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"The Prince of Predators"
Part one By Dave Kyte

The pike is simply a long, green and very mean eating machine that preys on all other freshwater fish, the only exception being tench. It targets sick and injured fish, will attack keepnets and snatch small fish from your line, but despite their aggressive nature in the water, out of it they are very vulnerable and should be treated with great care. They are the third largest species in British fresh waters, only beaten by the catfish and carp, and the record stands at a massive 46 lbs. 13 ozs.

If you want to start pike fishing then there several basic steps to take before you even think about hooking one. Because of the pike's potentially huge size the first point is how are you going to land it? There's no point in panicking after you're hooked it, you need to plan in advance what to do The main item you will need is a landing net big enough to do the job, and then some. It's no good skimping on the net to find that your "fish of a lifetime" won't fit in it, bearing in mind that a 20 lbs plus pike is around 3' long. They can also be slid out of the water where it is shallow, by carefully slipping your hand under the gill cover, taking care not to touch any of the feathery gills in the process.

The next question is where are you going to land it? If you are on a high bank make sure you can reach the water, if you have a tree lined river bank make sure you have enough room to follow the fish during the fight and check out potential snags, fallen branches, roots and weed beds.

Once you have landed your pike you will need to deal with the tricky job of unhooking. No mean feat when the mouth is stuffed with sharp teeth and you will need a pair of long nosed pliers, artery forceps and a good unhooking mat to lay the fish on, but a set of quality wire cutters are also very important. These must be good enough to cut not only wire but through hooks as well so that a badly hooked fish can be dealt with quickly and efficiently. Speed is necessary for the survival of these large specimens so don't be afraid to chop up traces and hooks in order to get them back into the water quickly.

Finally you will probably want to weigh and photograph your specimen so use a weigh sling on your scales, don't hook them under the gills, cradle the fish carefully when taking a photo before returning it to the water.

If you want to catch one of these giant predators learn all you can about them, follow our series of articles, treat them with respect and find an experienced pike angler to go with. The Pike Anglers' Club of Great Britain & Ireland has a network of regional of Associations and provides quarterly magazines, public liability insurance and syndicated waters for members as well as loads of advice. Details from Howard Yendle (Dept. P&P),50 Hewell Street, Penarth, Cardiff, CF6 1JZ with an A4 S.A.E. and don't forget to send details of your catches to us at www.fishingworld.co.uk
The pike is simply a long, green and very mean eating machine that preys on all other freshwater fish, the only exception being tench. It targets sick and injured fish, will attack keepnets and snatch small fish from your line, but despite their agressive nature in the water, out of it they are very vulnerable and should be treated with great care. They are the third largest species in British fresh waters, only beaten by the catfish and carp, and the record stands at a massive 46 lbs. 13 ozs.