Paolo Pacchiarini

This months featured fly tier is Italian Paolo Pacchiarini. Here are three of his smaller baitfish patterns he sent through to me last season to try out.


This Black/orange had a one of the softer wave tails he markets and until it got bitten off this fly was simply unstoppable.

This Pink/white Bunker baitfish also incorporated one of his soft wave tails but this one snapped off after gettig wrapped around a reed stem....I aso cut away the weedguard on this fly. I've since tied one of the stronger plastic coated wiggle tails to this fly to see how it will fair.


This Black/white model has a felt double tail and had a small lead sinker attached to the front of the fly. Not a fly to be cast in strong winds, but an excelllent jigging fly over deep drop offs!

Fly swaps!

Last year while attending the Swedish fly fair I was fortunate to meet master fly tier Ole Kristian Skaar and since then we've hit up quite a friendship. So it was only obvious that I would eventually ask him for a fly swap and I have to say this set of classic spey flies he sent me are the nuts! All are used on the famous Norwegian Gaula salmon river by Ole and are practical works of art. If your a collector like myself or fly fish for salmon, then visit his website "Flies of Norway"
To order yourself a set of his flies. Thanks for these Ole they are absolutely stunning mate!

Fly Swaps!

Sorry for not being around for the last week or so, but a trip down the South coast over the new year period and some quite painfull back problems have kept me away from the laptop. Fused Muscles in my lower back and damaged nerves have had me in hospital for a couple of days on a mix of morish pain killers! Anyway more on that when I know the true extent of the damage. Thought I'd start the week off with a couple of fly swaps I've been involved in. This stunning creation is from a fantastic fly tier Called Holger Lachman from Germany.Its a tandem rig purely made from Raccoon fur with a smattering of flash thrown in for good measure.Total length 130cm.
This over sized Sculpin pattern is from world renowned fly tier & good friend Ulf Hagstrom. I'm just digging these new sculpin fish skull heads from Flymen fishing co.

Maybe not specificaly designed for us pike fly fisherman but still very tasty all the same. They still add some fantastic extra weight to any fly you add them to and still give a wonderful jigging action to your flies that need to be fished at deeper depths.

Fly Swap with Mike Williams!

Another fly tier that has blown me away over the last year or so is a chap called Mike Williams who writes the very popular blog "Bigflychucker" . This guy is really pushing the bounderies with regards to fly construction and has become not only a great resource but a massive inspiration with regards to my own fly tying. I was so impressed with his "Duckling fly" that I knew I needed one for my collection.

This fly is simply one of the best I have in my growing wall of fame. I have had it on the water but just to see how it floats and it looks the bollocks I can tell yeh! Two sections of round foam tubing are mounted onto a double hook then layers of under feathers strategically tied on to form the body of the duckling. It also has a couple of rubber jig tails mounted to imitate the ducklings flapping feet as it moves on the surface....Fucking genious!

Mike you know I've been busy with moving,my trip here but I have nearly completed your flies for the swap my friend. Thanks for this, it's the shizzel brotha! You all need to visit his blog and bookmark it cause this guy kicks ass! "Bigflychucker"

Mike Smalls Musky/Pike madness

Here are a couple more Musky/Pike flies from Mike Small that will eventually feature in Balticpikeflies.com. The top one is another version of the Slide Winder and is a combination of flash, fur & feathers and will retail for $25,00

This ones called the "Cone Head" and can be fished as a surface lure or mid depth. Personally I'm not a big fan of these cones on pike flies as you need to work extra hard to impart any action on the fly and they are a bugger to cast but I was pleasantly surprised how light it was and especially how well it swam. These will be retailing for $20,00 Click images for larger view!

More from Mike Small

Here are a couple more flies from Mike Small that will be retailing in my fly shop.This one is called the "Hawg Frawg" and has become one of Mikes go to patterns. They become deadly when thrown into the bank,grass or brush then pulled into the water. They can also be fished with a sink tip,starting with a few pops on the surface,then retrieve it the rest of the way like a streamer.It will rise slowly between strips. Retail price $22,oo


This one is called the "Slide winder" and is primarily a surface fly that has a great "walk the dog" action. Dropping the tip as you strip gives the fly a little slack and allows it too swing sideways (or vertically) and will retail for $25,00.Here is a short video of the flies in action at the Milwaukee Musky expo.

