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Many of the stories of great Irish pike are well-founded and far bigger fish swim in Irish waters than have been caught on rod and line. Sometimes they are seen - by an angler during a brief contact, or while taking wildfowl from the surface or perhaps in the shallows of a lough in spring when the big females spawn. Such incidents start legends, and stories of great pike are often associated with very large waters such as Lough Ree or Lough Derg in the midlands. So when the angler is afloat on a wild lough or on the banks of a wide river the idea of a big pike has a special power, because it is here that such a pike can grow quickly and remain unseen until the day it takes the bait. However, very big fish are also taken from small loughs in Counties Clare, Cavan, Monaghan and Roscommon. It is said that pike thrive on neglect, and in Irish waters they have every opportunity. Ireland is still a pastoral country of farmland and peat bog with a very low population by European standards. The land is drained by a network of rivers (there are 7,000 miles of riverbank for the pike angler) and there are hundreds of loughs varying in size from a few acres to thousands of acres. Many loughs, for example the bigger loughs on the Shannon system, such as Lough Allen, have preserved their wild qualities. They can be difficult to approach from the bank because of marginal reeds growing in deep water, or because the shores may be rocky or boggy. And even from a boat, one angler would not be able to fish all or just one of Ireland's bigger loughs in a lifetime. So pike have been able to flourish and many fish will not even have seen an anglers bait. This quality of habitat is one of the attributes of Irish pike fishing, and because of it the pike angler in Ireland can expect an excellent general standard of angling. But pike anglers hope for more than this. Ireland's wild windswept waters have produced pike of legendary size, several of them exceeding 50lbs. It is the chance of meeting a very big pike, in a river or lough little changed from the time when its ancestors first swam, which really fires the imagination of the pike angler in Ireland. THE FISH
Irish pike spawn between February and April, usually in the Shallow margins of rivers and lakes. Many of the bigger pike taken are captured just before the spawning period. Young pike feed mainly on aquatic insects but turn to a fish diet after the first year. A mature pike will eat about five times its own weight of fodder fish per year. The behaviour of pike depends to some extent on the behaviour of prey species. Pike in small waters may be evenly distributed because the fodder fish are dispersed. Big water pike may be more dependent on shoals of fish like bream and roach which move around, and they tend to follow these shoals. So the location of these pike may be more difficult, but can be related to the movements of their prey. One example of this may be seen on the river Shannon in April and May when bream spawn. Sometimes they mass in large numbers with several shoals congregating to spawn in shallow backwaters. Pike will concentrate around these shoals and for the duration of the spawning period such locations can provide very good fishing. However, when the bream shoals move away after spawning, the pike either follow them or disperse and sport in that location ceases. The time of day can be important on certain waters with regard to the taking behaviour of bigger fish. The period around dawn can be productive, as can the final hours of daylight. This behaviour may vary during the year. METHODS All standard methods of pike fishing may be practised in Ireland (except for live baiting, which is banned). However, some methods are best adapted to particular situations. Static methods such as legered deadbaits may be adopted on big waters, for example rivers like the Shannon or the Suck, when the shoals of fodder fish, particularly bream, have been found. The baits are positioned on the margins of the shoal of fodder fish and left for a period before being repositioned. In such situations, the bankside margins, and areas where there is cover in the form of reeds or overhanging trees should be carefully fished. Static methods are also particularly useful in the colder months. Wobbled deadbaits, or deadbaits fished sink-and-draw can also be effective in these situations, and artificial lures are very effective in summer. When such shoals have not been located more mobile methods may be used to locate pike, and the angler spinning with artificial lures, or working along a river bank with wobbled deadbaits, may cover several miles of water in the course of a day. FLY FISHING FOR PIKE Fly Fishing is becoming an increasingly popular method of fishing for pike in Ireland and gives exciting sport with fish of all sizes. It has proved successful on both loughs and rivers and is a particularly good method for smaller rivers and the Grand, Royal and