The markings make the fish
The Wildlife Trusts describe the pike as a long, slender fish, olive green with creamy blotches. It has a flattened snout and a large mouth full of sharp teeth. Mind the teeth. Those blotches change from fish to fish, which is why pike anglers often know a fish again from its flank.
The fins matter too. On a pike the dorsal and anal fins sit far back, close to the tail. That's what gives it the burst off the mark. A pike drawn with its fins in the middle is a pike drawn by someone who's never landed one.
How big pike grow
The Wildlife Trusts give a length of 0.6 to 1.5 m and a weight of up to 35 kg. Young pike are called jacks. Adults ambush their prey, bursting out at speed to take fish, frogs, small mammals or ducklings. Jacks start smaller, on small fish and invertebrates.
The British record is a pike of 47lb 5oz, caught in 2024. Our British record fish list gives the official figures for every coarse species. You'll find pike in lakes, slow rivers and canals with plenty of weed, which is where most of the plates are set.
Winter on the wall
Plenty of anglers put the carp rods away in autumn and spend the cold months on rivers and big stillwaters after pike. A pike print suits them. It suits a darker room too. Pair it with a winter river scene and you've got the whole of a predator angler's season on one wall.
Black frames make the markings stand out. Natural wood suits a warmer room. Both come at A3 and A2. For a winter river at first light, see our fishing scenes, which hang well beside a pike plate.
Choosing the format
A pike is long, so a wide format suits it best. The 50x70 cm poster gives the jaw and the tail room to breathe, and a 60x80 cm canvas fills a wall above a sofa. In a study or a tackle room, an A3 framed print, with a 297 x 420 mm print inside, is plenty.
Want to frame it yourself? Buy the poster. It's printed on the same paper as the framed version and arrives rolled in a tube. Measure first.
Your own pike
Got a photo of a good pike? Use that. Print it as it is, or see it in a house style first. A pike held low over the mat, with the angler kneeling, makes the best picture and the safest one.
Angling Times sets out the basics: always use an unhooking mat, hold the fish with wet hands and kneel for the photo. Our catch photo guide explains why those habits also make a sharper print.
A long pike can take a while to recover after the photo, so give it the time. Support it upright in the water, head into any flow, and let go when it pulls away on its own. Our catch photo guide covers the handling in full.
Gifts for a pike angler
A pike plate, framed, makes a good present for anyone who fishes lures or deadbaits through the winter. Our carp fishing gifts page has a section for pike anglers, since many fish for both. For something smaller, a mug with a pike on it fits a stocking. Most pike anglers own enough wire traces and forceps already, so a picture is the one thing they won't have bought themselves. See fishing gifts for ideas sorted by budget.