Pike Poetry from a Yukon Outdoor Woman

June 17, 2009 at 8:26 am

This past weekend I found myself fishing with over a dozen women. It was my second year teaching the Yukon Fish and Game’s Yukon Outdoor Women Program.  It was a great time with lots of laughter, stories, learning and fishing.

As we discussed fishing for Yukon Northern Pike, Zoe referred to some poetry called Pike by Ted Hughes. Here are just a few excerpts but I highly recommend reading the entire thing:

Pike

Pike, three inches long, perfect.
Pike in all parts, green tigering the gold.
Killers from the egg; the malevolent aged grin.
They dance on the surface among the flies.

In ponds under the heat-struck lily pads -
Gloom of their stillness:
Logged on last year’s black leaves, watching upwards.
Or hung in an amber cavern of weeds.

The jaws hooked clamp and fangs.
Not to be changed at this date;
A life subdued to its instrument;
The gills kneading quietly, and the pectorals

....read the entire poem here.

Zoe also mentions that the ‘willowherb’ mentioned in the poem is the same plant as fireweed in the Yukon.

Not like you need a visual after that, but here is a great Yukon Pike video. 

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