Pike caught by mistake

[nicoll]

On the last day of the September (the end of the season for me) I had an
afternoon fly fishing on a loch in the Scottish Highlands. I'd never been
there before but my friend had caught a good trout there earlier in the
season.

I hooked a fish and thought that I was about to land my biggest trout of the
year, but it seamed a bit odd: very near the surface when I played it and
closer in I thought it odd that its nose was out of the water. Closer still
I saw it nose was flat and I realised it wasn't a trout. Although I'd never
seen a pike before I suspected it might be a pike. Unsure what to do and
having heard stories of pikes teeth I thought this was too big for my net
and once in the net what would I do with it anyway. I was considering
cutting my cast but after much wiggling at the bank I managed to let it off
in the water. I checked pictures later and am sure it was a pike.


My questions are

1. Are pike natural to the Highlands? If not how did they get there?

2. Can you eat them?

3. What's the best way to land them?

4. Do you kill all pike (as I've been told this week)?

5. How will pike impact on trout in the loch.

Thanks.

[Derek]

"nicoll" posed the questions...
> On the last day of the September (the end of the season for me) I had an
> afternoon fly fishing on a loch in the Scottish Highlands. I'd never been
> there before but my friend had caught a good trout there earlier in the
> season.
>
> I hooked a fish and thought that I was about to land my biggest trout of
the
> year, but it seamed a bit odd: very near the surface when I played it and
> closer in I thought it odd that its nose was out of the water. Closer
still
> I saw it nose was flat and I realised it wasn't a trout. Although I'd
never
> seen a pike before I suspected it might be a pike. Unsure what to do and
> having heard stories of pikes teeth I thought this was too big for my net
> and once in the net what would I do with it anyway. I was considering
> cutting my cast but after much wiggling at the bank I managed to let it
off
> in the water. I checked pictures later and am sure it was a pike.
>
>
> My questions are
>
> 1. Are pike natural to the Highlands? If not how did they get there?

probably- they are found in the usa canada and most of europe so I would
guess spread around the time of the ice age although not present in all
waters

> 2. Can you eat them?
yes large flakes of meat very tasty from clean water bit muddy from slow
muddy waters

> 3. What's the best way to land them?
depends on your ability and if you are using trebles, the safest is a large
landing net but the trebles can get badly tangled a played out fish can be
landed by hooking a finger behind the gill plate but let an experienced
angler demonstrate this first

> 4. Do you kill all pike (as I've been told this week)?
depends on the owners of the water, I would not unless required to do so

> 5. How will pike impact on trout in the loch.
they tend to result in fewer small fish which can improve the food supply
for the bigger trout result is a larger average size, its a question of
balance a pike population explosion is a disaster on a trout loch. There are
studies by eminent biologists on using Pike to maintain a balanced fish
stock but the jury is still out whether it works or not
Derek





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[W. D. Grey]

In article >, nicoll >
writes
>My questions are
>
>1. Are pike natural to the Highlands? If not how did they get there?
I wouldn't be surprised
>
>2. Can you eat them?
Some people do - Monks used to
>
>3. What's the best way to land them?
Dead
>
>4. Do you kill all pike (as I've been told this week)?

Trout fishermen/game fishermen don't like them, Coarse fishermen love
them.
>
>5. How will pike impact on trout in the loch.

The trout will be severely eaten !

--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk

[W. D. Grey]

In article >, Derek
> writes
>> 5. How will pike impact on trout in the loch.
>they tend to result in fewer small fish which can improve the food supply
>for the bigger trout result is a larger average size, its a question of
>balance a pike population explosion is a disaster on a trout loch. There are
>studies by eminent biologists on using Pike to maintain a balanced fish
>stock but the jury is still out whether it works or not

Hi Derek,

Before you go further - check on the current status of Llandegfedd
Reservoir as a trout fly fishing site. I understand it is not being used
anymore by WSTAA for competitions because the coarse fish situation has
overtaken the trout situation. Pike have been increasing numerically
there over the last few years.
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk

[Derek]

"W. D. Grey" > wrote in message
...
> In article >, Derek
> > writes
> >> 5. How will pike impact on trout in the loch.
> >they tend to result in fewer small fish which can improve the food supply
> >for the bigger trout result is a larger average size, its a question of
> >balance a pike population explosion is a disaster on a trout loch. There
are
> >studies by eminent biologists on using Pike to maintain a balanced fish
> >stock but the jury is still out whether it works or not
>
> Hi Derek,
>
> Before you go further - check on the current status of Llandegfedd
> Reservoir as a trout fly fishing site. I understand it is not being used
> anymore by WSTAA for competitions because the coarse fish situation has
> overtaken the trout situation. Pike have been increasing numerically
> there over the last few years.
> --
> Bill Grey
> http://www.billboy.co.uk
thats exactly my point Bill believe it or not Ladybower has a pike
population ( never caught one personally but seen a whopper and a laddy ex
waterboard has caught a few and removed a huge one from the overspill tower
too) as does Tittesworth Grafham and Rutland they all seem to coexist with
appropriate management .The trouble is on a put and take trout fishery you
dont want a big head of large pike like Llandegfedd has,Pike to 46 pound
are not in a recipe for a good trout fishery so what are the management team
doing about it? doesnt appear to work does it? .There are still a good few
trout in Toddbrook despite it not being stocked these days and being a
coarse fishers water, so it seems that the topgraphy of the water must have
a lot to with it . btw this is the first year I won't have wet a fly line
for trout in the last 25 we are playing about in the sea for a change
Derek


