Pike on the P

[FIN-ITE 34]

Well the spot has been burned. Last evening when I pulled into the parking area to do a little pike fishing, there was a vehicle with NY plates. The occupants were standing next to the vehicle and as I exited my truck I asked them, "you came all the way from NY to catch our pike?" They responded, "are you from the DEC?" I told them no and I was there to do a little pike fishing myself. As it was, they were from Long Island and had heard about the Passaic River pike and wanted to give it a go. They had caught one small pike about 20" and lost another about the same size.
I talked with them for a time and they picked my brain about the river and other access spots. They were jazzed about the possibility of larger pike(s) and offered me a granola bar for supplying the information.
They were quite surprised when I reached for my fly rod as the stick of choice for Passaic pike. They figured fly rod = small offerings. That's when I took out my tackle box of pike flies (gallon zip lock baggie) and showed them what I consider a meal for pikes. They didn't expect to see the pike/musky streamers that I have been using with great success.

I couldn't wait for the Beetle's pike streamer tutorial, so I tied up a pattern of my own and put it to water this weekend. The pattern proved very successful and I landed eight pike up to +36" on it. The pattern has great undulating, near neutral buoyancy, that not only I, but the pike seemed to appreciate.
The fish are striking very hard with the cooling waters, with drag taking runs and exciting aquabatic jumps.

Here are a couple teeth pics from last evening.

 

[Pete]

If you're going to succeed as a guide, you're going to have to charge more than a granola bar.
You should have insisted on a small coffee to wash it down.