Pike Opener was on May 8th and we are always so excited to target one our favorite species of fish. This month, we've got a whole week of events and education dedicated to everything Pike (or as we like to call them Ditch Pickles) and you're invited!

Before you hit the water, make sure you have your fishing license for 2024; you can purchase them online by clicking here. Always make sure you check the regulations before you head out; you can review them by clicking here. Please note: as per AlberaRELM.com, "2024-25 Guide to Sportfishing Regulations will be published later than usual. 2023 regulations will apply until the new regulations have been published."

Join the Calgary Women Fly Fishers Club on May 22nd at 7pm for a fun evening of learning how to catch a pike on the fly. Our shop owner, Josh Nugent, will be going over pike behaviour and all the necessary gear you need to catch a pike!

It's one of our favourite events of the year! Join us on May 23rd at 7pm for an epic evening of pike fly fishing films, food, drinks, and the beginning of our annual Pikeapalooza competition. Every year, our customers participate in a fun competition to see who can catch the biggest pike over the weekend of May 24-26th. Participants must stop by the shop to pick up an official 2024 Out Fly Fishing PikeApalooza tape measure.

In order to enter a Pike in the contest:

-Any open body of water within Alberta may be fished during the contest period (May 24th-26th)

-An Official PikeApalooza Tape must be obtained from the shop and utilized (these are provided at no charge)

-Fish must be kept in the water and not brought in the boat to be able to qualify. Go to shore and keep the fish in the water while measuring any fish

-A picture must be taken showing the fish in the water with the tape measure & length measurement visible

-Make a story or post on Instagram or Facebook and tag the shops account to enter your fish. There are no limit to the # of entries each person can have.

Prizes:

-Longest Fish: $100 Donation made in your name to Bow River Trout Foundation, Gift Card from the Shop and a Limited Edition Out Fly Fishing Ditch Pickle Hat & Sticker

-2nd Longest Fish: Pike Fly Line & Ditch Pickle Sticker

-3rd longest Fish: $100 in Pike Flies & Ditch Pickle Sticker

*Any mishandled fish, fish brought in the boat, or fish measured without the official 2024 PikeApalooza tape will disqualify the entry. No prize is as important as the safe release of each fish*

Fish Handling Tips:

• Keep fish in the water. Big pike should not be brought into the bought, if they thrash and or get dropped in the boat that will likely result in the death of one of those fish. The big hens are extremely delicate, despite their aggressive appearance and size
• Never try and hold a pike by its eye sockets! This was common practice 20+ years ago, but those fish were typically being kept to eat, not released, so care and handling of the fish did not have the same focus
• Tailing a pike or a hand along its gill plate is the best way to control it when landing them. Allow them to stay in the water so their body weight is supported by their flotation. Don't grab or touch the gills themselves (or the gill rakers) you can safely hold and control a pike from the gill plate, without ever making contact with their gills
• If you want a photo make sure the camera person is ready before ever lifting the fish from the water. When they are ready you can lift the pike holding it at the knuckle of its tail with one hand, while supporting under its pec fins just behind the head. There is a flat and firm area where the fins originate from the body that is better to lift from than putting your hand under its belly.
• Lifting big pike with a hand under their belly can often result in big fish getting air trapped in them which causes them to float to the surface and flip over upside down. This can also happen when bigger pike tail walk or thrash aggressively on the surface
• If a big fish does get air inside it and can't swim away without flipping upside, simply hold the fish by the tail ( and a hand under its pec fins if that's also needed to keep them up right) Face them into the current or waves in clean water. Eventually the fish will often burp air bubbles and then be able to swim off safely. If they are full of air and they swim off and then float to the surface and flip upside, be sure to retrieve the fish and hold it upright until its able to swim off strongly with no issues from trapped air.

Have fun, be safe and make sure we treat those beautiful Ditch Pickles with care & respect at all times