Fishing Eels in London

[Pike71]

Hi all,

 

I am new in this forum, I was wandering if anyone can give me a few tips on where to catch few eels in the thames or other waters in London (or nearby). I cannot find many info on the web but I think there are plenty of beats along the river thames where you can catch this slippery fish.

 

many thanks in advance

 

Marco

[Royboy]

Hi all,

 

I am new in this forum, I was wandering if anyone can give me a few tips on where to catch few eels in the thames or other waters in London (or nearby). I cannot find many info on the web but I think there are plenty of beats along the river thames where you can catch this slippery fish.

 

many thanks in advance

 

Marco

 

With eels being predominantly a river dweller, you're timing is terrible. The close season for river fishing starts today until June 16. However if you can wait a few months check out these links to fishing in the Metropolis http://www.go-fish.co.uk/london.htm you'll have better luck in the summer anyway.

[lutra]

With eels being predominantly a river dweller, you're timing is terrible. The close season for river fishing starts today until June 16. However if you can wait a few months check out these links to fishing in the Metropolis http://www.go-fish.co.uk/london.htm you'll have better luck in the summer anyway.

Ive caught all my biggest eels from still waters.

 

Do eels have a close season?

[Worms]

Ive caught all my biggest eels from still waters.

 

Do eels have a close season?

No, well maybe in the Sargasso

 

There are hook size restrictions on waters with close seasons. Hook gape must be 1/2" or more.

[Guest tigger]

Ive caught all my biggest eels from still waters.

 

Do eels have a close season?

 

 

All the bigges eels I've seen or caught have been from still waters. I don't think I've ever had an eel much over a pound from a river.

[Leon Roskilly]

Some, but not all eels move into the rivers.

 

Those that do will stay in the rivers a while, before disappearing forever back to where they breed (probably in or near the Sargasso Sea).

 

The further up the river they go, the longer they stay.

 

Around 5 years for those which don't go up far, around 20 years for those that reach the upper tributaries.

 

An unreliable guide to size is around 1lb every 10 years of age.

 

Females are bigger than males.

 

(Population density determines sex, so plentiful eels setting up home on the Western side of Britain means most are males, whereas the relatively few reaching the rivers on the Eastern side usually become females. A problem with the crash in eel numbers could be that they all end up as females, with no one to mate with. Goodbye eels!).

 

When eels enter a still-water, they rarely experience the triggers of increased water flow in the Autumn that has those wanting to make the breeding migration heading downriver.

 

And so they stay and grow old and big, maybe 70 years or so.

 

Incidentally some eels become specialist feeding on water insects etc, and develop a small pointy head, whereas others become hunters of fish, and have a large flat head and a big jaw for grabbing prey.

 

So, river eels will tend to grow bigger the further up the river you catch them, but usually never more than a couple of pound or so, whereas stillwaters can hold some big monsters of 7lb plus.

[Pike71]

Some, but not all eels move into the rivers.

 

Those that do will stay in the rivers a while, before disappearing forever back to where they breed (probably in or near the Sargasso Sea).

 

The further up the river they go, the longer they stay.

 

Around 5 years for those which don't go up far, around 20 years for those that reach the upper tributaries.

 

An unreliable guide to size is around 1lb every 10 years of age.

 

 

 

 

 

Females are bigger than males.

 

(Population density determines sex, so plentiful eels setting up home on the Western side of Britain means most are males, whereas the relatively few reaching the rivers on the Eastern side usually become females. A problem with the crash in eel numbers could be that they all end up as females, with no one to mate with. Goodbye eels!).

 

When eels enter a still-water, they rarely experience the triggers of increased water flow in the Autumn that has those wanting to make the breeding migration heading downriver.

 

And so they stay and grow old and big, maybe 70 years or so.

 

Incidentally some eels become specialist feeding on water insects etc, and develop a small pointy head, whereas others become hunters of fish, and have a large flat head and a big jaw for grabbing prey.

 

So, river eels will tend to grow bigger the further up the river you catch them, but usually never more than a couple of pound or so, whereas stillwaters can hold some big monsters of 7lb plus.

 

 

thanks everybody for replying but my questions are more related to fishing beats, locations, good spots. Any advice?

[Mark7]

thanks everybody for replying but my questions are more related to fishing beats, locations, good spots. Any advice?

Hi Marco

 

What do you plan to do with the eels that you catch?

 

Regards

 

Mark

[Newt]

pike 71 - you are unlikely to get that information posted on an open, public forum.

 

If nothing else, these forums are read by hundreds (or sometimes thousands) of people who never post but who do like to glean info from what is posted here.

 

Is directing hundreds of unknown anglers to good swims for eels a wise thing?

[Pike71]

Hi Marco

 

What do you plan to do with the eels that you catch?

 

Regards

 

Mark

 

 

hopefully eat them