pike and gar

[1fly]

Anybody done any pike fishing?
Hopefully, I'm going to Canada in June or July and we are after Pike.

Do you know if you need steel tippet?

How different are muskie and pike?

By the way, anybody ever catch an alligator gar on a fly? I just remembered teasing them when we fished for bass in Texas. They would snap a plastic salamander (and your line) in half while it was floating on the surface. Man that would be fun to go back there and get em on a fly rod. Those things were HUGE. I was about 8 years but I still remember a gar laying by the ramp that had to have been about 5 ft.

[Mike]

You would totally need a steel leader for gar. My grandparents used to live on a bayou in Mississippi that had those monsters in there. They are nothing but teeth. My grandpa (you gotta love grandparents) used to "fish" for them with his .22. They'd always come up and mangle any sunfish that I managed to catch with my snoopy fishing rod.

[Crosby]

Caught gar as a kid on Lake Eire----- sometimes with a rod- mostly with a bow- fished pike with a fly- though- lately a few times on the Yampa-- you do not need a steel leader-- 20# to 30# mono is fine- just check it after each fish - slide the tippet thru your fingers and feel for nicks- retie when you need to.
Really have to hammer the hook in- have fought them for 5 minutes and had them swim up and open there mouth and let the fly drop out. Just didn't want to let go.

[Ouzel]

Pike fishing will require the need of a steel leader. It need be only 4" long as they almost always take a bait from behind. There are now several brands on the market designed for fly fly fishing as there are also several salt water species that require a steel leader too. There are also Kits, plastic coated wire of different poundages, crimp sleeves and instructions that you can use to make up you own leaders.
An old method is to create a "shock tippet" with 20, 30, 40 lb mono (like "Mason") of 6-12" that you tie between your leader and fly. It is best to double the leader over to avoid slipage when tying to the much heavier shock mono.
Pike most often strike out of ambush but they are followers too. When you see one following you fly a method to induce a strike is to stop the fly for a moment then start stripping in like crazy. You will not be able to strip fast enough to take the fly away from it if the pike wants it.
Pike are not leader shy so you can use a shorter & heavier leader to begin with and then add your steel or mono "shock tippet".
Good fortune to you when after Esox Lucius.

[1fly]

Now thats a name!

Thanks for the tips.