StuMac

You have a point in places that are heavily populated (with people, not fish), but most studies of fish populations show that there is massive over production of young fish, which then face massive mortality. Most importantly, this mortality is said to be 'density-dependent' - a slight reduction in population density reduces mortality and so allows larger numbers of young to survive. This is a vitally important aspect of fish biology, which allows populations to survive floods, droughts etc. It also has implications for fisheries as, provided people really do only take the odd small fish (say up to 4 lb), then I really doubt you'd have any significant impact on the overall population. It's a very different story once people start trophy hunting (German Style) - that really hammers a fish population very quickly. Quite odd because our whole fisheries mangement (North sea etc) is based around selectively harvesting the largest fish (and its extremely doubtful that the methods used are selective).

According to 1471, someone called me at 10.23 am and witheld their number! My god!!!! Whats going on, people *withholding telephone numbers*. I can honestly say I've never heard of that before - perhaps British Telcom are involved in the conspiracy too????

There has now been a proper genetic analysis of sea / brown trout. They are definately the same species, although they obviously have very different life styles. One of the interesting things about trout, is incredible genetic diversity amongst different populations. Ferrox Trout, Brown Trout, Sea Trout all seem to be different variations on the basic trout theme. I feel that you could argue that the widespread stocking of rivers and lochs with artificially reared trout is very rapidly destroying this diversity. Pretty soon all trout will look the same. But then game fly fishermen have to be guarunteed a decent catch don't they!

Link doesn't seem to work Go to http://www.guardian.co.uk and enter 'Jellyfish' in the search box. Was in todays (23/8) paper.

Look at this link - freshwater jellyfish have arrived in UK!! search.guardian.co.uk/search97cgi/s...dkPublicationDa te+Desc

The jellyfish in question is a tiny marine species native to the Pacific ocean. It manged to get through the Panama Canal and was then swept across the Atlantic by the Gulfstream / North Atlantic Drift. Once in western Scotland there was a population explosion, goodness knows why. The water was so thick with the things that the Salmon were killed 'cos their gills got blocked up. Don't know what happened after that - just back from a fishing trip to hear tales of thousands of dead salmon. A good example of what can happens when species get out of their natural environment.

The jellyfish in question is a tiny marine species native to the Pacific ocean. It manged to get through the Panama Canal and was then swept across the Atlantic by the Gulfstream / North Atlantic Drift. Once in western Scotland there was a population explosion, goodness knows why. The water was so thick with the things that the Salmon were killed 'cos their gills got blocked up. Don't know what happened after that - just back from a fishing trip to hear tales of thousands of dead salmon. A good example of what can happens when species get out of their natural environment.

And if you have a pee then the pain is excruciating - I speak from experience!!

A mate of mine who's an astrophysisist (and therefor spends a lot of time looking at digital images of stars) told me that he thought that the best possible equipment (i.e. in the thousands of pounds bracket) would produce an image on 35 mm film that would be equivalent to about 10 megapixels. He recond that most decent SLRs could manage about 6 megapixels. This seems to be about right, as my Camedia has 3.3 mega pixels, and I've made prints up to A4 size, which just look like regular photos. If you start making selective enlargements, you can start to see the difference between an SLR so you really have to put a bit more thought into composing the image before you take it. Even though they're not *quite* as good as as SLR, I really find that digital cameras have re-kindled my interest in photography and that I now take a lot more photos. Depends how into computers you are, but it really is good to be able to e-mail photos of fishing trips to your mates. I almost always do it first thing the next morning. Printing photos is good to, and this quality really is quite stunning. However, it can get adictive, and it then becomes expensive! Don't know where people get the idea that you need high quality images to print photos in magazines. The image quality in even a really flash glossy magazine is a lot lower than in a photographic print. These days, all the magazine would do with a slide would be to scan it and manipulate the image electronically. If the image is sharp and properly exposed a file is just as good.

A mate of mine who's an astrophysisist (and therefor spends a lot of time looking at digital images of stars) told me that he thought that the best possible equipment (i.e. in the thousands of pounds bracket) would produce an image on 35 mm film that would be equivalent to about 10 megapixels. He recond that most decent SLRs could manage about 6 megapixels. This seems to be about right, as my Camedia has 3.3 mega pixels, and I've made prints up to A4 size, which just look like regular photos. If you start making selective enlargements, you can start to see the difference between an SLR so you really have to put a bit more thought into composing the image before you take it. Even though they're not *quite* as good as as SLR, I really find that digital cameras have re-kindled my interest in photography and that I now take a lot more photos. Depends how into computers you are, but it really is good to be able to e-mail photos of fishing trips to your mates. I almost always do it first thing the next morning. Printing photos is good to, and this quality really is quite stunning. However, it can get adictive, and it then becomes expensive! Don't know where people get the idea that you need high quality images to print photos in magazines. The image quality in even a really flash glossy magazine is a lot lower than in a photographic print. These days, all the magazine would do with a slide would be to scan it and manipulate the image electronically. If the image is sharp and properly exposed a file is just as good.

