Cast out

[tiddlertamer]

Just been watching an English fisherman at loose on Polish waters.

 

It's a TV programme called Cast Out.

 

It's on the rather dodgily titled Discovery Shed but it's reallly rather a fab programme in my humble opinion.

 

For nothing else, watching an English angler abroad is interesting but how delightful that the eastern european fisherman filmed were big carp fishing fans and returned their fish.

 

Coolio to confront certain stereotypes...

[mike1234]

is that the one with that pillock from big brother or something in it ?

[Andy Macfarlane]

I saw that and it proved that there are anglers in Poland that take their fishings seriously and do it properly. I pointed that out several years ago when I told people about the SZCZUPAK.ORG campaign.

 

So it's good that there are Polish anglers out there who do things properly but that very same programme also demonstrated what a state their waters were in. A big pike was what.....8lbs or something???

 

This guy had the boat, the baitcasting gear...everything and that's his idea of good fishing. I applaud anyone who looks after their quarry but it's very clear that Polish fishing is buggered if thats the best they can expect.

 

Who'd buy a boat to catch jacks all day? I wouldn't buy a 10 quid spinning rod to catch jacks all day.

 

A far as Polish anglers go, the bloke had it right but it's clear the very same bloke would have a field-day over here.

 

No wonder all our fish end up on the Bar B Q. The Poles had probably never seen fish that size till they came here.

 

There were 2 sides to that programme.

 

....andy....

Edited August 9, 2009 by Andy Macfarlane

[Newt]

The size of a "big" fish is relative. If most max out at 4 lbs, an 8 lb fish huge.

 

I live in an area where carp almost never get much over 20 lbs so for me, a double is big and a 30 would be huge. That said, with buffalo going routinely over 40 lbs and blue catfish going routinely over 30 lbs, I still spend a good deal of time (and money) fishing for black bass that rarely go over 6 lbs and bluegills that never reach 1 lb.

 

I suspect if you enjoy pike fishing and lived where 8 lbs was large, you'd be happy to buy the needed gear to fish for them and enjoy yourself.

[Sportsman]

It hurts me to say this, and those who "know" me will appreciate that I tend not to judge on matters of nationality, but, I have first hand experience of what Polish "anglers" can do to a fishery.

Not too far from here we have one of the very few coarse fisheries this far North.

The fishing is owned by a caravan site who stocked the 40 acre loch with coarse fish for their customers. It is not a big thing up here, too many trout and Salmon fisheries. They apparently put in some Carp, Roach, Bream and Ide but more Ide than anything else. They must have got a deal on them. There were a natural stock of Pike, Perch and Eels already in the Loch and 6 years ago I caught my PB Pike of 29lb 12ozs from here. Doubles were reasonably common and at that time only one or two anglers were fishing for the coarse fish.

About 3 years ago one or two Polish anglers started to fish the Loch and were told by the owners that they could kill any pike they caught (the owner believed that they would eat their other fish) Now I haven't heard of a Pike from this loch over 3lb for at least a year but there are hundred of tiny Jacks.

At the beginning of this year I started to fish for the Ide who seem to have done well. Float fishing on the pole would account for a couple of dozen superb fish around 3 to 4 lb.

At the same time 2 or 3 Polish guys started to fish for what they called Carp (the Ide). One actually came and asked me why I was putting my fish back. Luckily they weren't catching much as their tactics were poor and their tackle was crude. At that time I warned the new owners and she said she would keep an eye on them.

The following week I went back and there were 2 Poles in my swim of the previous week with 3 rods each. I saw one catch a fish of around 4lb and stand on it to pull the hook out before putting it in his bag. Again I told the owner and she said that she had told them they could take one fish each.

The following week there were 9 of us fishing. 8 Poles and me. They were all using at least 3 rods. I saw upward of a dozen really good fish killed. Told the owner but she didn't seem too bothered.

Then I went into hospital and didn't fish again until last weekend. When I arrived the owner told me that they had banned the Polish guys the previous day after catching them with a sack full of fish. I fished a decent session and didn't have a bite. Yesterday I went back and fished for 9 hours. 1 bite for a superb fish that must have been close to 5lb.

Now the problem is that all of the Ide seem pretty much the same size so I assume that they are all from the original stocking. When they are gone they are gone, so that is that.

