Leon Roskilly

er, hedgehogs predate on newts Norm, so that fox may be protecting your newts!

There was frost on the car when I put the cat out this morning (then went back to bed!) Arctic warming gives US and Europe the chills

Please see: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/12107502/Eel-fisherman-quits-amid-plunging-eel-numbers.html

You'll find Budgie on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/budgie.burgess.9 And his new venture at https://www.facebook.com/BASS-ONLINE-327382203987699

see previous debate: http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/701534-no-more-trebles/?hl=%2Broskilly+%2Bcircle&do=findComment&comment=1463268

Welcome to a year with a record El Nino in progress

Apart from Scotland, in the UK you need a rod licence to fish for coarse fish or migratory fish using a rod and line (other methods are illegal!). The legislation and associated EA byelaws applies out to 6 miles! (Who said you don't need a licence to fish in the sea, it all depends upon what you are fishing for not where you are fishing! ( http://www.sacn.org.uk/Articles/Do_I_Need_A_Licence.html )

I knew those new-fangled railways would cause more problems than anyone ever imagined. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_time

I've seen the odd squirrel scampering along the top of the back fence, but I reckon that the cats will dissuade them from coming down

For a few seasons, when I was growing my own veg and doing a lot of digging in the spring, a fearless black-bird would be under my feet almost as soon as I bought the fork out of the shed. Several times I only narrowly missed spearing him as he darted for a grub. Although they would turn up to pick over the dug ground, I never had such a 'friendly' blackbird since he failed to arrive one spring. ps I now have around a dozen gold finches feeding on the apple tree feeders.

Early in the year I came to the conclusion that our three cats are now at the age where they prefer to lounge around, rather than chasing flying things, so indulged myself by buying a bird-feeding station, and a supply of bird-feed (a number of years ago I'd previously fed birds from a couple of feeders in the garden but what with one thing and another hadn't put out feeders for a number of years). Being early in the season when food was in short supply and they hungry birds hadn't yet started nesting, I quickly ticked off a fair few species (and some I wasn't sure of identifying which led to the purchase of a compact zoom camera (x30 optical), but that's another story). All went well until the arrival of the juvenile starlings which scattered feed they weren't interested everywhere, attracting a flock of feral pigeons, and scaring everything else off by their quarrelsome fighting over the fat-balls. They only seemed interested in fat-balls and sultanas, so feeding just that soon had the feral pigeons losing interest in visiting the garden. An occasional visit from a the odd gold-finch and great-tit when the starlings were busy elsewhere had me putting on my thinking cap. Leaving the feeding station as a starling feeder and putting out some feeders with niger seed and sunflower hearts at the other end of the garden as bait for finches and tits seemed to work, so much so that for the last few days I've consistently had specific bird types feeding on the intended feeders in different parts of the garden. A small flock of goldfinch are now semi-resident in the apple-tree, frequently visited by great and blue-tits, collard doves have their own feeder with a handy perch where they can dine on mixed grain. I've still got to work out how to feed the dunnocks without inviting the pigeons back, and the robin without setting up a competition with the starlings over the meal-worms. What is interesting is how like angling this all is. Putting out the right bait in the right place and time to attract the right species without being bothered by other unwanted creatures

http://m.alfa.lt/straipsnis/49891080/anglijos-aplinkosaugininkams-lietuviu-brakonieriu-naudojami-irankiai-kele-nuostaba

Like it. Your car may stop if too close to a cyclist http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-30706146

Latest ICES advice on eels http://www.ices.dk/sites/pub/Publication%20Reports/Advice/2014/2014/eel-eur.pdf

As a kid I had a Sunday job helping the local milkman deliver milk by horse and cart in the East End. When the dairy went over to electric vehicles, the horses were sent to the knackers yard. It broke Sid's heart saying goodbye to the animal he had worked with for years, delivering milk through all weathers, up at the crack of dawn 7 days a weeek.

Environment Agency point to this: http://www.sustainableeelgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/14-01-Position-paper-Delivering-duties-for-eel.pdf

Breaking News Defra UK ‏@DefraGovUK 6m Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is meeting with his US counterpart today to discuss how the UK can begin exporting haggis to America.

Why not ask Environment Agency and OSPAR Norm? (I have)

OSPAR (which the UK are signed up to) have committed to protecting eels http://www.ospar.org/content/news_detail.asp?menu=00600725000000_000024_000000

Eastern IFCA http://www.eastern-ifca.gov.uk/documents/RSA%20strategy.pdf

Northumberland IFCA http://www.nifca.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/final-draft-Sea-Angling-Strategy.pdf

Devon & Severn IFCA http://www.devonandsevernifca.gov.uk/angling-

Chris Turnball is happy Chris TurnbullApril 17 This year is the start of the national fight back for crucians so watch out all you crossbreeding pond dwelling mud pigs and goldfish. Your days are numbered! Chris Turnbull shared a link.May 18 Yay, look what my efforts have kicked off! Now show your support by joining the Angling Trust. http://www.anglingtrust.net/news.asp?section=29&sectionTitle=Angling+Trust+News&itemid=2103

https://twitter.com/EelGroup/status/468388926378737664/photo/1

Responses to the public consultation on eels can be found at: http://test.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Business/Consultation_feedback_summary_-_coarse_fish_removal.pdf As far as the ban on the taking of eels by anglers being lifted The EU's Data Framework Directive for fisheries requires member countries to make returns on the recreational catch for a number of species including eels and to a proven standard of accuracy. For marine species the Marine Management Organisation has attempted to do this through data collected via the Sea Angling 2012 project. But the Environment Agency (who are responsible for eels) has no mechasnism, nor the money or resources to produce figures for the recreational catch of eels that would satisfy the EU requirements. Therefore, it's easier to simply ban the recreational take of eels! The good news is that there is talk of removing the Data Framework Directive requirements, in which case the EA will be in a better position to remove the ban, once it is established that the recovery of eels is established (which I would think would need around 10 years of decent elver runs all around the country, and a greater understanding of the eel migration and barriers. (Such as may come out of the current ICES survey effort in the Sargasso region). In the meantime the monitoring programme is being extended, especially through 'citizen science' projects, and a lot of eel-friendly fish passes are being built at obstructions, which will also benefit other migratory species, such as shads, salmonoids, lampreys etc.