markward

I had to read the article twice just to get my head around the sheer pig headedness of the people involved in this attrocity. Most fluff chuckers have the same mentality as match fishermen when it comes to the facts around balancing fish stocks, a part pike can either help in doing or totally decimate the balance through the removal of the dominant females. A water l fish had a good head of double figure fish for a few years until they started to turn up dead for various reasons. The next two seasons lure fishing the water every hit l had was from 4-5lb fish that were smashing into them so hard l thought l was hitting a big twenty. This balance still hasn't been addressed but l still fish there hoping for the next stock of females to come through something this trout fishery will hopefully endure. I have recently raised the issue of stocking of pike with my club and to their knowledge this had never taken place, and l bet this is the case with most out there? They stated it was hard to find health checked pike on stockists lists even though they would be happy to receive a quantity if these did come up. So for my first port of call l have e-mailed Sparshot to see if they ever remove pike from waters on netting exercises and if anyone out there has any ideas on how to attain some please contact me.

This buisness of "sea pike" is even more disturbing.However it is sadly a sign of the times.Not many years ago a stunt like this would have destroyed a guiding companys reputation,these days it is seen as a "cool stroke" and the assholes who do it as stars. Stones in a glass house Budgie?? As we all know from your views it is each to their own!!

River contains trout, fisherman has a license so what is the problem? I was catching grayling from the Itchen last year until they spawned in May............should l be fishing for oversized livebait instead?

The bad thing is that l even used a pound 'lady' as a livebait this winter. Later in the day winkled out five roach and the usual trout. Who said pike fishing was easy??

Chris if you want a bit more action on the grayling front l thought you would be 'itching' to get down to the bit of river we ahve discussed before?? I know the surroundings are not as pleasant as Barton Court but for a tenner cheaper, and a greater chance of a decent grayling, l certainly can live with it.

Here's a bit of english for you Peter Norwich 0 West Ham 2 Shame you lot are so tight with the tickets always fancied having a bit of Delia's pie!!

Before l made the decision to work Monday to Friday ,37.5 hours a week, l had the joy of a permenent night shift which coupled with being off when the wife was working i had the freedom of three days fishing atleast. Now being a relatively new hand at married life (2 years) l feel a tad guilty when l organise my Sunday so instead waste holiday and blag a bit aswell. All l need now is for the wireness nation to take off and me and my laptop will be perched on the river bank supporting the masses, using no holidays and be at home intime for dinner!!

I have plenty of time left!!

With the end of the river season coming up l endeavour to spend as much time as possible targeting the large esox in my area. This causes conflict with the missus, and work, as l tend to do this in the week as l like a bit of freedom to roam and this is the prime time for it. Have any of you struck that idea happy balance that allows plenty of hours on the bank but keeps the missus/work happy and that you are not just a loather? Please share the secret if you have!!

Peter, Even though it is sometimes a struggle l have used my Leeda Predator net for years. It has survived the most horrendous flows thrown at it (due to the fact l mostly fish rivers) and with solid construction (solid metal round rim) l can't fault it. Shame you don't really see them in the shops no more as if l was to damage this one l don't how l would replace it (£30 aswell)

shame that livebait didn't have a couple of trebles in it........what a run!!

pick the bones out of that!!

The angling times response to the publication of the article. Seems if you were not the lucky one to catch it first, but knew the fish existed, you are excluded from the request to leave it alone? Maybe if l joined the angling times l could become part of "pike history" by being privy to such information or is that just being cynical? Mark The paper did request that the angling world didn't just descend on this drain in their thousands. However, I also stated in the article that it should be left to people who were aware of this water's potential before the capture. As far as I am know there were numerous people aware that this venue had been producing big fish for a couple of years, some of them famous pikers including the likes of Nige and Neville. I think that gives them the right to visit the place. By beating Eddie Turner's predator record, Nige made pike history and that has to be recorded whatever happens - that is our duty as a newspaper and what the fishing world should expect. I can't hide from the news. Kind regards Richard Lee

Weekly fishing paper shows well known angler holding fenland thirty. Would this be the same thirty that they were requesting should be left alone not long ago? Has their moral stance disappeared and someone privy to the location taken advantage? Mr Lee will be receiving these questions shortly.

Mark l never have used keepnet and with the joyous invention of the mobile phone stewards can be summond rather rapidly after tempararily retaining any fish in large carp sack. I don't think this unsuitable and how many fish that you have caught have laid up in the margins when released? Laid up in a sack or eu naturel? You were suggesting that they were being used for livebait retention, that are totally against ACA rules, but with the facts presented l am glad you found another way to attack their presence. With the stating of your geographical location l can understand (due to many malicious rumours) the basis of your concerns but in all aspects of life don't tar all with the same brush. I can only defend matches that l have taken part in and these consist of around 25 anglers with 2-3 stewards armed with mobile phones and walkie talkies patrolling the banks. I would personally stand up and state that the fishes welfare is the anglers top priority and l even considered returning a heavily spawn bound 16lb fish, without weighing it in, last season when the steward appeared behind me after seeing the netting of it from across the bay. We are not all bad!!

