Saskatchewan’s Cree River belongs on every pike angler’s bucket list—especially if you fly fish. Here’s why

#4  The shallow-water sight fishing is exceptional

I’ve long maintained that when big pike are in shallow water, fly fishing is as effective as spin fishing, and sometimes a even more so, especially if you’re a skilled caster. That said, the way my group of anglers dramatically out-fished the spin anglers in camp that week was somewhat of a fluke. Our four straight days of clear skies and warm temperatures brought big pike into shallow, ultra-clear water. These fish were often in a neutral mood, and not actively feeding… but if you put something slow, suspending and seductive in front of them, they’d still bite. Under those conditions, our big streamer flies, crafted with materials that make them sparkle, suspend and undulate, were the perfect bait.

However we also found pike by blind casting, in places where the big mamas were actively feeding, like slightly deeper water (as in three feet), and around structure and current breaks. Those were actually my favourite catches, including the fish above—the result of a cast into the reeds that I described on the first page. There are few experiences in fishing—let alone fly fishing—that compare to the up-close strike of a northern pike. Those are moments you’ll replay in your head for years.