Pike killing on the Tees

River Tees Pike hammered to death in front of children

We have a problem on the River Tees with Match men and pleasaure coarse anglers killing pike, including specimens of nearly 30lb!

The River Tees is one of the most promising rivers in Great Britain. Over the last few year the bio mass of all species has increase year on year, yet the local anglers (in particular the match men) are trying the kill all the pike, with specimens of 25lb and 28lb being killed in the last few weeks. Match men have been seen killing pike by hitting them over the head with a hammer in front of junior anglers, so the juniors will think that they have to kill all the pike they catch as well.

The pike in the River Tees have one of the fastest, if not the fastest growth rates of all river pike in Great Britain. A pike that is 3 years old will be around the 10lb mark. So the river has the promise of producing pike to 40lb in the years to come.

With the exception of a couple of angling club, all the clubs with water on the Tees have a pike killing policy. When will something be done to stop the persecution and slaughter of this magnificent species? Nature perfected the pike 20 million years and it has hardly changed since, so why do a minority of anglers think they now better and kill them.

Rob Murray