They are only one of many species that give me a Buzz !!
I was brought up in a time when everyone in the school (Boys only) went fishing, a time before mobile phones, game Boys and computors, a time when only three houses in our road had a Telly!
A time when Fishing and to a lesser extent Shooting was normal for all boys to try and most did try and did go fishing.
Fishing then was very much by the seasons, Tench and Roach in Summer(Carp were thought uncatchable), Barbel and Chub in the Autumn and Pike and Perch in the Winter.
How times have changed, I wonder how many kids at school, now automaticly go fishing ?
Not that many I bet ?
And the myths about Pike still abound in the minds of many, just how to handle these Big/Dangerous fish , that might bit your hand off if you are not careful !!
I was lucky to have fished with some very competant Pike anglers when I was young and learnt early on how to unhook and care for the Pike I caught !!
It was not that many years ago when I saw a youngster hitting an 18lb Pike against a Tree in Wanstead Park, he was of course repremanded and shown how to handle Pike by older Pike Angler and went on to be a very good all round angler.
So to answer the question, I still get a Buzz from Pike Fishing, as I do from Carping or Perch Fishing.
They are Big and Powerful, they have Myths attached to them, which gives them a special place in the order of things, and before Wels Catfish were introduced they were at the head of the Fish Food chain in this country !
Bob