I know its considered blasphemy in some circles, but I thought Mr Crabtree was vastly overated when I was a lad (35 years ago). Although I've got the books, most of the advise was very simplistic, and there was nothing really new in it. I feel the real attraction of the books is that they portray a nice world, which doesn't exist any more and probably never did. Old BV had a big thing about new developments in angling, like the fixed spool real which he hated, and i think that totally blinkered him. My big influences were people like Dick Walker, Fred Wagstaff, Bob Reynolds - really imaginative anglers who developed new methods and styles of fishing. They weren't afraid to use new methods and develope different approaches

There has actually been a prosecution for cruelty to crustaceans in this country. Back in the 70s some wierd woman working in a fish resaurant apparently took delight in putting live Norway lobster (big prawn type animal about 6 - 8 inches long) onto a hotplate!

There has actually been a prosecution for cruelty to crustaceans in this country. Back in the 70s some wierd woman working in a fish resaurant apparently took delight in putting live Norway lobster (big prawn type animal about 6 - 8 inches long) onto a hotplate!

There has actually been a prosecution for cruelty to crustaceans in this country. Back in the 70s some wierd woman working in a fish resaurant apparently took delight in putting live Norway lobster (big prawn type animal about 6 - 8 inches long) onto a hotplate!

There has actually been a prosecution for cruelty to crustaceans in this country. Back in the 70s some wierd woman working in a fish resaurant apparently took delight in putting live Norway lobster (big prawn type animal about 6 - 8 inches long) onto a hotplate!

This one's done the rounds before! The photo is of two pike on a stringer, with the smaller pikes head under the gill plate of the larger one. Its quite clear if you look carfully

This one's done the rounds before! The photo is of two pike on a stringer, with the smaller pikes head under the gill plate of the larger one. Its quite clear if you look carfully

Live baiting was banned totally a few years ago. I'll check my Hague city permit, but I think you can use trebles for dead baits. There are certainly some rules, but I couldn't work them out last time I was there - I used to live in Holland but Dutch is v. rusty now. At present you certainly can't fish with lures, dead fish, offal etc. until last Sat. in May, but you can fish with a limited number of approved baits (bread, cheese, potatoes, worms) throughout the year. This means that they basically have a predator close season from 1st April - last Sat in May. I'm pretty sure you're allowed to take undersize perch if you plan to use them as dead bait. You also need no permit (but still a licence) to fish with these baits on a public waterway (i.e. one with boat traffic). Rules are a bit complex and change from region to region, but I think that's right. When I lived in Holland (thirty years ago) it was still very common for Anglers to kill all the fish they caught that were over the size limit. Carp and pike were (and still are) often eaten. Eels were a delicacy. I remember seeing a guy of about 50 killing a nice tench to take home for his cat. These days Holland is probably one of the few places to adopt our attitudes. I was speaking to a 'senior' Dutch angler in the Hague back in March, and he was moaning about people naming carp etc. Although angling's very popular in Holand, the amount of water is enourmous and most of it is very well looked after with a very healthy fish population. I think Pete Waller will agfree that the Angling pressure, even in big cities like the Hague and Amsterdam, is a tiny fraction of that on waters in the south east of the UK. The fishing, even right in the middle of urban areas, is unbelievable by our standards. It's sometimes feels as if everyone has a river Yare or a lake of Mentieth to themselves http://www.xs4all.nl/~ghv/ghvhome.html Folk might like to look at this link. Home page of the Hague fishing club. It's in Dutch but there are links which describe some very good venues. Interesting links on Pike Fishing (Snoekvissen). Also a section on Stocking / maitaning fish in the Hague. Believe it or not, this is done by the council with help from volunteers. Look at the size of some of the bream going in to water just next to a block of flats!! You really feel you get you moneys worth when you buy a licence / permit in Holland! Stuart

