Ullswater(Cumbria) Pike

[wellyphant]

Ullswater is full own brown trout and perch,with that in mind I'd have thought that if there were any pike in the lake,they would thrive with so much food.

[Phone]

welly,

 

Yes, your original question suggested as much. No doubt the problem (if it is a problem) is not a food source.

 

Phone

[lutra]

I'm only repeating what I was told Brian, (personally) I haven't gbot a clue about the lack of pike in Ullswater.

Sorry Ian I was just pointing out that my informant didn't agree with yours in that there are some pike in there.

 

No time now to look things up (work), but maybe with it being well east it brushes with different kinds of rock that give it a different ph level to other lakes in that area? Its long been known as a better trout water than a lot of lakes up there and trout anglers haven't always got on with pike......

Edited October 3, 2014 by lutra

[philocalist]

I'm not aware of anyone ever offering a plausible, categoric answer about the apparent lack of pike ion Ullswater. I've was there just a couple of weeks back, and the place ALWAYS seems to cry out 'PIKE!!!!!' ... but although pike ARE occasionally caught from the lake it is a real rarity - some of the local boat-hire places will acually refund your boat hire fee if you catch one, and local anglers refer anecdotally to the occasinal (smaller) pike being caught, but I've yet to meet anyone who has actually caught one, or even sen one with their own eyes.

Perceived / accepted wisdon is that it IS a geology / lead problem, though I've never seen conclusive proof of hat assertion.

 

Plenty of perch in there (if you can get through the trout :-) ), and the lake sometimes thows up some truly massive eels too.

[Latimeria]

There's nothing that would affect pike without affecting other species, they'll live across a broad range of pH, salinity and temperatures, they're no more sensitive to heavy metals than anything else as far as I'm aware (and there'd be published research to back it up if so). Might be something limiting reproduction such as fluctuating levels or lack of suitable substrate, could be lack of suitable zooplankton at a critical point before they switch to piscivory.

[Phone]

Latimera,

 

— Search

Limnological characteristics of Ontario lakes in relation to associations of walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum), northern pike (Esox lucius), lake trout (Salvelinus …

The quantitative impact of pH, bioproduction and Hg-contamination on the Hg-content of fish (pike)

Shifts in fish communities along the productivity gradient of temperate lakes—patterns and the importance of size‐structured interactions

and - this one suggests pike are a "light avoidance" species (new to me)

Interactions between fishes and the structure of fish communities in Dutch shallow, eutrophic lakes

Phone

Edited October 3, 2014 by Phone

[lutra]

I'm not aware of anyone ever offering a plausible, categoric answer about the apparent lack of pike ion Ullswater. I've was there just a couple of weeks back, and the place ALWAYS seems to cry out 'PIKE!!!!!' ... but although pike ARE occasionally caught from the lake it is a real rarity - some of the local boat-hire places will acually refund your boat hire fee if you catch one, and local anglers refer anecdotally to the occasinal (smaller) pike being caught, but I've yet to meet anyone who has actually caught one, or even sen one with their own eyes.

Perceived / accepted wisdon is that it IS a geology / lead problem, though I've never seen conclusive proof of hat assertion.

 

Plenty of perch in there (if you can get through the trout :-) ), and the lake sometimes thows up some truly massive eels too.

Yep that would explain why my informant (a lad I work with) would know. He's eel mad and is happy spending a lot of time dead baiting such seemingly pikeless places along with the rest of the lakes.

 

I didn't get exact numbers ( I'll dig deep on Monday as it may not be a lot for time spent on there) only that he'd had a few pike from ullswater, not all small (not all jacks) and all healthy looking (not at deaths door).