Diseased Pike on the Barrow

ardinn

In today's Nationalist on page 2 is a picture of a pike caught on the barrow last week with large red boil type bumps all over his face. Also spotted was a dead eel and dead salmon with the same problem,

Pretty nasty looking (I am searching for the pic and article to post but to no avail)

Anyway in the article they recommend keeping a live sample and contacting the IFI who will collect it and take it to galway for testing. I caught 2 pike on the barrow today and didnt notice any marks or irregularities but I was wondering as I'm going to be doing alot of pike fishing over the next few weeks whats the best way to handle and keep a pike alive out of the river.

Now, Obviously i'll put it in a large container of water but i'm looking for any tips to keep it as calm and stress free as possible while giving it every chance to survive for the few hrs out of the river.

I'll probably not catch another pike this year after posting this :rolleyes: but better to be prepared.

Edit: It is not Blue spot disease, the spots are like infected red bumpy warts - Nearly open sores.

Pj!

Best way would probably be to use a pike sack and leave it pegged to the bank.

ardinn

Never thought of the obvious.

Any advice on a diy set up - I dont really fanny about with pike sacks or keep nets, it's usually land, unhook, pic, release, as quick as possible.

Would a large onion sack, or something similar be ok? Sorry if thats a stupid question!

He Who Dares Wins

I think the disease you are referring to is Esocid lymphosarcoma. I have caught a couple of fish on the barrow of the years on the barrow with flesh markings identical to markings of this disease. As what @Pj! said a sack would keep the fish alive.

ardinn

He Who Dares Wins wrote: »

I think the disease you are referring to is Esocid lymphosarcoma. I have caught a couple of fish on the barrow of the years on the barrow with flesh markings identical to markings of this disease. As what @Pj! said a sack would keep the fish alive.

Yeah that looks like it allrite! Sorry I googled it tho!!

If you can identify it that easily why would the article in question insist anyone who finds an infected fish keep it for testing? Surely the ifi could identify it from the pics - Tis odd!

Pj!

ardinn wrote: »

Would a large onion sack, or something similar be ok? Sorry if thats a stupid question!

Most fish sacks are made from very soft material so as not to harm the fish in any way.
An onion sack wouldn't be soft enough for everyday use but to keep alive a diseased fish to be used for testing it would probably suffice.

You might want to confirm with IFI.

Bizzum

Anyone got a link to the article?

I for one would like to talk to IFI staff that work the area before I'd keep any Pike in a keepnet etc keeping in mind it may well contravene bye law 809 (2006).

DANNY22XX

Shocking

1235529_1444755049082942_2069363630_n.jpg

ardinn

Yup thats the pic allright.

aaronosiochain

Do you know what it is?

ardinn

Nope havnt a clue -as said above it could be "Esocid lymphosarcoma" But as I questioned earlier if we could identify it by a pic alone why would the ifi want to test a live sample?

Flysfisher

DANNY22XX wrote: »

Shocking

1235529_1444755049082942_2069363630_n.jpg

That does not look pleasant.

DANNY22XX

Id say the IFI want to make sure its not something worse although by that photo jaysus what could be worse

bencarvosso

i caught one last year with something like it

DANNY22XX

Jaysus that looks awful IFI said if anyone catches an infected fish to keep it in a plastic basin and they would call out and collect it

bencarvosso

the fish was 15lb plus and caught in leitrim last december, wouldnt have fit in a basin

TheBody

Good God. I've never seen anything like that!!

bencarvosso

yeah i felt sorry for the poor thing, thinking should i do the humane thing, but she was lightly hooked and went back strongly...
some sort of cancer... not had any other fish from the water with anything like it... hopefully an isolated incident

breghall

that does look nasty. Surely though, it'd be more humane to dispatch the pike than to let it carry on with those growths?

bencarvosso

maybe you are right, but i was not sure what it was at the time so i wasn't going to play god...