Live baiting was banned totally a few years ago. I'll check my Hague city permit, but I think you can use trebles for dead baits. There are certainly some rules, but I couldn't work them out last time I was there - I used to live in Holland but Dutch is v. rusty now. At present you certainly can't fish with lures, dead fish, offal etc. until last Sat. in May, but you can fish with a limited number of approved baits (bread, cheese, potatoes, worms) throughout the year. This means that they basically have a predator close season from 1st April - last Sat in May. I'm pretty sure you're allowed to take undersize perch if you plan to use them as dead bait. You also need no permit (but still a licence) to fish with these baits on a public waterway (i.e. one with boat traffic). Rules are a bit complex and change from region to region, but I think that's right. When I lived in Holland (thirty years ago) it was still very common for Anglers to kill all the fish they caught that were over the size limit. Carp and pike were (and still are) often eaten. Eels were a delicacy. I remember seeing a guy of about 50 killing a nice tench to take home for his cat. These days Holland is probably one of the few places to adopt our attitudes. I was speaking to a 'senior' Dutch angler in the Hague back in March, and he was moaning about people naming carp etc. Although angling's very popular in Holand, the amount of water is enourmous and most of it is very well looked after with a very healthy fish population. I think Pete Waller will agfree that the Angling pressure, even in big cities like the Hague and Amsterdam, is a tiny fraction of that on waters in the south east of the UK. The fishing, even right in the middle of urban areas, is unbelievable by our standards. It's sometimes feels as if everyone has a river Yare or a lake of Mentieth to themselves http://www.xs4all.nl/~ghv/ghvhome.html Folk might like to look at this link. Home page of the Hague fishing club. It's in Dutch but there are links which describe some very good venues. Interesting links on Pike Fishing (Snoekvissen). Also a section on Stocking / maitaning fish in the Hague. Believe it or not, this is done by the council with help from volunteers. Look at the size of some of the bream going in to water just next to a block of flats!! You really feel you get you moneys worth when you buy a licence / permit in Holland! Stuart

Will mail you a few more details, but you should know that predator fishing season is closed 'til last Sat in May if you were thinking of going next week. Basically you need a licence (Sport Viskart, from any post office, I think 5.60 Euros, valid for whole country) and a permit (Vergunnung, from tackle shops, valid for region you want to fish in). The permit usually has an incredibly detailed account of where you can fish. No live baiting. Most Dutch fisherman mainly go for Bream Roach etc, there are surprisingly few pikers considering how good it is.

Will mail you a few more details, but you should know that predator fishing season is closed 'til last Sat in May if you were thinking of going next week. Basically you need a licence (Sport Viskart, from any post office, I think 5.60 Euros, valid for whole country) and a permit (Vergunnung, from tackle shops, valid for region you want to fish in). The permit usually has an incredibly detailed account of where you can fish. No live baiting. Most Dutch fisherman mainly go for Bream Roach etc, there are surprisingly few pikers considering how good it is.

I often find it strange that the countries that have what UK anglers would call the 'worst' records at fish handling / killing seem to have rivers that contain a lot more fish that ours. I think most UK anglers would agree that fishing in USA, france, spain, scandinavia and even Germany can be a lot better than here. I was looking at the shoals of chub and dace in the Neckar at Tubingen just a few weeks ago thinking its ages since I saw anything like that back home.

I often find it strange that the countries that have what UK anglers would call the 'worst' records at fish handling / killing seem to have rivers that contain a lot more fish that ours. I think most UK anglers would agree that fishing in USA, france, spain, scandinavia and even Germany can be a lot better than here. I was looking at the shoals of chub and dace in the Neckar at Tubingen just a few weeks ago thinking its ages since I saw anything like that back home.

I saw the Hooked on Fishing bit and know that Loch pretty well. They weren't as far away as you'd think - even when they were sitting talking about lures. I think it was edited to make it look as if they had a long run along the bank. Really like that Loch, in fact it has to be one of my all time favorite spots and at present it's really well run. Pike angling there is totally dependent upon good reltions with the estate and I just hope that the programme doesn't attract crowds of people making noise, getting ****, leaving litter and destroying trees. I know it's hard to believe but a lot of people behave that way and quite a few people up here say that a TV appearance has spoilt at least one other good venue.

I saw the Hooked on Fishing bit and know that Loch pretty well. They weren't as far away as you'd think - even when they were sitting talking about lures. I think it was edited to make it look as if they had a long run along the bank. Really like that Loch, in fact it has to be one of my all time favorite spots and at present it's really well run. Pike angling there is totally dependent upon good reltions with the estate and I just hope that the programme doesn't attract crowds of people making noise, getting ****, leaving litter and destroying trees. I know it's hard to believe but a lot of people behave that way and quite a few people up here say that a TV appearance has spoilt at least one other good venue.