The action on the river has been pretty slow for me lately, and yesterday was no exception. I casted and sweltered and casted and sweltered some more, with only one bluegill and one small pike landed after several hours. Saw a few largemouths but didn't get any to hit. When I was about halfway back to the launch site I made another cast to a likely-looking spot under tree that leans out from the river bank. On the second or third strip, a large pike hammered my foam-head diver and soared horizontally above the water, with it's entire body about a foot or so above the water, before plunging back into the river :whoa: . The pike wanted to keep the battle short and charged across the river and under some submerged branches. I could see the silt swirling up from the bottom where the pike was thrashing about, but I couldn't budge the line and I didn't want to re-enact the scene where I broke my rod earlier this year . I tried putting the rod down and pulling the on the line between the rod and the fish but still couldn't move the fish. By that time I had pulled the boat over to the fish and didn't think I would be successful in trying to pull straight up, so I repositioned the boat so I could pull from the same direction that the pike went under the branches and tried again. I couldn't feel any real movement on the other end of the line, but if I allowed some slack in the line it did move slowly towards the branches so I figured the fish was still there but the leader was wrapped around a branch. I didn't want to give the fish the opportunity to get the fly line wrapped on the branch so I pulled (with my rod straight!) until the leader snapped -- right at the point where there was an overhand knot that had been in the leader for several fishing trips and I was too lazy to tie up a new leader/tippet . I got schooled and my fly is now owned by that pike :hihi: .
I got a good look at the pike when it hit the fly, and I know for sure that it was the biggest pike I've ever hooked. The body looked to be at least 5" from top to bottom, and when I look at my yardstick I'm pretty sure that the fish was longer.
Q
I got a good look at the pike when it hit the fly, and I know for sure that it was the biggest pike I've ever hooked. The body looked to be at least 5" from top to bottom, and when I look at my yardstick I'm pretty sure that the fish was longer.
Q