I won't be going back (well maybe, I know that there are some decent Perch in there) but that means that my nearest coarse fishery is an hour and a half's drive away.

Looks like I am back to the fly fishing for a while

I would like to add that I have in the past (on here) been dismissive of the damage that a few Eastern Europeans can do to the fishing in an area. Maybe the effect here is exaggerated because there are no other fisheries to share the load, but this is not hearsay or repeating stories, this is first hand experience.

Personally, I prefer Otters

[Newt]

40 acres will fish to death pretty soon with fish being kept and no new ones going in.

[gozzer]

It hurts me to say this, and those who "know" me will appreciate that I tend not to judge on matters of nationality, but, I have first hand experience of what Polish "anglers" can do to a fishery.

Not too far from here we have one of the very few coarse fisheries this far North.

I would like to add that I have in the past (on here) been dismissive of the damage that a few Eastern Europeans can do to the fishing in an area. Maybe the effect here is exaggerated because there are no other fisheries to share the load, but this is not hearsay or repeating stories, this is first hand experience.

Personally, I prefer Otters

 

Going by what you have said Dave, I lay the blame squarely at the feet of the fishery owners.

 

They allowed the guys to take the pike because they, " believed that they would eat their other fish".

They allowed them to "take one fish each" in the first place.

What do they expect?

 

It's uninformed idiots like this that make my blood boil.

They think that all they have to do is either dig a hole, fill it with water, add a few weeds and plenty of fish, or find a hole already filled with water, add plenty of other fish, and abracadabra, they've got a 'fishery'. It will make them a few bob.

 

The sad thing is that more and more anglers are also regarding these places as 'fisheries' too.

 

It's mainly because of people like this, (and my own bloody mindedness) that I'm in a (how can I put it in these corporate and commercial times?), ah yes, I'm in a 'non fishing situation'.

 

John.

[Dales]

is that the one with that pillock from big brother or something in it ?

 

 

yep, I think it is.

[Sportsman]

Going by what you have said Dave, I lay the blame squarely at the feet of the fishery owners.

 

They allowed the guys to take the pike because they, " believed that they would eat their other fish".

They allowed them to "take one fish each" in the first place.

What do they expect?

 

It's uninformed idiots like this that make my blood boil.

They think that all they have to do is either dig a hole, fill it with water, add a few weeds and plenty of fish, or find a hole already filled with water, add plenty of other fish, and abracadabra, they've got a 'fishery'. It will make them a few bob.

 

The sad thing is that more and more anglers are also regarding these places as 'fisheries' too.

 

It's mainly because of people like this, (and my own bloody mindedness) that I'm in a (how can I put it in these corporate and commercial times?), ah yes, I'm in a 'non fishing situation'.

 

John.

 

 

I agree entirely John, I blame the owners as well.

The point I was making was how quickly a good fishery could be turned around.

This particular Loch is about as far removed from the concept of a commercial as you could get, very wild and overgrown around most of it's perimeter and until recently hardly ever fished, except for Pike a few years ago.

The fish were stocked some years ago at a very small size and have grown on. It is only recently that they have attained the size they have.

The original stocking of carp and bream disappeared and neither species have been caught or even seen to my knowledge. We are just on the northern limit for carp up here anyway so they were unlikely to thrive.

The loch is now full of tiny roach but I have never seen or heard of a roach over a couple of ounces. Size 20 hook and a maggot and you can catch hundreds at that size though.

The problem is I can't see the Ide breeding (they are all one size) and I can't see the new owners re-stocking with anything so unless the roach grow on that's it except for the Perch.

Having said that, when I was fishing on Saturday there were massive fry shoals in front of me and on three occasions what looked to be sizable Perch crashed into them so maybe I need to go back with some appropriate tackle and bait.

For some reason, the Polish guys never fished for Perch

[gozzer]

It sounds like the perch are your best bet Dave. Unless the owner thinks they will eat all the fish, and allows them to be taken too!

 

When I talk of a commercial it doesn't just mean 'a hole in the ground'. To me it's the thinking behind stocking policies of the owners.

I have experienced too many good mixed fisheries spoiled by 'commercial' thinking. Many of these were beautiful looking waters. The initial pleasing apperance of them, soon lead to disappointment when you fished them.

 

John.