For a fly fisherman like Yuriy Kostyantynovych, catching a trophy pike on streamers is nothing short of a dream! “And dreams simply must be turned into reality!”—with this motto, Yuriy set off to England, heading to the legendary and renowned Rutland Water Reservoir, famous across all of Europe.
England is a country that is a major administrative and political part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The country has a temperate maritime climate: it is mild, with temperatures just slightly above 0°C in winter and not much above 22°C in summer. The weather is generally relatively wet and variable. The coldest months of the year are considered to be January and February, particularly along the English coast, while July is considered the warmest month of the year. The months of May, June, September, and October can be considered to have mild and warm weather.
Rutland Water is a reservoir located in the English county of Rutland, covering an area of 10 square kilometers with a volume of 120 million cubic meters. Along with Kielder Water in Northumberland, it is considered one of the largest reservoirs in England. It was built in 1976 on the River Gwash in the Welland River basin between the towns of Oakham and Stamford. On the peninsula formed by the bend of the reservoir lies the village of Hambleton, and near the dam is the village of Empingham. The reservoir is home to many different species of fish, but it is particularly famous for its large trophy pike. Rutland is a challenging body of water, with varied landscapes and submerged obstacles, making the task of catching a big predator quite difficult.
The pike… Probably every angler has caught this beauty, with its sleek body and large mouth lined with dozens of sharp, blade-like teeth. The predator’s body length can reach up to 1.5 meters, and its weight can be up to 35 kilograms (usually around 1 meter and 8 kilograms). The coloration is variable and depends on the environment: depending on the nature and degree of vegetation, the fish can be gray-green, gray-yellow, or gray-brown, with a darker back and sides marked by large brown or olive spots that form dark transverse stripes. The unpaired fins are yellowish-gray, brown with dark spots; the paired ones are orange. Pike usually feed on fish. The pike’s body is elongated and arrow-shaped, with a very elongated head and a lower jaw that juts forward. The teeth on the lower jaw are of various sizes and serve to grip the prey. The pike is a strong and powerful opponent. This fish can leap out of the water, creating what is known as a “candle,” shaking its head during the flight in an attempt to free itself from the hook, and underwater, it can show you strong and active jerks in different directions.
It is believed that fly fishing for pike is in some way a special kind of fishing and is intended exclusively for use in fast-flowing rivers where fish like salmon and grayling live. Despite this belief, fly fishing for pike is becoming increasingly popular today. This method of fishing, like many others, has its own characteristics. You can use a rod of any class for fishing, just as with spinning; you can catch pike on both heavy and light rods. But with any method of fishing, it is necessary to follow the principle of comfortable reeling in of the fish. If you adhere to this principle, you should use fly rods ranging from 5 to 10 weight for pike fishing. Proper selection of the fly is a very responsible process because much of the overall success of the fishing depends on it.
For pike fishing, the use of streamers is widespread. These lures imitate small fish, tadpoles, frogs, or small mice and are very effective at attracting large trophy pike.
Yuriy Kostyantynovych caught trophy English pike using streamers. According to the angler, this type of predator fishing provides a wealth of emotions. Unlike spinning, first, you see the powerful strike on the water’s surface with your own eyes, and second, the method of reeling in these “crocodiles” is thrilling, offering an indescribable rush of emotions and adrenaline—a truly exhilarating way to relax!
