The Pike (Esox Lucius)
Pike are unmistakable with a large broad head and flattened snout and a huge mouth armed with many sharp, backward facing teeth. A long, camouflaged body is built for speed and the power comes from behind the dorsal fin, which is set far back, combined with the anal and tail fins.
They tend not to congregate in groups especially as there is widespread cannibalism. Younger pike seek out cover not only to enable them to ambush other species but also avoid predation by their larger brethren.
Pike inhabit most types of still and slow moving water but do not survive well in oxygen-poor or very acidic waters. Although often fished for in the winter months, pike feed most actively in the summer. They will eat most other species and can often be caught when fishing for roach. A variety of methods can be used to catch pike including lures and dead baiting. PLEASE NOTE THAT LIVE BAITING IS BANNED ON ALL CLUB WATERS.
The slower parts of the Tone, the canal and The West Sedgemoor Drain Are the best areas for pike sport in Club waters.
The Perch (Perca fluviatilis)
Perch are distinctive and can be identified by having about five dark vertical bars on a greenish body. They have two dorsal fins; the first is spiny with a black spot at the base. Gills are also spiny and they have red pelvic, anal and caudal fins.
They are a strongly shoaling fish (particularly when young) with a tendency for shoals to comprise of fish of the same age. However, as they grow older and mortality takes it toll, smaller groups of larger individuals can be found. This is especially true of perch found in lakes where the species can do exceptionally well. They have a preference for slow or moderate moving water and, as mentioned above, for well oxygenated still waters. They do not do well in low nutrient, acidic lakes and are almost never found in fast flowing water.
Young perch eat plankton and insects and, as they grow older, forage for crustaceans and insect larvae. Big, old fish progressively become fish eaters and cannibalism is common.
Perch are often caught when fishing for other species and they, like chub, are all year round feeders. Maggot and worm account for most catches with worm being the preferred bait. Perch can be found in most of our Club waters with the possible exception of the fast stretches of the River Tone.
