Utter Claptrap!

[StuMac]

Budgie - you have PM!

[Andy Macfarlane]

On several accasions I have asked for proof that Pike are in indigenous to Scottish waters. I've never once been furnished with any whatsoever. All the 'evidence' has been based on hearsay and conjecture.

Personally, I find it more than hard to believe that fish such as the Char, have managed to naturally circumnavigate the Northern hemisphere whereas, the Pike has not. It seems a little to coincidental that the vast majority of waters in Scotland that contain Char, also contain Pike. What we are led to believe, is that Char are remenants of receding ice-flows, whereas Pike are artificially stocked...of course. How typical of man, to believe that a fish such as the Pike could not populate waters, without intervention.

Alien species are of course nothing new in Scotland. Rainbow Trout are as natural to Scotland as Cherokee Indians but they have still mangaged to avoid the interests of the nature groups. Now it seems we have Steelheads appearing up and down the country. Noone has worried about the ecological disaster they could create and that doesn't include the thousands of Brown Trout stocked into out water every day. I don't actually believe there is a major Trout fishery anywhere in fact, that does not mess around with the eco-system. Trout fishery owners are notorious for messing up thier fisheries.

Large Trout supposedly eat 7 times thier body weight a year, in comparison to Pike, which apparently eats 3-4 times it's body in that time. Since Trout make up the larger population of the 2 species, I wonder which of the two actually causes the greatest amount of damage. Of course the fishery owners aren't going to cause a rumpus over the Trout. It such a bonnie fish after all.

What they actually mean is, Trouters are required by law to pay for thier fishing, whereas Pikers are not. Funny that.

Blah blah bah.

[Ed Matysiak]

"IT HAS been described as the freshwater equivalent of the great white shark: a ferocious predator that can weigh more than 50lbs, armed with rows of razor-sharp teeth, and which devours its own. "

 

What a load of crap! This guy should be a fiction writer not a journalist...wait, arn't they the same thing these days! pfft!

[Dick Dastardly]

A fair reply Stu.

[Newt]

... a ferocious predator that can weigh more than 50lbs, armed with rows of razor-sharp teeth, and which devours its own

 

Leaving out the 'Great White Shark' part, the above seems reasonably accurate - except that 50lb fish are not that common.

[Dick Dastardly]

Your up late Newt or is it early!

[malevans]

Seems a strange mix of fact and surreal rubbish. Great white shark and stuff.....laughable. Eat and eat and eat......if only

Certainly pike are not native to the highlands, the char being landlocked although in origin migratory. I also agree with one poster that I can't believe any serious pike relocation is going on today if at all, it happened a few hundred years ago. Mind you I suppose if just one angler has done it and someone found out, then its true

Whilst I think the pike must be impacting ferox populations I must say that given they are introduced, they fit so well, nothing better than catching a nice pike surrounded by forest and mountians.....rather than the local dual carragway....it just feels right

 

Wait till siluras makes it up there and adjusts to the climate......the thing monster legands are made of.

[Nugg]

I'm not saying that this is the case, but fish can move from one water to another by natural means. Take the humble Stickleback, it has been known to arrive in ditches and pools that have been devoid of fish.

I have even seen one come out of a storm drain, which flooded, during a down poor in the centre of Cirencester, now how would it have got there.

I shall have to go back to see if there are any Pike in there yet.

[Andy Macfarlane]

Who says Highland Pike aren't natural? Has anyone got any proof on the matter or is this just more supposition and conjecture?

Where did these Char come from? Were they on thier own or is there more than a half-decent possibility they were accompanied by Pike. The Northern Hemisphere was completely brackish at one time or another as the Baltic today.

Why wouldn't Pike find thier way here by natural means.

There are small tarns and puddles all over the Highland today with pike in them. I really doubt anyone sad or stupid enough went to the bother of carrying them there. It's hard enough hill-walking to these places, never mind carrying a bucket full of Pike and what would they achieve??

[Newt]

BUDGIE:

Your up late Newt or is it early!

I posted that at 11:54 AM so just a couple minutes shy of local noon. I'm usually up by that time even on days when I won't be fishing.