Mike Smalls Musky/Pike madness

Many of you might remember this video I featured at the beginning of the year with regards to Mike Smalls musky/pike flies swimming action in a testing tank at the musky expo.


Well over the last couple of months I've been toying with the idea of not only featuring but also selling other like minded Pike & Musky fly tiers flies in my Baltic pike flies shop. Flies that aren't produced in some dingey sweat shop buy by the tiers themselves.Each will have their own page of six flies to showcase and retail. The first of these fly tiers is newly aquired friend Mike Small. The quality of these flies are unbelievable and are proven musky/pike/Bass catchers. This one is called "The snake eater" and is around 13" inches in length & is a combination of feathers,synthetics and flash and retails for $32,00

This second one, "The Rainbow leach" comes in at 14" inches and is similar to "The Snake eater" in length, materials and swimming action (above Video) and retails for $35,00. I've tested all these flies this autumn with regard to casting and fishing them and they are fun fun fun,I can tell yeh! I'll be featuring a couple more of Mike flies tomorrow, Click images for larger view!

Fly swaps!

Another fly tier who I have come to admire over the last couple of yrs is my mate James Plante from "The Salty Riffle" blog and so when He asked for a fly swap I jumped at the chance to get hold of some of his flies. I've kept the yellow one aside for a frame but the other two I'm taking out to South Africa with me to hit the surf.

He also sent me this double stinger pike fly in chartreuse and white Icelandic sheep hair which has already seen some action but as Chartreuse hasn't been working for me too well this Autumn Its going to get a hammering in the spring time. I still have this evening and the weekend still to fish before I pack the rods away for my trip so Once I get out to South Africa I'll stick up my stats for this season. 240 consecutive days fished and over 2800 pike caught and released. Anyway thanks for these awesome flies James,much appreciated mate and I'll send you some images with fish caught with them once I'm out there.

Featured fly tiers -Mike Schmidt

I've been fortunate to be part of some fantastic fly swaps over the last couple of months with some of my favourite fly tiers from around the world. Mike Schmidt is one of them. He hails from Dublin Ohio in the States and is someone who's tying skills I admire very much. These 6" - 8" inch double decievers can be found in his fly shop anglerschoiceflies.com where he has a wide range of Saltwater,Warmwater, Coldwater for Trout, Pike, Steelhead and Bonefish. He also runs the very popular Anglerschoiceflies.blogspot.com

Cheers for the flies Mike,muchos muchos mate!

The dry fly bird fly by Rowland Frazier

I recieved this gorgeous fly in the post yesterday from my very good friend Rowland Frazier. During a very enjoyable skype session a few weeks back the talk of a new fly he had designed and tied to immitate a struggling bird on the surface of the water was discussed.

Its a wonderful creation which I'm in two minds whether to fish with it or frame it. knowing me though I'm bound to give it a go as I'm intrigued how it performs on the surface. The front feathers tied in a fan formation are surprisingly stiff and will definitely push a hell of a lot of water with each strip of the line. They've been butted up against some deer hair for extra rigidity.

The stiff tail feathers have been tied on splayed outwards also for extra movement of water as its retieved back. Total length - 100mm and is so light you dont even feel it in your hand. Thanks for this Rowland, Your constant thinking outside the box with regards to pike flies is why I hold you in such high regard as one of the most innovative pike fly tiers around my friend.

I'll start your flies soon for your Canada trip Rowland,greetings from Finland.

Pat Cohen"The deerhair guru"

So Pats flies arrived yesterday and all I can say is they are the dogs fucking bollocks! They're even better in the flesh and I am so stoked to have a set. Pure works of art that are going to get mullard this coming season. I can honestly say they are the best divers I have ever seen and the craftsmanship that has gone into them is second to none. Each head has been given a coating of UV resin for extra strength and a double weed guard. For any fly fisherman that likes to fish with surface lures for pike 'n Bass then I highly recommend you get hold of Pat and order a set for your fly box. You can email him here ( pcohen4@nycap.rr.com ) or visit his very popular blog "Warm water journal"












Pat.....Thanks for these brotha! they are nuts and I bow down in awe at your tying skills.