Some characteristics of a pike Esox lucius L-population in an Irish reservoir

A study of a stocked upland reservoir trout fishery, using gill nets, revea led the presence of a large stock of pike and poor trout numbers. The overa ll growth rate of pike was slow. Two year-classes of pike dominated, but th e broad age and length frequency ranges, and the high average weight of ind ividuals were indicative of an unexploited stock. Higher than normal water levels during the spawning period and into the summer period in both 1985 a nd 1986, coincided with the dominant pike year-classes recorded several yea rs later.