The landing of a monster 26lb pike from a Perthshire loch has prompted a plea for the “misunderstood” species to be released unharmed by anglers.
In the wake of an article in The Courier recounting the capture of the fish from Loch Fingask near Blairgowrie, a number of people expressed concern that the pike, which could have been over 15 years old, was not then let back into the water.
“It is often said that pike will eat trout that are stocked into fisheries for the fly angler who pay fair money also and who are we to argue that they won’t?” said Adam Johnson, general secretary of the Pike Anglers Alliance for Scotland (PAAS).
“But in this modern day of tolerance, would it not be better to allow pike anglers to share the fishing and enjoy a mix of anglers and species within a fishery?
“Also pike are often killed if caught by accident by anglers not wanting to release them for fear of predating on their farmed non-indigenous rainbow trout.
“The cost of the lost trout through predation could be offset by the paying visiting pike angler who would take nothing away from the fishery but the memories of that fish of a lifetime.
“To most pike anglers, a fish of 20lb is considered the target weight and even this can be very difficult to achieve as the sport becomes more popular and often pike are badly handled and as a result can die.
“Pike angling is increasing in popularity and has seen huge leaps forward during the last 10 to 20 years as more and more anglers seek the thrill of catching a monster pike. However attitudes towards pike are still way behind the recognition of other species as far as sport fishing and the potential to the Scottish economy is concerned.”