Barrow canals. It may be done in the shallower waters all year round but its usually more successful in the warmer months. A strong ten foot rod matched with number nine or ten lines, floating and sinking, will be required. In addition, a length of wire, either stainless steel or nylon covered, needs to terminate the leader as protection against the pike's teeth. Flies can be dressed on size 2 to 5/0 single hooks. Conservation is vital to protect the quality of Ireland's pike fishing. Anglers should use strong wire (20 - 30 lbs test) for trace material, and a reel line of over 12 lbs test, with small strong hooks in the terminal tackle. When fishing static baits, the tackle should be closely attended and a reliable form of bite detection used. A run should be struck sooner rather than later to ensure that the pike does not swallow the hooks. When landed the fish should be laid flat and the hooks removed with a suitable tool such as long handled artery forceps. Anglers may find it useful to wear protective gloves. Sometimes it will be easier to release the hooks by working carefully through the gill covers. The use of pike or carp sacks is recommended for the retention of fish prior to weighing or photography before they are returned. Pike angling is covered by legislation which stipulates:
The 1990 Pike conservation bye-law prohibits
The above mentioned prohibitions do not apply to specimen pike (as defined in the bye-law). A specimen pike from a river is over 20 lbs (9 kilos) or from a lake 30 lbs (14 kilos). This means that only one such specimen pike may be taken and killed by any person on any one day and that only one such pike, in whole and ungutted form, may be in the possession of any person. SEASONS There is no statutory close season for pike in Ireland and they may be fished for all year. As the behaviour of the fish follows seasonal patterns, so the methods of fishing for them should change correspondingly. In winder and early spring the hen pike are at their heaviest, and these fish are often taken by static methods. After April, when water temperatures start to rise and the pike feed heavily to recover weight, mobile methods such as sink-and-draw deadbaits or spinning with artificial lures can be more productive. All methods can be productive during the summer months. The influence of the Irish climate, as well as the habits of the pike, also has to be taken into account. Most Irish rivers and loughs are subject to seasonal rhythms of high and low water. Winter floods will put some rivers out of condition from time to time, and affect access to the loughs. The high winds of spring and autumn can render boat fishing on the bigger loughs unsafe for short periods. However, the pike fisherman in Ireland will always find sheltered waters available when others are affected by floods or gales. BOAT FISHING Lough fishing may be done from the bank, but often a boat will be required. Boats may be hired at all the main angling centres. Trolling is a favoured way of fishing the bigger waters because so much ground may be covered in the course of a day. Either artificial or natural baits may be used, and there are many variations of the method such as float trolling. An echo sounder may be a useful aid on the very big loughs such as Lough Allen in County Leitrim, Lough Derravaragh in the midlands and loughs Muckno and Ramor in Counties Monaghan and Cavan. The equipment is used primarily to ascertain depth, and to locate shoals of fodder fish. TACKLE SHOPS AND GUIDES Many tackle shops around the country stock a wide range of deadbaits (e.g. herring, mackerel, smelt etc…) and a range of spinners, spoons and plugs. They can also provide information on local waters and on boat hire. There is a network of pike angling clubs in Ireland. The visiting angler is advised to hire the services of an angling guide for at least the first part of his or her holiday. Irish waters are often large and can be hazardous to those going afloat on them for the first time. A good guide will ensure safe boating, will help to find the fish and choose the appropriate methods for the water. |
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The Pike is one of the most widespread of Irish Fish and pike fishing is as old as Irish angling. Pike are predators, but a big pike is perhaps the greatest predator still living in the wild in these islands. Its physical make up - smooth enamelled body, the great head - has a beauty, which no one appreciates more keenly than the pike angler.
Pike are especially prolific in waters holding shoals of fodder fish like bream, roach, hybrids etc… Pike over 20 lbs are taken regularly, while fish over 30lbs are caught every year from both big and small waters. (The official rod-caught records for Irish pike are 39lbs 3 ozs for a lough fish, and 42 lbs for a river fish). They generally grow faster and mature earlier than in other European countries because of the excellent habitat and the quantity and quality of fodder fish.