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[W. D. Grey]

In article >, Derek
> writes
>> Before you go further - check on the current status of Llandegfedd
>> Reservoir as a trout fly fishing site. I understand it is not being used
>> anymore by WSTAA for competitions because the coarse fish situation has
>> overtaken the trout situation. Pike have been increasing numerically
>> there over the last few years.
>> --
>> Bill Grey
>> http://www.billboy.co.uk
>thats exactly my point Bill believe it or not Ladybower has a pike
>population ( never caught one personally but seen a whopper and a laddy ex
>waterboard has caught a few and removed a huge one from the overspill tower
>too) as does Tittesworth Grafham and Rutland they all seem to coexist with
>appropriate management .The trouble is on a put and take trout fishery you
>dont want a big head of large pike like Llandegfedd has,Pike to 46 pound
>are not in a recipe for a good trout fishery so what are the management team
>doing about it? doesnt appear to work does it? .There are still a good few
>trout in Toddbrook despite it not being stocked these days and being a
>coarse fishers water, so it seems that the topgraphy of the water must have
>a lot to with it . btw this is the first year I won't have wet a fly line
>for trout in the last 25 we are playing about in the sea for a change
>Derek


In spite of what I wrote above, I spoke to a couple of lads last night
who fished Llandegfedd recently and they all said it was fishing
brilliantly ! So, who do you believe eh?
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk

[W. D. Grey]

In article >, Derek
> writes
>> Before you go further - check on the current status of Llandegfedd
>> Reservoir as a trout fly fishing site. I understand it is not being used
>> anymore by WSTAA for competitions because the coarse fish situation has
>> overtaken the trout situation. Pike have been increasing numerically
>> there over the last few years.
>> --
>> Bill Grey
>> http://www.billboy.co.uk
>thats exactly my point Bill believe it or not Ladybower has a pike
>population ( never caught one personally but seen a whopper and a laddy ex
>waterboard has caught a few and removed a huge one from the overspill tower
>too) as does Tittesworth Grafham and Rutland they all seem to coexist with
>appropriate management .The trouble is on a put and take trout fishery you
>dont want a big head of large pike like Llandegfedd has,Pike to 46 pound
>are not in a recipe for a good trout fishery so what are the management team
>doing about it? doesnt appear to work does it? .There are still a good few
>trout in Toddbrook despite it not being stocked these days and being a
>coarse fishers water, so it seems that the topgraphy of the water must have
>a lot to with it . btw this is the first year I won't have wet a fly line
>for trout in the last 25 we are playing about in the sea for a change
>Derek


In spite of what I wrote above, I spoke to a couple of lads last night
who fished Llandegfedd recently and they all said it was fishing
brilliantly ! So, who do you believe eh?
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk

[Derek]

> In spite of what I wrote above, I spoke to a couple of lads last night
> who fished Llandegfedd recently and they all said it was fishing
> brilliantly ! So, who do you believe eh?
> --
> Bill Grey
> http://www.billboy.co.uk
beats me I bet I can blank if I go to Llandegfedd though (lol) will be back
to fly fishing again next spring. I meant to ask have you fished any of the
Llyns up around Beddgelert (Dinas, Gwynant Llynnau Mymbyr) I drive past
them about once a year ( for a long time) but never see anyone wetting a
line I have to guess there are trout up there if not sea trout as well
Derek


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[W. D. Grey]

In article >, Derek
> writes
>beats me I bet I can blank if I go to Llandegfedd though (lol) will be back
>to fly fishing again next spring. I meant to ask have you fished any of the
>Llyns up around Beddgelert (Dinas, Gwynant Llynnau Mymbyr) I drive past
>them about once a year ( for a long time) but never see anyone wetting a
>line I have to guess there are trout up there if not sea trout as well
>Derek

As for Llandegfedd, I remember once boat fishing there wondering what
fly was doing the business, when next to the boat, a trout rose to a fag
end floating by.

I've never fished the lakes you mention, but at our gathering earlier in
the year when we camped at Cwellyn, Alec and I fished Llyn Cwellyn and
blanked, Dave Lane and Andy fished Llyn Nantlle and Dave managed one
brownie which was eaten for supper!

Alec , Dave and Andy fished Llyn Dywarchen - a lovely little lake, but
they blanked. I would have gone to Dywarchen with Alec, but I decided
to go home instead.
--
Bill Grey
http://www.billboy.co.uk