By Joe Cermele

Whenever I tell people I love chasing chain pickerel on the fly, they look at me funny. I don't think they disrespect the species, but they just think there are much better things to catch in late March and early April. To this I say find me a 10-inch stocked trout that slams a fly as violently as a pickerel or fights as hard. If you're jonesing to catch members of the Esox family on the fly, I promise chains are much easier to find and hook than pike and muskies. You still get the V-wake, the follow, and the slam, but you get to do it with a 4-weight outfit instead of an 8. Perhaps the video below will inspire you to give it a go. I put it together partly to spread my belief that flyfishing for picks will be the next flyfishing for carp (snicker) and partly because I wanted an excuse to ditch the office and go pickerel fishing last Friday. Enjoy

Comments (13)

from badsmerf wrote 10 weeks 5 days ago

Looks fun. I'll bet pike in small rivers in the mid-west will love this too.

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from hermit crab wrote 10 weeks 5 days ago

Love it! I love fishing for pike on the fly. Wish I had some local ponds with chain pickerel in them, I'd be all over it.

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from labrador12 wrote 10 weeks 5 days ago

Hard to believe that they don't suck that baby into their gills. I usually use poppers and they take them down pretty far.

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from Brian Phipps wrote 10 weeks 5 days ago

looks like a blast

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from DSMbirddog wrote 10 weeks 5 days ago

Great video, Joe. Thanks.

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from rpm13 wrote 10 weeks 3 days ago

I live near where he is fishing (NJ Pinelands) and have always wanted to try this.........GOING OUT THIS WEEKEND!!!!!!

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from Joe_Cermele wrote 10 weeks 3 days ago

Let us know how you do, RPM!

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from rjw wrote 10 weeks 3 days ago

Heck I ain't mad at you for catching Pickerel, they do fight much better than stocked trout. Plus you broke out your vise and showed some tying skills.

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from bberg7794 wrote 10 weeks 3 days ago

Nice video!

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from sgtsly wrote 9 weeks 2 days ago

What kind of fiber did you use for the body? Couldn't understand.

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from Tall Bob wrote 9 weeks 1 day ago

I also couldn't get the fiber you used for the body - any chance you could put up a list of all the materials used to make the fly? Can't wait to try it in Maine - when the ice is out.

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from Joe_Cermele wrote 9 weeks 1 day ago

Hey guys, sorry for the delayed reply. Just saw your comments:

Body: Puglisi Fiber
Flash: Pearl Flashabou
Hooks: Size 6 and size 2 streamer hooks, connected with 40-pound braided line
Head: Marabou feathers
Weight: Small dumbbell eye

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from Tall Bob wrote 9 weeks 23 hours ago

Thanks Joe - on my way to the local fly shop for materials

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from sgtsly wrote 9 weeks 2 days ago

What kind of fiber did you use for the body? Couldn't understand.

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from Joe_Cermele wrote 9 weeks 1 day ago

Hey guys, sorry for the delayed reply. Just saw your comments:

Body: Puglisi Fiber
Flash: Pearl Flashabou
Hooks: Size 6 and size 2 streamer hooks, connected with 40-pound braided line
Head: Marabou feathers
Weight: Small dumbbell eye

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from badsmerf wrote 10 weeks 5 days ago

Looks fun. I'll bet pike in small rivers in the mid-west will love this too.

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from hermit crab wrote 10 weeks 5 days ago

Love it! I love fishing for pike on the fly. Wish I had some local ponds with chain pickerel in them, I'd be all over it.

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from labrador12 wrote 10 weeks 5 days ago

Hard to believe that they don't suck that baby into their gills. I usually use poppers and they take them down pretty far.

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from Brian Phipps wrote 10 weeks 5 days ago

looks like a blast

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from DSMbirddog wrote 10 weeks 5 days ago

Great video, Joe. Thanks.

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from rpm13 wrote 10 weeks 3 days ago

I live near where he is fishing (NJ Pinelands) and have always wanted to try this.........GOING OUT THIS WEEKEND!!!!!!

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from Joe_Cermele wrote 10 weeks 3 days ago

Let us know how you do, RPM!

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from rjw wrote 10 weeks 3 days ago

Heck I ain't mad at you for catching Pickerel, they do fight much better than stocked trout. Plus you broke out your vise and showed some tying skills.

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from bberg7794 wrote 10 weeks 3 days ago

Nice video!

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from Tall Bob wrote 9 weeks 1 day ago

I also couldn't get the fiber you used for the body - any chance you could put up a list of all the materials used to make the fly? Can't wait to try it in Maine - when the ice is out.

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from Tall Bob wrote 9 weeks 23 hours ago

Thanks Joe - on my way to the local fly shop for materials

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