[Djordje Andjelkovic]

Always the same story. Day before fishing I am in chaos.

Rearranging flies, streamers. Like today. And always tell to my self:

"From now, I NEVER, NEVER will not bring me in the same situation!" And, guess 

Always ...

Sorry, I am hurry...go fishing pike tomorrow...

What about you??

[Marc Fauvet]

boy, they sure like bright colors !     

how did it go, mate ?

cheers,
marc

[Djordje Andjelkovic]

Hi Marc

Yesterday I had 3 pikes on my streamers. I tried all but the best was right side just in the middle.

3,4,6kg pikes.

Not good time for pike, to hot all day - sun, weather not clear, maybe half m visible in the water, but hard work give me the result

[Rob Brownfield]

Baby flies

Strange how I have found dull, realistic flies to be better for the local Pike. I have tried bright, fluorescent flies, but a Perch pattern or something white and silver seem to work the best.

Are you using the old style Partridge Ad Swier hooks?

[Djordje Andjelkovic]

Yes...

I think have enough for few next season.

Even BL, and some fisherman think they will lose pike, I'm not agree with this.

I cough enough pikes to say NOT.

[Mike Barrio]

Lots of nice bright flies Djordje, thanks for the photo, it is always interesting to see what works in different places

Best wishes
Mike

[Marc Fauvet]

Are you using the old style Partridge Ad Swier hooks?

hey Rob,
is there a newer version ?

interesting comment about 'natural' vs 'gaudy' fly color. my experience is the same. i guess it just goes to show that fish can react very differently depending on what part of the world we're fishing.

cheers,
marc

[Rob Brownfield]

Marc,
The Ad Swier hook was replaced in the UL with the Ad Swier "Absolute".

I have lost many Pike on these as I feel the wire is not heavy enough and the hook tends to open out, then spring back once pressure is released.

Here is an Absolute....



compared to the original Ad Swier...

[Marc Fauvet]

ok, thanks. i'd never heard of the Absolute referred to as an Ad Swier before but whatever, it sucks. might be nice for show flies as it's 'pretty' but it's not to be out in the water... 

cheers,
marc

[Peter McCallum]

ok, thanks. i'd never heard of the Absolute referred to as an Ad Swier before but whatever, it sucks. might be nice for show flies as it's 'pretty' but it's not to be out in the water... 

cheers,
marc

Speaking to a friend yesterday who said the same thing. What hooks do you use Marc?

[Marc Fauvet]

the original, Peter and a few various others with crushed barbs. i'm going more and more for shorter shanked hooks with tube-fly bodies. but then, i'm no longer in pike country... 

cheers,
marc

[Rob Brownfield]

ok, thanks. i'd never heard of the Absolute referred to as an Ad Swier before but whatever, it sucks. might be nice for show flies as it's 'pretty' but it's not to be out in the water... 

cheers,
marc

Here you go http://www.partridge-of-redditch.co.uk/products/absolute-predator/27/

I am amazed that Ad came up with this design. It really is a very poor hook for large fish.

My favourite hook just now is the Sakuma Manta or Manta Extra. http://www.sakuma.co.uk/p/303/sakuma-545-manta-extra-hooks-new-size-1-0

The Sakumas are light but very strong and sharp, with a shorter shank that suits my style of pike fly. I am also slowly turning to tube flies for Pike. So much easier to use and less chance of damaging the fish. I also thionk the smaller hooks are less prone to coming out.

[Marc Fauvet]

It really is a very poor hook for large fish.

i could extend that thought to a lot of other species and that's just one of the reasons my signature doesn't have Partridge Pro-Team anymore...

are you fishing the Mantra crushed barb ? if so, how does it hold ?

cheers,
marc

[Rob Brownfield]

Crushed indeed.

Never had an issue as far as I can remember. I have lost fish, but no more than a barbed hook. I am a firm believer that the slightly thicker wire helps hold the hook in, stopping tearing and moving like a fine wire hook does under pressure.

