Dave Smith

www.Brum-Pikers.co.uk

Tonight Guys

All, I've revently take over as RO for Region 1 (Birmingham) of the Pike Anglers Club. We've got a full line up of talks taking place during the winter Including: Neville Fickling Mark Barrett and Denis Moules Phil Kirk Alex Prouse Mark Salt All meetings take place at the Aston Manor Cricket Club In Perry Barr (dead easy to find) off the A34 (back of Alexander Stadium). For more information visit our blog at http://birminghamra1.wordpress.com/ If you'd like to be added to our e-mail list to be kept up to date with region news drop me a line at; RA1.Birmingham@btinternet.com Both PAC Members and Non-members welcome

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Steve, we wouldn't have a problem with people taking fish for the pot IF the source was sustainable.... unfortunatley for a varity of reasons the current Eel population isn't sustainable. hopefully the EMP's will have an effect, UK Eel Management Plans (EMP's) http://www.defra.gov.uk/marine/freshwater/fishman.htm#EELS Irish EMP http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0212/eel.html until the Eel population recovers (if it ever will) we ask that all Eels are returned. you're right that anglers will have a very little impact in the grand scheme of things, but every little helps.

It's always difficult to lobby anything which has a high monetary value. but we continue to push. Mark's not having a go at anglers, far from it we are anglers and need the support of anglers. as John pointed out on a different thread, the eel population isn't sustainable. if it where then nobody would begrudge a few Eels for the pot. Eels are a keystone in the ecology, without them many other animals will need to diversify to eating other things.... the otter being a prime example. there eating carp because there are no longer the stocks of eels that there was when the otter was last wild. hopefully the EMP's will do something about that. It might be too late, but we live in hope. the Eel has always got the shitty end of the stick, a foreign fish that spreads disease has a fortune spent on trying to protect it. another has millions of license payers money spent on it yet only a few ever get the chance to fish for them... yet mention the plight of the eel and the majority scoff... maybe we need to think beyond the bivvy door...?

the problem is sustainability, I'm not going to the details as why Eels are in such decline as that's been done already, but the very fact that Eels can't procreate in freshwater is good enough reason to not eat them! Eels can and frequently do leave still waters to make their way back out to sea, of course this depends on the lake itself, and how the eels got there in the first place and at what size. The Eels decline is well documented across the world especially so in Europe which has prompted the European governments cause to implement the EMP's (Eel Management Plans) which have now been submitted and will come into force in July. no I wouldn't remove the right to eat any fish but with the state of the Eel population please... Put Eels Back! Dave Smith www.nationalanguillaclub.co.uk

Pike are generally targeted in the winter because as a very delicate species they can be prone to gassing up when the waters dissolved oxygen content is low i.e. in the summer. the problems can arise when people use light tackle and on hooking, the Pike endure a long drawn out fight. heavy tackle and unhooking competance usually means that the time between hooking and returning is minimal and the Pike goes back healthly. light tackle and beginners often means a dead Pike. The traditional Pike season starts on October 1st and ends March 15th, however as theres no closed season on many still waters these days a lot of Pikers end their pursuit at the end of March. for more information on Pike angling take a look at www.pacgb.co.uk Hope this helps.

Maxima, but regardless of what line you use it's always going to need a little help to break the surface film

I don't see any trace? it's possible that the swan has picked the lure while rooting about. Sad fact is that RSPCA/RSPB will go directly to the news papers to get publicity for themselves. I'm not saying that this is wrong but gives a disproportionate view to the layman. and the media pander to it. how often to you read something positive about angling/anglers in the media. like the work some charities do with under priveralged kids and charity matches etc. No we don't do ourselves any favours, but the media doesn't do us any either.

Went through the same process with my son 5 years ago, I took him to the local canal, (full of small roach and rudd). I didn't fish myself, set him up with a simple waggler and cast out for him. that's the easy part. I'd let him catch a few then pack up and go home... while he was still catching don't wait for the bites to dry up. tears temper tantrums the lot. BUT he was desperate to go the next time. He's progressed a little since then and we do a bit of everything. he's going for the Bream tomorrow! season before last saw us carp fish a small gravel pit. the place gets a little busy at the weekend so theres quite a few people mulling about. anyway his indicator lifts and he's in played it like a pro I did the business with the net, but the plus for me was he didn't panic even with at least 20 people behind him. It was a Common of 12.09, he caught a 14.02 a couple of hours later.... I blanked! He's almost 10 now, and he's caught some nice fish, a few double figure carp, tench over 5 bream over 7 and a roach from the Severn that I dread to think how big it was (forgot my scales). I've caught roach to a little over three - his was huge. We do fish for the bigger fish occasionally and not just carp, he's been showing me how to lure fish all winter! but there's nothing to beat just just sitting on the bank with a float rod each fishing for bits on a summers evening.

Hiring a mini bus wouldn't be too bad price wise..... Hiring an artic to get everyone's tackle in might be a little on the expensive side! I've got a Volvo Est. and even with the seats down, fully ladened with kit, theres not much room left! maybe we'll have to start taking a more simplistic approach to our fishing?

there where many waters I fancied having ago at this year but because of the price of fuel I've shelved or are thinking of single visits. I commute 95 miles a day to work, the additional money that's now going into the tank has eaten into my free cash so buying tackle, bait and tickets has suffered too. I can't go into the tackle shop and just pick up what I want. I now go round and think I'm not spending more than £X and tot up as I go. I've kept one ticket, and will be buying another soon but I'll also be fishing my local canal much more this season because theres no fuel involved. (200yrds from the front door).

I tend to use a small insert waggler too, 2lb line though unless I expect to catch some tench and use corn in which case I'll stepp up to 4lb.

John that got me thinking, when I was a kid I'd often pick up a bootlace while fishing for roach and bits, but I've not had an accidental for a few years now except when fishing the rivers for Zander. Eels are at 1% of their population of 30 years ago, this is a fish that starts it's life in the Sargasso swims a few thousand miles to arrive in the UK, tries to avoid various nets-men keeping the posh folk in London supplied with jellied Eels or being sent off to Japan. grows exceptionally slowly - as little as 1lb every 10 years. as it grows it becomes bloody impossible to catch, then decides it's time to do a little pro-creation and swims all the way back to the Sargasso. The eel really needs more of our respect and protection. www.nationalanguillaclub.co.uk

it's a 6.14 caught by Mark Salt the General Sec.

The National Anguilla Club is currently developing a new website which can be seen at: http://www.nationalanguillaclub.co.uk I must stress that at the time of posting this message that the site is very much at it's bare bones, with updates almost daily.

I doubt Lakeside would be anygood to you, it's only small and full of small carp. there are some lakes in the Thrumaston area (opposite the hobby horse Island) they might be worth having a crack or Frisby pits outside melton.... sorry sketchy info I don't live in leicester, just work there.

About four and half quid.

Cheers, I'm out again tonight... if the same thing happens I'll take a look at the G-4's and Muggas. for next week.

any hook recommendations? I'm using Korda wide gapes for fish baits and big T raptors for worms.

all the runs came to Roach, either tail or head on a size one Korda wide gape.

had three takes last wednesday night, one I somehow managed to miss the other two aborted. I struck the take as quickly as I could, should I have waited a little? to be honest though I want to aviod deep hooking if I possibly can, rather miss a take.

Hi Gareth... I started fishing again 4 years ago after a break of almost 10 years, best thing I ever did enjoying myself more now than I ever have!