Pike are a delicate fish and must be handled carefully

Please try to follow these guide lines.

1/. Get your catch back into the water as quick as possible.

2/. Never place a pike on the ground, unless it is onto a unhooking mat.

3/. Never take a pike away from the water to the unhooking mat, unless it is in a net or weigh sling.

4/. Take the pike back to the water in the net or weigh sling, place the net or weigh sling in the water and ease the pike out of the sling. Then support the fish (gently holding it's tail is quite often all the support it will need), until it has recover enough to swim away strongly.

5/. Never carry a pike over land in your bare hands, I have seen to many pike killed, when they have slipped from the hand of a so called angler, onto the ground.

6/. If you are going to take a photograph of your prized catch, put the pike into your landing net, then hold it in the water until you are ready for the photo.

7/. Finally to protect yourself, DON'T PUT YOUR HAND IN A PIKES MOUTH, unless you want to be cut to the bone. You'll be surprised how much you will bleed if a pike gets its teeth into you.