Cheeky chap wanted to buy my Pike!

[Cyres]

Pike used to be considered a delicacy I expect thoose caught in a chalk stream would be very delicately flavoured.
D

 

[Flash G 74]

Fine but if you don’t have people explain the rules and the have bailiffs / river keepers then what do you expect.
It’s different from where they come from and if no one explains then yes you can see the outcome.

I’m first generation Polish-Scots, my parents being Polish but me being born here.
When my dad and I went fishing we went by the rules because we knew them.
Having said that we did nab rabbits, hares and pheasants from the disused railway lines and adjacent fields or small copses that no one visited.

Hello, It was many years ago but those Polish took no notice of our Thames fishing rules, It is a lot better now, Even the French fisherman decimated pike stocks in Southern Ireland

 

[Tom270]

There are various U Tube videos on how to debone pike its like a two stage filleting process one cut like a fillet and another a lateral cut both following the lines of bones then just lift off the flesh.
I seem to remember the fish being washed in diluted vinegar to remove the slime.
I ate pike camping in the lake district in 1970.
Sorry to hear you not been well FB speedy recovery.

 

[Rasputin]

Christ alive eating like brings back some horror memories. When I lived in Switzerland my boss was always insisting I try the pike and perch on the menu. Always tasted like crap now the zander that was beautiful.

 

[gs jon]

Christ alive eating like brings back some horror memories. When I lived in Switzerland my boss was always insisting I try the pike and perch on the menu. Always tasted like crap now the zander that was beautiful.

zander is fine eating

 

[Tom270]

When on narrow boating holiday last year a canal side pub had Zander on the menu, I wondered how many customers realised it was from canal outside.

 

[shakey jake]

As a kid in the early 90s i remember thames angling association having matches near me pike and eels killed and dumped.
The water boards dumping raw sewage thanks to thatcher selling them off has done more harm than johny forgeiner

 

[Ratel]

I decided that as I have been quite ill and bedded down for the last week but was feeling a bit a bit better today I thought that I would try an hour or so Pike fishing at my local canal today - Yes I know that I am a glutton for punishment and a total fool to myself but I was climbing the walls having been cooped up for the best part of a week! The weather was "reasonable" (If you overlook the fact that the wind nearly blew me off my feet once or twice) so no problem and off I went to my local canal. To be honest I didn't hold much hope of catching a fish but just to be out in the fresh air (That's the polite way of saying bl**dy strong and hellish winds) for an hour or so was quite welcome. I set my rod up with my favourite "canal pike lure" and started fishing away without a care in the world. A few people passed by and we exchanged the usual "Good morning etc", purely because that's what Northern People do on a Sunday Morning! After about three quarters of an hour I managed to hook a small "jack pike"! As I was bringing it in a saw a youngish (Asian looking) chap walking up the tow path towards me, and he had a rather large mastiff looking dog on a lead which (In fairness) he pulled the lead close to him as he approached. Well as a dog lover I said not to worry as long as his dog was not aggressive, to which he replied it was only a youngster and just wanted to be friendly! "Oh well" I thought and netted the pike which was only a young small "jack" of around two to two and a half pounds. I was about to release the pike (I only fish for pike on a purely catch and release basis) and he asked if he could buy the fish to take home and cook! I explained to him that I fish on a strict "Catch and Release Basis" so as to preserve the fish stocks and protect my sport. He politely said that he understood and that he did not mean to offend by asking so we chatted for a couple for a few minutes, and he turned out to be a really nice, intelligent and well educated guy to talk to so we left on really good terms.!

It just seemed strange to me that someone would want to cook and eat a small Jack Pike as I believe that they are a very bony fish that taste like cotton wool, but then again everyone to their own!
Have any of you guys who fish for pike ever experienced this sort of thing?

N.B. As a foot note I really should add that he was very polite and friendly and a really nice guy to talk to so let's please not play any sort of racist card or try "Tarring Everyone With the Same Brush" in any replies!

I decided that as I have been quite ill and bedded down for the last week but was feeling a bit a bit better today I thought that I would try an hour or so Pike fishing at my local canal today - Yes I know that I am a glutton for punishment and a total fool to myself but I was climbing the walls having been cooped up for the best part of a week! The weather was "reasonable" (If you overlook the fact that the wind nearly blew me off my feet once or twice) so no problem and off I went to my local canal. To be honest I didn't hold much hope of catching a fish but just to be out in the fresh air (That's the polite way of saying bl**dy strong and hellish winds) for an hour or so was quite welcome. I set my rod up with my favourite "canal pike lure" and started fishing away without a care in the world. A few people passed by and we exchanged the usual "Good morning etc", purely because that's what Northern People do on a Sunday Morning! After about three quarters of an hour I managed to hook a small "jack pike"! As I was bringing it in a saw a youngish (Asian looking) chap walking up the tow path towards me, and he had a rather large mastiff looking dog on a lead which (In fairness) he pulled the lead close to him as he approached. Well as a dog lover I said not to worry as long as his dog was not aggressive, to which he replied it was only a youngster and just wanted to be friendly! "Oh well" I thought and netted the pike which was only a young small "jack" of around two to two and a half pounds. I was about to release the pike (I only fish for pike on a purely catch and release basis) and he asked if he could buy the fish to take home and cook! I explained to him that I fish on a strict "Catch and Release Basis" so as to preserve the fish stocks and protect my sport. He politely said that he understood and that he did not mean to offend by asking so we chatted for a couple for a few minutes, and he turned out to be a really nice, intelligent and well educated guy to talk to so we left on really good terms.!

