Pike Fishing in Holland
During autumn and winter (if it’s not freezing) I love to go after Pike in our old Dutch polders. Walking for hours and hours and not meeting anyone else, except maybe my fishing pal. What we do meet is a lot of wildlife. How many times did my heart jump when suddenly a big Hare takes off right in front of my feet! They are so good at keeping a low profile until the very last moment. The same goes for Jack Snipe. Those lovely delicate birds can flutter up at the most unexpected moments and make your heart jump. Golden moments. In the meantime we cast our streamers or spinners in the shallow water in search of pike and the odd perch.
Did I say “spinners”? Yes, I did. I consider myself “an allround fisherman with a preference for fly fishing”. For trout, I only fish with a fly. But for pike, I just as much love fishing with some vintage (ultra) light spinning tackle. Talking about “Golden Moments“….hope you like this short video which I made when I paddled home after a splendid day’s pike fishing in a Dutch polder. Speechless…
Below 2 short videos about the history of the famous -and amazing- Dutch ultra light spinner, the Ondex which is still made by Rublex in Spain. It was designed by Nelis Vogel in the 1950’s and he was also the founder of the Dutch wholesale fishing tackle company “Albatros“. I believe this spinner was introduced to me by my late friend Rob Vermij. He usually had to laugh a little when I was enthusiastically waving my streamer rod around while he was pulling one beautiful pike after another out of the water with his refined casting technique and an Ondex 5 spinner. Believe it or not, I once saw Rob catch 24 (twenty-four) pike in one day!
Most of the times I use a size 5 or 4 Ondex on my vintage bamboo Pezon et Michel BB2 rod with a vintage Abu 33 spinning reel and 18/100 mm Stroft ABR nylon. Don’t forget to add a metal wire and anti-kink device!
By the way: don’t be fooled by the current Ondex spinners sold by Albatros. They are a weak derivative of the real thing made in China using lousy steel. (Nelis Vogel would turn in his grave…) Get them from Rublex Spain, the Rublex logo / brand is stamped on the blades.
Carousel with pike fishing related photographs. Click on the images for large versions.
