Code of Conduct
1. When getting started always seek the permission of the property owner, where applicable, and ensure that you have purchased a permit if required to do so.
2. Always abide by the terms and conditions of permits or those set by water/fishery owner.
3. When choosing your swim consider other anglers and water users. Leave plenty of room and enjoy your time without being obtrusive in relation to fellow anglers, fellow water users or wildlife.
4. Boat anglers should take care not to encroach upon other anglers or anchor in trolling routes. Similarly, boat anglers should consider keeping a reasonable distance away from nesting sites particularly in the summer months.
5. Never leave rods unattended. If you leave your rods for any reason, reel the baits in.
6. Always ensure that you have the correct tackle necessary, especially a large landing net, forceps, cutters, wire traces, scales, weigh net or sling and unhooking mat.
7. The use of semi-barbed or crushed barbed hooks in sizes 8, 6 or 4 should be considered as an alternative to barbed - you will not lose fish.
8. When dead baiting, it is important to correctly place the hooks in the bait in order to minimise the chances of deep hooking. For example, most ledgered dead baits have the top hook in the tail root and the other hook no further forward than the dorsal fin.
9. Never wait for a second run. Tighten down to the fish as soon as you have indication the bait is being moved – in most cases, the pike has the bait in its mouth –strike! An early strike means that the worst that can happen is that you will fail to hook the fish occasionally.
On the other hand, leave it too long, and deep hooking is often the end result.
We recommend that boat anglers never ledger baits without a visible means (a float) of registering a pike run or take.
(Note – P.A.A.S. recommends that anglers wear a life preserver/jacket at all times when afloat).
10. All pike regardless of size should be handled with care. Upon catching a fish never lay the fish on hard ground. Use an unhooking mat, or find an area of soft grass or if in a boat use carpet underlay or a foam mat.
11. Unhook the pike, by laying the pike on its back, carefully kneeling to ensure that each knee is against (not on) each flank of the fish. This allows controlled restraint of the pike's movement and then firmly holding and lifting its lower jaw with a gloved hand you can remove the hooks with your other hand. Be careful when you find it necessary to insert the forceps behind the gill covers. At all timesmake sure the fish is held firmly - if the fish shakes free of your grip - regain your composure and start the process again. Never use forceps or bolt croppers unless you have a firm grip of the pike with your free hand. Never use pike gags or make shiftimplements to hold the jaws open.
12. Weigh your pike using a weighing sling or soft net ensuring that you wet the net/sling first. Never use the balance hook of the scales under the chin of the fish. (Note - when holding your pike, support it properly. Do not suspend your pike by the chin only - always support the full length of the pike with both hands - retain control, reduce the risk of harm, to both you and your pike!
13. Try not to retain pike in a specially designed pike tube or retention unless absolutely necessary. Pike should not be retained for the purpose of taking photographs, etc. If a fish requires to be retained for the purpose of recovery always sink the tube or sack sufficiently under the surface and leave undisturbed once in position. Bank sticks can be utilised in order to maintain your pike in an upright position whilst recovering when bank fishing. Do not transport or tow fish in tubes or sacks under any circumstances. All pike should be returned to the water as soon as possible and never retain them just for the sake of it. Always try to land your pike as quickly as is reasonably practicable, particularly in warm weather/water temperatures - never 'play them for a longer period of time than is necessary.
Ensure your tackle is up to the job!
14. Never introduce fish from one water to another water. Always be aware of the legislation regarding angling with rod & line in Scotland. Be aware that to be in possession of Salmon Parr (dead or alive, even if from a fish farm) is an offence.
15. Never leave litter, tackle (particularly line and hooks) or human excrement behind. Always carry a bag for litter and take your litter home at the end of each trip. PAAS encourages its members (and all anglers) to clear any litter left by other anglers from the bank side.
The only evidence of your stay at the waters edge should be your footprint! Human excrement should be buried in the ground or disposed of in a bag and removed with any other litter.
16. Always close gates on farmland and take care not to damage crops, fences or trees. Never start fires unless you have the express permission of the property owner to do so. Always park your vehicle safely, especially on farmland
17. Please respect the Scottish countryside and its wildlife. They are unique, and of your heritage!
18. Please remember that your conduct in whatever circumstances should be exemplary and that your actions may be judged as a measure of the standards held and encouraged by the Pike Anglers Alliance for Scotland.
