Few moments in fly fishing are as spectacular as the explosive strike of a hungry pike on the water’s surface. As we enter the peak season for popper fishing for pike, three popper enthusiasts share why this type of fly is their absolute favorite for pike fishing.
By Peter Lyngby
Kenneth Giese Hejnfelt grew up dry-fly fishing in South Jutland. After moving to Funen, he missed the visual aspect of fly fishing. A fishing buddy later introduced him to pike fly fishing, and it was a revelation.
“For me, the visual aspect is everything in fly fishing, and it doesn’t get much wilder than when a pike brutally attacks your popper on the surface. Poppers are always my first choice, and it’s possible to tempt pike into surface strikes year-round. Of course, it’s harder in winter, but the prime season is now, in the months following the closed season.
“I prefer warm days, and when I can, I’ll float in my belly boat just beyond the weed beds, casting toward the shore. Pike are amazing fish. While they can be moody, anyone can enjoy popper fishing in May,” Kenneth explains.
Professional Popper Flies
Johannes Kaalø Junge has been fly fishing for pike with poppers for over eight years. Frustrated by the lack of Danish resources on the technique, he created the website Junge Style Pike Fly to share his experiences.
“Pike are my favorite fish, and I love the adrenaline rush that popper fishing brings. I wade in shallow lakes 95% of the time, and my ideal conditions are warm evenings with about 15°C air temperature and a slight ripple on the surface. That’s when poppers can work magic.
“There’s nothing wilder than a pike brutally attacking your popper on the surface!”
“Forget the massive poppers you see some international pike anglers using. In my experience, a 15-20 cm popper works much better. They’re easier to cast and result in fewer missed strikes. While trophy pike rarely go for poppers, I’ve experimented extensively with this technique.
“I started Junge Style to share my knowledge, but soon people urged me to sell my flies. The business took off, and today I sell poppers across Europe and even receive orders from the U.S. My current favorite is an orange segmented popper with a trailing green Dragon Tail. Last season, I caught over 25 pike on a single fly before it finally gave out,” Johannes shares.
From Spinning to Fly Fishing for Pike
Dennis Arnsberg, a seasoned pike angler, transitioned from spinning to fly fishing last year. Though new to fly fishing, Dennis is well-versed in surface pike tactics.
“I’ve caught plenty of pike on surface lures with spinning gear. In smaller forest lakes, I’ve had great success with rubber frogs in lily pads. There’s nothing like the rush of a summer evening when a pike’s wake rises behind the lure.
“In larger lakes or open brackish waters, I’ve used traditional hardbait poppers from a boat. Early mornings and evenings are prime times for pike during late spring. I often focus on poppers later in the day, when surface strikes are most frequent,” Dennis explains.
Popper Techniques and Strategy
While all three anglers agree on the thrill of popper fishing, their approaches vary.
“The strike is the ultimate experience in popper fishing, but don’t assume pike will always line up to hit your fly. Focus on areas no deeper than 1.5 meters. Sometimes, I search the water with a sinking fly and switch to a popper once I locate fish. I usually start with a steady retrieve using both hands, keeping the rod under my arm.
“This creates a consistent surface wake that intrigues pike. Once I find fish, I vary the retrieve speed and incorporate pauses. Lately, I’ve been using slow intermediate or hover lines instead of traditional floating lines, allowing me to sink the line slightly before retrieving the fly,” Johannes advises.
Kenneth prefers to go all-in with poppers. “I almost exclusively fish with poppers on floating lines. If I suspect fish are in an area, I’ll give it 30 minutes to an hour with a popper before considering other flies.
“Pike, when in the right mood, will strike anything, but that’s not always the case. I’ve downsized my poppers to 10-15 cm and slowed my retrieve. Pauses are underrated—I’ll often make just a few pulls to create surface commotion, then let the fly sit.
“Try counting to 20 or 30 before moving the fly again. It sounds like a long time, but pike often creep up and strike out of nowhere, even when the popper is nearly still. If you have followers, increase the retrieve speed or switch to a smaller, more subtle popper,” Kenneth suggests. Dennis echoes the importance of pauses.
“On some days, the height or depth of the popper between pops can make a difference. Pauses are especially effective for finicky pike. Of course, when the fish are aggressive, you often won’t even get to the pause before a strike,” Dennis laughs.
Pre-Made Popper Heads
Modern pike flies can be overwhelming with their variety of types and styles. However, the three anglers agree that popper fishing doesn’t need to be complicated. While they all appreciate well-designed flies, they admit that many of the colors and glitter appeal more to anglers than to pike.
From below, pike mostly see a silhouette moving on the surface. Pre-made foam popper heads from tackle shops, combined with a simple tail, are often more than enough to entice strikes.
Brown and Orange Bulkhead
This popper, designed by skilled fly tier Søren Flarup, is inspired by American muskie expert Brad Bohen’s Buford fly. It features a muddler-style head enhanced by a foam disc, allowing it to float or dive slightly when retrieved. The design works both on the surface and with sinking or intermediate lines.
Materials
- Hook: Ahrex TP605 size 6/0
- Thread: Black UTC and white GSP 200D
- Tail: Orange bucktail and Dark Olive grizzly hackles
- Flash: Firetiger, gold, and copper Flashabou mix
- Body: Dark Tan and Mocca nayat hair
- Body Hackle 1: Brown and black marabou
- Wing: Dark Olive grizzly hackles
- Body Hackle 2: Brown, black, and Orange Barred marabou
- Head: Brown deer hair with a Pacchiarini Waterpushing Disc, Barred Fluo Orange
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Start with black thread and tie a small bundle of bucktail as the tail.
- Add a narrow grizzly hackle on each side of the tail, followed by a bundle of Flashabou on top.
- Tie in two bundles of nayat hair, one on top and one underneath. Fold back and secure.
- Add a brown marabou feather and wrap it in front of the nayat. Repeat with black marabou.
- Add more hackles and Flashabou, then finish with deer hair and a foam disc.
