A Whistlestop Tour of Scotland's Pike Venues - by Frank Gibbons

Scottish pike, like the land itself, are wild, rugged and exciting. And they can be very big !

Pike enthusiasts can get into the mood with a pilgrimage to Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery. On view is the "Endrick Pike Head" - the head of a pike found around 1334 in the River Endrick marshes: this pike is estimated to have been about 70 1bs. The Endrick is a tributary of Loch Lomond, itself one of Scotland's premier pike waters and renowned for its specimen fish. A boat is essential to get the best from this huge, island-studded loch: hire boats are readily available and many hotels have boats for residents.

Dumfries and Galloway has some spectacular pike but nothing in recent years has matched the specimen of 72 1bs taken in 1874 from Loch Ken. Alas, Loch Ken pike are smaller today but fish over 301bs are still caught. Boats and permits are readily available and there is easy access for bank fishing from the A713 and the A762. Smaller lochs with good quality pike fishing in this area include Castle Loch, Lochmaben, just off the M74 at Lockerbie. This water consistently produces good catches of pike to over 20 1bs each year from boats or the bank. A little to the west, Loch Rutten, at Lochfoot beyond Dumfries, is known for its splendid pike.

Further west again on the A75 beyond Newton Stewart, Lochs Ronald and Heron both have a reputation for big pike. Loch Ronald feeds Tarf Water and the River Bladnoch, where there is good river piking to be found outside the trout season.

Loch Awe in Argyll is abreathtaking setting for visiting pike anglers. This is a vast water, over thirty miles long though narrow, with varying depths. The pike are fairly widespread and, although bank fishing can be very good, boat fishing increases the angler's options - and chances - dramatically. Boats and permits are readily available: hotels often have boats for visitors. Permits must be bought before fishingand the fishing rules followed carefully.

Further north, the country grows wilder and more dramatic: so does the pike fishing. This is the home of some of Scotland's finest game fishing: pike anglers are only just beginning to realise its potential for pike. The deep Highland lochs to the west of the Great Glen hold huge populations of the mysterious arctic char hidden in their depths. Record ferox trout hunt the char of Loch Garry, Loch Quoich and Loch Arkaig but there are pike every bit as monstrous down there too. Deep trolling with large lures and dead baits of sea or coarse fish is usually effective.

From Scottish Tourist Board 'Fish Scotland' Brochure - 1996.