It just seemed strange to me that someone would want to cook and eat a small Jack Pike as I believe that they are a very bony fish that taste like cotton wool, but then again everyone to their own!
Have any of you guys who fish for pike ever experienced this sort of thing?

N.B. As a foot note I really should add that he was very polite and friendly and a really nice guy to talk to so let's please not play any sort of racist card or try "Tarring Everyone With the Same Brush" in any replies!

Naughty,naughty Frenchie. Bottom line has connotations.

 

[Essexsussex]

Delicious when I’ve caught them in trout / salmon rivers, as someone else said if you fillet them, then fillet again each side of the y shaped bones they are excellent. They aren’t bony but the pin bones are y shaped not straight so causes issues if you don’t know that first!

 

[Trickyd66]

As a youngster (1980's) I used to do a lot of coarse fishing. At weekends I used to cut the lawns of a nice restaurant for pocket money. Mentioned to the owner that I almost had a Pike take a roach I was landing and he said if you get any Pike I'll buy them.

Times are changing, back then Pike, Perch, Zander and grayling were all classed as fish to be eaten.

Now it is frowned upon.

 

[shakey jake]

Catch and release seems weird to me, not saying eat everything you catch but catching for the sake of it seems weird

 

[sauer]

I’ve eaten pike a number of times.
Easiest I ever got was when I was watching trout anglers at Rescobie Loch.
One hooked a nice 6 pounder and laid it up on the bank after dispatching it.
Upon asking what he was going to do with it he said just leave it.
So I took it home and my mum cooked it for tea that day.

The angling association at Rescobie used to encourage pike anglers over the winter months to keep the pike numbers down - it was catch and no return.

Funny you mentioning Rescobie tonight Eddie.


I'm 20 mins away from Rescobie and my autistic lad has said to me today he fancies catching a pike! I can tie a single fly on and thrash water that's bout it ....wonder if can still fish Rescobie for them ?

Sure hugh fearnley whittingstall did a programme where he got one and cooked it
Paul

 

[Trickyd66]

Funny you mentioning Rescobie tonight Eddie.


I'm 20 mins away from Rescobie and my autistic lad has said to me today he fancies catching a pike! I can tie a single fly on and thrash water that's bout it ....wonder if can still fish Rescobie for them ?

Sure hugh fearnley whittingstall did a programme where he got one and cooked it
Paul

Yes he did. Down near Warham in Dorset. Supposedly caught from the river but was caught by electro shocking an adjacent pond.

 

[Trickyd66]

Yes he did. Down near Warham in Dorset. Supposedly caught from the river but was caught by electro shocking an adjacent pond.

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/river-cottage/on-demand/26407-002

 

[LuckyEddie]

Funny you mentioning Rescobie tonight Eddie.


I'm 20 mins away from Rescobie and my autistic lad has said to me today he fancies catching a pike! I can tie a single fly on and thrash water that's bout it ....wonder if can still fish Rescobie for them ?

Sure hugh fearnley whittingstall did a programme where he got one and cooked it
Paul

Hi Paul,

Not sure as I’ve not fished in the area for a few years.
Try Angus Angling in Forfar, they’d be best placed to say where you could go for pike.
I’ve caught pike in Forfar Loch myself and my dad did as well, but that’s nigh on 30 years ago.
Caught a few on the Dean the other side of Glamis around the old railway bridge.
The other favourite was Loch Drumellie, the other side of Blairgowrie, but that’s a heck of a trek from where you are.

Eddie

 

[kenbro]

Fine if hooked from a Kentish chalk stream but would think twice from a polluted Mill Town canal!

K

t’mills are looong gone!
watta looks clean?
The river Roch that flows through Pete’s town and on to ours even has trout now, don’t think anyone brave enough to eat one though!
Ken.

 

[LuckyEddie]

Catch and release seems weird to me, not saying eat everything you catch but catching for the sake of it seems weird

Used to be a size limit when I fished, think it was 12” or bigger, otherwise returned.
When I fished the Lunan in Angus, my dad and I would take a trout or two each and then go for the flounders and eels. Nothing really overboard, a couple of flounders and maybe 3 or 4 eels each.

It would give us, my mum’s parents and my godfather’s family something different to eat.
That bag would be done once maybe twice a year at most.

 

[Klenchblaize]

t’mills are looong gone!
watta looks clean?
The river Roch that flows through Pete’s town and on to ours even has trout now, don’t think anyone brave enough to eat one though!
Ken.

I was only joshing!

K

 

[kenbro]

I was only joshing!
View attachment 396980
K

I know….and that pictures an old one……sure it was taken 2 weeks ago.
Ken.

 

[HonestJohn]

Grew up catching pike in Denmark on our farm duck ponds. Amazing fun caught them from age 4 onwards, and some were in the 25lb + size too! I recall catching a small pike and reeling it in, with my (rest his soul) uncle Klaus next to me, when a 20lb pike devoured the one I had hooked only 10yds from the bank, we landed them both.

My uncle was a prominent head chef at a swanky Copenhagen restaurant and frequently made good use of pike, pike ‘pâté was one of the favourites, and a strikingly good dish too if made well I might add!

The bait, a stainless spoon, , handle cut off, and two holes drilled, one for the treble hook, and one for the swivel attaching to a wire trace. Best pike lure you will find.