spawning fish?

[tony jolley]

Hi,

Can you tell me when most "Game fish" spawn in the uk,

Thanks,

[OP-JB]

Tony,

 

Game fish use day length as a cue to spawning, coarse fish use water temperature. Game fish use this mechanism so the fry are swimming up from within the gravel in early spring when food can be found. Brown and rainbow trout in hatcheries can be manipulated to ovulate at any time of the year thanks to a strategy called `photoperiodism`. They cover the tanks with black polythene to trick the fish into spawning in June, say. That said and to answer your question Brout Trout in the U.K. spawn between October and January. Mine are ready on the shortest day every year. The Derbyshire Wye wild R.T. spawn from about now until mid May. Brookies dont spawn in the U.K.

I haven`t seen the Grayling on the gravel yet but they will be there anytime now.

I`ve never worked with Salmon, other than farmed fish, but dont they spawn in the Winter around Christmas?

[tony jolley]

Thanks for that,

I ask as a eel angler,

This may sound strange on the fly forum,

But I have heard and been told that "Game" anglers believe eels to be a problem in areas were game fish spawn,

But if eels arnt feeding until the water temp reaches about 48-50 degrees, I cant see them haveing any impact on fish stocks, from eating the spawn or eggs of game fish,

What do you think??

[OP-JB]

Tony,

 

I can quite understand if eels do have a detrimental impact on Salmonid ova within redds. The hen fish usualy deposits 1000 eggs per pound of body weight, the idea being it is expected to

loose some of those high protein packages to other species like eels, bullheads, loach, little grebes, dippers, other trout and pisivouirous insect larvae. The Salmonids that survive will exact the ultimate revenge upon the above over their fifteen years, or so, of life in the river.

Your point contained technical about the eel that I was not aware of, in a format(degrees F) that I dont use but I understand your point as a whole; If the higher temperatures of spring bring the eel on to feed then those rising temperatures also release the eggs from the gravel so how can they eat eggs that aren`t there? I will ask a friend for you.

Salmonid Fishery managers see threats from all sides but their main worries at the moment are cormorants, gooseanders and the right to roam threat.

[Newt]

OP-JB: I would have sent this info via email but you don't seem to have an account listed.

 

If you ever want/need to do quick conversions for things like temp, weight, money, etc., a couple of very good sites are

 

Currency

 

Just About Everything

 

Or if you prefer, I have web pages you can store on your PC that contain scripts to do the same thing and are quite small and fast. Happy to send them on to you (or to anyone else who asks).

 

Email to nvail@ctc.net and I will cheerefully send them out to you.