Funny enough, I work with the sister in law of someone high up in Partridge UK. I met him at a party and mentioned that some of the older hooks were better than modern ones and that some hooks. His response was that we the anglers were demanding the newer hooks. Fair enough, but they have to be upto the job. I have lost a load of fish on the Partridge Czech hook, and its all been down to them straightening.

[Djordje Andjelkovic]

As I wrote I use almost all BL Hook for fishing pike. It will be easy to realize pike.

I make some changes to avoid some problems, problems with loosing pike.

As you know with a both hook Bl and non BL when pike keep close mouth you think that you will take pike in net, grip, hand or other..opsssss pike open mouth and you losed pike!!!

How I avoid this. You can see photo. I maek little bit more change to see clear what I do. After I start using this...all pike are mine.  

Maybe you know some company which produce hooks like this. I think that VMC and Mustad make some models

[Marc Fauvet]

Never had an issue as far as I can remember. I have lost fish, but no more than a barbed hook.

i wish more people would come to the same conclusion, Rob.     

good one Djordje     

cheers,
marc

[Rob Brownfield]

Maybe you know some company which produce hooks like this. I think that VMC and Mustad make some models

Gamakatsu do a few sea hooks that may meet your requirements, but they are normally only available in the US.

The image does not do the hook justice..its a lightweight hook.

http://www.gamakatsu.com/fishing-hooks.php?pid=1062

[Djordje Andjelkovic]

Hi Rob

Did you try these hooks or do you use these hooks fishing pike?

I should to try these Sakuma 545 Manta Extra Hooks, but make BL before fishing, of course.

Suggest any shops to bay it...

[Rob Brownfield]

I have tied a few flies on the Gamakatsus, but I have run out of them.

The Sakumas are available online in many different places. I get mine from here http://www.anglerschoice.co.uk/department/sakuma_manta/ or http://www.anglerschoice.co.uk/department/sakuma_manta_ext/ as they are not too far away.

[Djordje Andjelkovic]

Thank you, will order and try

[Will Shaw]

I'm another big fan of the Sakuma Mantas for pike. Really strong and great hookers. Also I like the short-ish shank.

On colour, I'm in a bit of a bright colours phase at the moment. Charteuse, Yellow, and bright orange - any combo of these have been really doing well for me in the last couple of years.

I do still like black/yellow, and white/red though.

And pink...

W.

[Rob Brownfield]

Interestingly, when I started fishing a local shallow loch with the fly I was catching loads of fish on fluro orange, bright yellow and..yes..Pink large flies. This lasted a season. The following season was slower on the bright flies and really tailed off at the end of the year. The third season, I really struggled, until I switched to black or dark green flies...and so the patten repeated.

The same thing has happened to friends fishing large jerkbaits. The fish went made for them, then tailed off, a change to smaller jerkbaits, they came back, and tailed off again.

Seems Pike learn to associate certain colours/size of lures with danger after a while.

[Will Shaw]

Yep, I can buy that Rob. I guess the bigger the stimulus (i.e. the brighter the colour) the bigger the reaction, both positive and negative. Think I read something about that in wider biological studies somewhere - can't remember where though...

W.

[Marc Fauvet]

A+ Rob and Will 

[Djordje Andjelkovic]

Interestingly, when I started fishing a local shallow loch with the fly I was catching loads of fish on fluro orange, bright yellow and..yes..Pink large flies. This lasted a season. The following season was slower on the bright flies and really tailed off at the end of the year. The third season, I really struggled, until I switched to black or dark green flies...and so the patten repeated.

The same thing has happened to friends fishing large jerkbaits. The fish went made for them, then tailed off, a change to smaller jerkbaits, they came back, and tailed off again.

Seems Pike learn to associate certain colors/size of lures with danger after a while.

Yes I agree but this happened all during one season. There was the time when fluo, bright streamers work, then time when no one catch fish because do not have dark streamers in fly boxes  only who has this dark colors 
n
The same situation I saw with a spinner fisherman... no one catch pike with colored streamer and my friend with black lure caught 16 pikes!!!