What chance ?

[Saul]

As a lad I used to fish a smallish river in my dads back garden with plenty of wild brown trout and the odd Grayling ,you could slaughter them trotting a bunch of maggots down the river.

I recently went for a visit and took my rod for a quick bit of fun fishing not a bite ??????

 

Another visit today and my dad had told me he had spotted two otters harrasing a heron !

Then as we were talking about the otters ,three Gooseanders and a couple of cormorants turn up :mad: :mad:

Now I know why I didn't get a bite

 

From a great little river full of fish to empty in a very short space of time ,very very sad indeed

[Lid]

They may not be the only reason for the missing fish. In summer 2002 we were on hols in Cornwall and there were loads of wild brownies in a little stream that runs into the sea in Pentewan. Last year there were very few indeed. In fact although I caught one, I didn't see any!

 

I couldn't see any specific predators, but I did find some EA workers hand spraying some kind of Japaneses (I think) weed. I asked them where the fish had gone, but they had no idea and no concern. We're there again this year, so Il have another look.

[Jeff S]

Lid:

In fact although I caught one, I didn't see any!

:confused:

[Andy Macfarlane]

Saul, it's not really Brownie time yet anyway. The majority of the fish will still be holed up somewhere deep, probably downstream. The burn probably hasn't died or anything bad.

My local river produces endless supplies of Brownies, once the weather warms a bit. Just now though, you could swear the river was dead. There's not a fish to be seen or caught anywhere.

It was always like this though. Just before Xmas, you could practically walk through the trout. After the spawn, they simply vanish without a trace. They,ll come back..honest.

[Newt]

Another visit today and my dad had told me he had spotted two otters harrasing a heron !

Then as we were talking about the otters ,three Gooseanders and a couple of cormorants turn up

 

This should be a pretty good indication that there is still quite a bit of food in the area and for those critters, fish would be the primary food available and especially this early in the year.

[Saul]

Sorry

I'ts not working trying to make me feel any better

I know this stretch of river too well ,It cannot take this amount of pressure from all these predators :confused: :mad:

 

Cheers

Saul

[malevans]

The river and the trout will be coping with these preditors long after we are all pushing up daiseys. If the population has been eradicated it is very likely chemical or similar. If the food becomes too scarce then the preditors move on. There is only one particular primate that is not influenced by the normal dynamics......

[jeepster]

as newt says these predators wouldnt be there were there not a head of fish to support them. have you considered that fact that these creatures live off the fish you want to catch, and that maybe their need for them is greater than yours? why is it so sad that something entirely natural is happening?