Fly Fishing for Pike- Pike eats Pike on film!

[CH59MI]

This was an amazing experience so I thought I'd share it here. All handle names are Members of a forum here in NM.

This weekend ManleyFisher (Doug) and I took a ride up to Express UU Bar Ranch to take advantage of one of the last weeks of their fishing season.
We stopped at the office, paid our dues then made way for the Lagoons!
Upon arrival we noticed the water levels are down significantly since I had been there last. Doug started casting as I was filming and within 2 casts he got sliced off by a big fish. So as he was rigging up I started working and sure enough; on my first cast I get nailed and he fish sliced my line immediately! So Doug and I both tied on 40# fluoro leaders but right away Doug got sliced off again... I wasn't going to risk it again so I pulled out the Umpqua steel leaders I got from Gudfshn3 at Charlies Sporting Goods here in Albuquerque. No problems from there on.

We landed over 30 fish each that day and most of them came from the first and second pond from Miami Lakes dam. The third pond was very low and the fourth pond had deep water but getting to it without sinking neck deep in suit!
Early in the morning I had a pike hat was ~15" attack my fly. as I was reeling him in I saw a huge pike come chasing him voraciously! The fish panicked to get away swimming circle and darting around in the shallow water as the big fish circled around for another attack. Just as the big fish tried to strike again, my catch made a last ditch effort to survive and buried itself in the weeds align the shore and the by fish missed again. I saw the big fish circle again and was waiting several feet of shore as I was walking closer to free my fish from the weeds. I was pulling of the massive heap of weeds the pike had cloaked itself with and as soon as the fish was freed it started splashing around and suddenly I see the big fish appear again. I stand from a crouch and BOOM!! GARBAGED!! LOL. The fish started swimming off and I tried to get my line untangled from laying on the ground when the fish let go and my juvenile came back in deep shock.
Later that day I ended up losing a huge pike that had a girth more like that of a Tiger Muskie! The fish charged my fly just feet from the shore and nailed my bait, I got a good holiday but lost it after a short battle?
Odd enough, I ended up catching the fish that attacked my catch later on during the day. I could tell it was the same fish because of the strange bright orange dot on it's head.
All in all it was an amazing day and I hope to be back up here again in the spring but WE/NM NEEDS WATER... BAD!!

Here's the link to the video footage from this trip.

http://www.fishenchantment.com/13.html OR http://www.youtube.com/user/NMFISHN

[Lucius]

Matt,
That is bad ace....but you never called me to come down and meet you, what is up with that...Looks like a blast. My quesiton is do you ever catch them there with spinning rods?

Buddy

[clarkhess122]

That looks like a ridiculous amount of fun. On the fly too! I am seriously jealous right now. :D

[muskyhunter]

Pretty awesome video. Looks like a perfect reason to release alot of those "trophy" northerns. Hint, Hint Pend O'reille.. The big fish obviously help with controlling the smaller fish ?
Are those lagoons breeding areas for the Northerns? Maybe like the ponds in Utah? How does New Mexico do their Tiger fishery? In that I mean do they go through a private farm like Wa. State does? Just wondering on that is all. Looks like a blast. Take it easy, Todd

[Natebg1]

Awesome Video, and Great Post, glad to see that the Pike are well and strong even in a drought!!! I guess that shows that Pike are resilient and can deal with even the harshest of elements. Now if we could just show more people that Pike do take care of there own population, Catch, Release, and Photo would probably be a little more accepted. Guess we Pike Lovers just have to keep educating and teaching those around us that Pike aren't so bad even though they can breed like crazy. Power to the Pike, and educating on the importance of Catch, Photo, and Release!!! I will ensure to get this video out to my buddies, I am sure they will absolutely love it, oh by the way when do we get a shot at those bruisers? I know Lucius and I are certainly waiting, and I am pretty sure old Sparky would love a shot too!!! Sounds like a Road Trip is in Order!!! Thoughts???

Nate

[CH59MI]

Matt,
That is bad ace....but you never called me to come down and meet you, what is up with that...Looks like a blast. My question is do you ever catch them there with spinning rods?

Buddy

Haha- You would have had a blast! But I had to make sure there were fish for me to catch too you know! LOL I'm ready to do some fishing, you tell me when and where!! You ever fish the Rio Grande for Pike in northern NM or southern CO?

To answer several questions/comments in general...
Express UU Bar Ranch has ponds all over their property. Miami Lake is part of their land agreement so guest of the ranch have access to Miami Lake also. Miami Lake is ~150acre lake that is loaded with Pike and Perch. Below it's dam they built 4 additional dams across the old river bead. These ponds are known as "The Lagoons". As far as I can tell there is only Pike, perch and catfish in these ponds. It's EPIC fishing every time I've been there and I plan on going back in the Spring if they are inclined to have me. The lagoons are not breeding areas intentionally but they do reproduce very well but they are not transferring any of them into other waters.
Here's the link to more info: http://www.expressuubar.com/hunting-fis ... es-prices/
The guided day trip is $375 or you can stay at the ranch for 2 days and 2 nights for $995.

Muskyhunter-
NM has our TM shipped in from Penn as eggs. Then the Rock Lake State hatchery here in Santa Rosa NM does the rest. Our club has been fortunate enough to be a big part of raising TM fingerlings alongside NMDGF and look forward to being an asset to our fisheries in any way. NMDGF has adopted the "stock fry and juveniles every other year" philosophy. I think it's going to reduce competition and in turn start growing bigger TM. Our lakes get stocked with fry in the spring and some of those fish are held back to grow to fingerlings via minnow feed (minnows funded by Chapter 59 thanks to Hugh C Becker Foundation). Last year we helped raise/stock 5,000 fingerlings... they were the first batch of fingerlings to be raised in NM and stocked into Bluewater. The 2012 batch will go into both lakes, Quemado and Bluewater.