Common Pike ; Great Lakes Pike ; Pickerel 



As a food-fish the pickerel occupies a fair rank. Its flesh is 

 firm and flaky and possesses a pleasant flavour, though it is a 

 little dry. 



Br. 14 to 16; D. 14; A. 13; scales 125; cheeks and opercles 

 entirely scaly. Colour, green of vary-ing shades; sides with golden 

 lustre, and marked with numerous dark lines and streaks, which are 

 mostly horizontal, and by their junction with one another pro- 

 duce a reticulated appearance; a dark band below eye; fins plain. 



Common Pike; Great Lakes Pike; Pickerel 



Esox lucius Linnaeus 



This is the most widely distributed and most important 

 species of the family. It is found in all suitable fresh waters of 

 northern North America, Europe and Asia. In North America it 

 is found from New York and the Ohio River northward. It is 

 not found on the Pacific coast, except in Alaska. In the small 

 lakes of the upper Mississippi Valley, and in the Great Lakes it 

 is generally common. It is a common fish in Canada, where it 

 is called "eithinyoo-cannooshoeoo" by the Creek Indians. It reaches 

 a length of 4 feet and a weight of 40 pounds or more. 



Its great size and fairly good game qualities make it a fish 

 which is much prized by many anglers. It is taken in the vari- 

 ous ways by which the eastern pickerel is captured, from which 

 its habits are not materially different. In Europe it is more highly 

 esteemed than with us. Walton devotes an entire chapter to it, 

 concluding with directions how to "roast him when he is caught," 

 and declaring that "when thus prepared he is ' choicely good ' 



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