Monday, March 26, 2007

Lock up your terriers - pike on the prowl..!

An article in tonight's Sheffield Star offers a whole new insight into the role pike play in our waters.

"Arguments over blocked-in cars and overgrown hedges pale into insignificance when you consider the plight of the minnows in Dam Flask reservoir," the local paper says.

"The terrified tiddlers are living in fear of a new generation of predatory pike who are bigger, meaner and hungrier than ever before.

"The peace-loving bream, roach and tench of the beautiful lake in the Loxley Valley have never enjoyed good relations with the carnivorous beasts - considered the Mr Bigs of the waterways which very few fish dare to argue with."

Click here for more.

It later emerged the source of the story was a press release from Yorkshire Water, which was sent out to the local media to announce a restocking programme - and an increase in day ticket prices.

"The fresh-water answer to the barracuda has a voracious appetite - and mostly for smaller fish - so, when the water levels dropped, hunting suddenly became a whole lot easier," it said.

"The more they ate, the bigger the pike became and, although the water levels in Damflask are now back to normal, it's believed there are still some real monsters cruising the depths in a hunt for prey as they try to sustain the sort of life to which they have become accustomed.

"Pike eat whatever takes their fancy and there are reports of them tucking into small ducks and even legends of swimming terriers disappearing with a splash - although fishermen will tell you the latter's just an urban myth," said Yorkshire Water's catchment and recreation manager Geoff Lomas.

"In reality, it's hard to say how large the biggest pike in Damflask have become but reports suggest they're pretty impressive and could present local anglers with a real challenge."

To read it in full, click here.