have a bunch of flies that are much harder to fish or even useless. IMHO

 

[sandfly]

Dean, 34007 mustad.