More piking advice please guys.

[Dick Dastardly]

With the risk of Wiels disease I suppose that could be justification alone Andy? The problems you refer to with gloves are quite true though but the Muskie Armour gloves don't have these problems (well to the same extent).

 

If it will give the novice a bit more confidence to hold the pike correctly then I feel (after giving them a good try) that this out weighs the minor points.Never thought I would say that but the gloves are good.

 

Most guys Ive introduced them to eventually forget them one day and start not using them! but the fact their confidence has been built up enough to do this is justification enough.

 

I found on the many teach ins I did that the "squeamish" factor was the main reason people didn't like to chin pike initially.

 

I in no way endorse the use of garden gloves or even worse those filleting gloves! they are BAD news!

[wayne baker]

That's a good point made by budgie about weils disease. I myself don't wear gloves when unhooking but the potential risks of having open wounds on our hands is a thing as anglers we should be aware of. Thinking back a few years when i use to work in the meat trade i was always going fishing with cuts and stitched up hands and never gave it a thought. If these musky gloves are as good as you say and designed specifically for unhooking they cant be a bad thing

[Rusty]

I found on the many teach ins I did that the "squeamish" factor was the main reason people didn't like to chin pike initially.

 

Exactly! It's not something that most people would readily admit to but it's the main reason I haven't tried fishing for Pike and certainly why I wouldn't try for the first time alone. That's what it boils down to for me, not knowing what to expect when I put my hand into a Pike's gill (is raker rash inevitable?).

 

Will be on the Thames tomorrow with Steve (JV44). I’ll be trotting for anything that likes maggots or lobs but Steve’ll have a couple of pike rods out so if we get lucky things might change.

[Dick Dastardly]

(is raker rash inevitable?).

 

Will be on the Thames tomorrow with Steve (JV44). I’ll be trotting for anything that likes maggots or lobs but Steve’ll have a couple of pike rods out so if we get lucky things might change.

 

 

Eventually!

 

Be good if Steve gets a jack or two as you can then see how its done even give it a go yourself and you will then see there is no great mystery to it or anything to fear. Once that's out of the way I'm sure you will be tempted to have a go for them!

 

The best thing about being shown/having a competent piker with you is that you feel confident in trying to do it as the guy is there to advise and take over if you get flustered! Both good for the pike and the angler.

 

First really deep hooked pike I caught I was "supervised"by one of the UK's top pikers,Stu Gillham.The hooks were well down and I was concerned although I was used to handling pike.He simply said to me to calm down and not worry as if I started to struggle he would take over.Having seen him unhook seemingly impossibly deep hooked fish before all my worries stopped and I did the job my self.Its this confidence that helps you learn and gain confidence in your own abilities.

[duke]

Good Afternoon Budgie

 

You enjoy the Pike fishing, Latvia is the place to be for a long weekend, big fish of all types.

The Latvians eat everything that comes out of the water, pike, carp, river salmon, because the Latvians were under the Soviet rule, until recently the fish are a plenty and big.

I go over every couple of months, cheap as chips to fly.

[Dick Dastardly]

Thats interesting Duke what sort of sizes do the Pike go to there? any species that we dont get here?