19. Under current legislation live-baiting in Scotland is illegal & should not be used by members.
20. Under current legislation upto a maximum of 4 rods can be used for coarse fish, these should be used sensibly.
© Pike Anglers Alliance for Scotland
Live baiting - a legitimate method of fishing for pike with rod & line.
In recognition of the debates and consultation currently taking place both within 'Angling for Change' and 'Protecting & Promoting' (Scottish Executive for Rural Affairs Department), both of which pike angling in Scotland has had considerable input in conjunction with the submissions made by the Scottish Federation for Coarse Angling, and statements made via web sites such as that hosted by such as Scottish National Heritage, it is felt that a general overview of the above question from a P.A.A.S. perspective may assist in opening the debate to a greater degree prior to legislation being drafted. The Pike Anglers Alliance for Scotland is clear that the legal right for anglers to employ live baiting as a method when fishing for species such as pike, perch, chub, and where permitted, trout is considered absolute. Any intention to impose blanket legislation making the employment of this method illegal, would and could not be supported by this organisation, and indeed, would be vigorously opposed. Having said that, it is readily acknowledged that the question of the unauthorised translocation of live fish species, whether indigenous or not, from one water body to another (or introduced from out with Scotland) must be addressed and regulated in any legislation being currently considered.
In general terms this long recognised requirement for Scotland is supported by the Pike Anglers Alliance for Scotland. To impose a blanket ban on the method of live baiting as a 'panacea' in ending the possibility of the illegal movement of fish from one water to the other, we believe would in all likelihood, prove counter productive. Such legislation would place considerable and unreasonable restrictions on the law abiding and responsible angler, who thankfully, are in the majority. It is our considered opinion that conservation based legislation is more likely to bear fruit through cooperation with the persons that it will impact on most, and by sodoing, provide education for those who may show a reluctance to embrace the spirit of such legislation. It is inevitable that the implementation of such a blanket ban would be seen by those adversely and unjustifiably effected by it as discriminatory and unjustifiable. In short, a prime example of 'baby being thrown out with the bath water '! It is generally accepted that the drafting of legislation is one thing -its subsequent enforcement is quite another. A law that is seen as just and reasonable tends to attract the support of the general public, which in itself makes enforcement so much easier.
The Pike Anglers Alliance for Scotland would suggest that if such a blanket ban on live baiting were embarked upon, the enforcing of such a ban would prove very difficult as it would not have the support of those, who would otherwise support a more just and reasonable approach to the problem of translocation. It is the contention of the Pike Anglers Alliance for Scotland that the matter is in fact one of translocation, as opposed to the issue of live baiting. The two must be treated separately!
The policy of the Pike Anglers Alliance relative to translocation is simply this:
1. The use of live baits for the purpose of pike fishing should only be of fish taken from the water being fished for pike.
2. Under no circumstances should live fish be used or translocated, whether indigenous or not, from any other water other than that water being fished for pike.
3. Take fish for bait only by legal means and during the legal season for the species concerned.
4. Not use as bait, live fish of species which have been indicated as being rare or endangered in the water concerned, and specifically never use the following species as livebait: Atlantic Salmon, Powan, Shad, Sparling or Vendace.
This philosophy is written into the organisations Code of Conduct and will be encouraged at every opportunity, and via the organisations magazine and web site.
The message is clear - pike angling must both act responsibly and be seen to act responsibly in this regard. It is impressed upon pike anglers everywhere that they must police themselves in this regard, and by so doing, not jeopardize the efforts of such as the Pike Anglers Alliance for Scotland, and all like minded predator groups in ensuring that the legitimate and reasonable method of live baiting relative to the fishing for pike is safeguarded for the future.
The Pike Anglers Alliance for Scotland is of the opinion that any fish movement within Scotland MUST be properly legislated for, and on those occasions that a legitimate and justifiable case can be identified relative to the movement of fish, of whatever species, for whatever purpose, proper regulation is specific in any future legislation in this regard