Well Mr Barrett my ar$e speaks a lot of sense in my eyes and the missed runs and no fish on the bank for the last 30 hours in pike matches confirms this. The statement yourself and others are making is that the matches are a major cause of cruelty and bad angling because of the potential of financial gain when l suggest that you should look to the actions of your average angler. Far worst behaviours would be view if you were to invite fifty Joe Bloggs to a lake without the lure of financial gain. In the matches l fish they are well marshalled and the persons taking part are regulars who know by the amount of matches taking part they will qualify by the end of the season. What does it matter if you have 20/30 anglers fishing under the banner of an ACA match or on their club book on the lake. You get to$$ers in every aspect of life and l am sure some may live close to you that may not be able to swallow the cost of a match without recouperating it at some stage. But the organisers of the match, who fish under the banner of the ACA and should agree to the priciples of the association as they have to be full members, should be able to spot this behaviour and the person told to modify it or to f off and not come back. Keepnets were(are) an accepted form of retention device until the fish was weighed so for this observation l can't see a problem. During your three whole visits to matches l am sure you gained a marvellous insight into what goes on/how people behave or did you spend the six hours trying to catch fish to win a bit of money??

What a load of cr*p more fish will be harmed by the catch at all costs mentality that seems to be prevailant nowadays then on pike matches. These matches and the people taking part probably contribute more than the posters here to the ACA so if it was to go tits up l wouldn't have a guilty conscience about not supporting it. With most things nowadays you don't have to like/do something if you didn't want to and a few of you seem to have made that decision. But it always good to look at these matches from the outside with bad previous experience tinted glasses and not know what goes on today. Maybe my decent salary prevents myself from waiting to strike because the money is immaterial and l take part to fish waters l am not a member of. Beats poaching them though!!!

me on the kennet!! ]

Good comprehensive reply Andy and l would just like to add that the best way to get confident and experienced in unhooking pike is to go with seasoned pike angler. My first year pike fishing was spent with two extremely experienced anglers and put me in good stead for solo trips. And remember the little ones always leave the worst wounds!!!

Budgie it is always nice to have the facts presented but they are only as good as the day they are published. Things change, modern techniques are constantly evolving and what was yesterdays fact can be todays fiction. Why run the risk? Why put a part of our sport under question for your own selfish desires? Why ruin my choice to partake through lazyness and potential inability to winkle out a roach or two when the going gets tough? They are the reasons l started this thread. Thankfully l don't live in Cumbria where l would have had this option already removed. But maybe you will achieve this for me? The fact is that the illegal transportation of fish is punishable with a fine upto £2500 therefore it is deemed by powers greater than you or l that it should not take place. Just remember it wasn't too long ago sailors wouldn't sail to the horizon - it took one person to prove them wrong!! Even after 4 pages of debate l stand firm in the view that l would never support anyone indulging in this act and if they do l hope they feel the full force of the potential fine and my anger if their actions were to prevent me from livebaiting in future.

Budgie I am still here but due to the incompetance of my users have been saving my application from meltdown. I to am glad this thread finally got off the ground and brought about balanced debate of a part of the sport that l do partake in (contary to belief maybe?) I will defend any anglers right to livebait and am not ashamed (as some might be) when taking part in the practice of admitting to be livebaiting or having a net full of 'freshly caught' baits on display and if these baits are not consumed during the session they will take pride of place in my freezer for when the going gets tough (guilty of theft?) The general theme has seemed to be although it is accepted as a no no but there has been no proof of transferred fish causing the disease so what is the problem? I bet the farmers thought that about their livestock too until they got hit my foot and mouth and now are far highly regulated because of this lax attitude. My joint of organic beef at the weekend grew up in Devon, got slaughtered just down the road and was sold to me with all this information on the pack. Do you see bait suppliers going too the effort of chipping lives with info like grew up in tank x, on fish farm y and lived with 10 other species all clean at the time? You could turn that around against me and say that you drink and smoke (two things that you know to do harm) but you still carry on regardless. Maybe l care more about the environment than myself!!! I wasn't trying to bring any fiction into this thread just fact and the way l see it. If you transport lives you are breaking the law punishable by a fine upto £2500. If you do do it ,whether there is proof or not of the spread or potential spread of disease, l hope you get caught. I have also spoken to a person at my local EA and have said they would in no way supply fish in the knowledge that they were to be transported and used as lives. Maybe a slightly lax attitude in your region helps you get away with it but it is not the general consensus and by being able to do this should in no way act as justification that it is acceptable. Like l said l eventually got there and this has been well debated with no slur or slander intended to any party just clarification and attempted justifications expressed. This wouldn't have been achieved on P&P!!

the dislike that is

definately not the case with me.

Yes it clearly states introducing fish, whether thats with hooks in or not is immaterial. http://www.efishbusiness.co.uk/movements/part03.asp

I don't believe the fact that you partake in livebaiting was in question it is the fact that you posted on the forum below advice on moving livebaits around. I was simply asking whether the words posted were responsible in their meaning and if you stand by them. If you do l also stated l hope you get caught and appropriately punished for it. You may see no harm in your actions but the illegal movement of zander proved to be a good idea no? All l say is if fishermen have the inability to catch lives from the venue they are fishing don't livebait. The posts were not a personnal slander on yourself l was calling on whether this was the general consensus among pike fishermen and if so what reasons they would give for it. http://www.forumco.com/predatorpublication...itle=Pike+Forum