Fishing near Northolt N/W London

[gozzer]

So from what I understand from all your valuable input, I cannot take home fish for two reasons:

 

It is illeagal.

I will be jailed for manslaughter for poisoning the family.

 

I will go to all these canals to pick up my fishing skills and for the odd two hour stint, but where would you all recommend I go to fish and take home where it is not a Fly fishing venue.

 

Thanks to all and for the advice on the pollution issue!! (This should be made more public as a major health issue).

 

I will repeat from my earlier post.

 

It is not, repeat, not illegal to take fish to eat. There are by laws covering what species and how many can be taken from every area you may want to fish. The individual controllers of fisheries can impose their own rules for their particular fishery. Other than that, the by laws cover it.

Page 19 of the link I posted tells you everthing you need to know about it.

 

John.

[hermes]

I can't understand why anyone would want to fish and kill what they catch. It has never and will never enter my mind.

I thought the guy was first and formost asking wht the fishing at Northolt was like, I didn't really think he was going to enter into a deep meaningful conversation about killing fish and if I had know that I would never have replied.

Why can't new anglers to the sport be happy to catch fish and return them in one piece without asking about killing them.

Seems to me that us chaps that have been fishing all our lives find it very sporting to catch and release our beautiful fish without question.

 

rant over.... well almost

[lutra]

I can't understand why anyone would want to fish and kill what they catch. It has never and will never enter my mind.

I thought the guy was first and formost asking wht the fishing at Northolt was like, I didn't really think he was going to enter into a deep meaningful conversation about killing fish and if I had know that I would never have replied.

Why can't new anglers to the sport be happy to catch fish and return them in one piece without asking about killing them.

Seems to me that us chaps that have been fishing all our lives find it very sporting to catch and release our beautiful fish without question.

 

rant over.... well almost

Speak for yourself hermes, personally Ive been killing and eating some of the fish i catch for years. Certainly in the case of brown trout from upland stream that I've been taking for about the last 30 years it doesn't seem to have had any impact on the stock at all and I've no reason to believe if done at a responsible level would have any impact for other species either. After all predator anglers take fish for bait so what is wrong with taking one for the pot?

 

I Certainly don't think there is reason to start ranting at new comers to our sport for it other than to point out pollution problems and that it isn't a good idea to take to many from one place.

Edited September 11, 2009 by lutra

[gozzer]

I can't understand why anyone would want to fish and kill what they catch. It has never and will never enter my mind.

I thought the guy was first and formost asking wht the fishing at Northolt was like, I didn't really think he was going to enter into a deep meaningful conversation about killing fish and if I had know that I would never have replied.

Why can't new anglers to the sport be happy to catch fish and return them in one piece without asking about killing them.

Seems to me that us chaps that have been fishing all our lives find it very sporting to catch and release our beautiful fish without question.

 

rant over.... well almost

 

 

I can't understand why any angler would want to fish an overstocked puddle, but it's legal, and just because I wouldn't do it I wouldn't attempt to stop anyone else doing it. Even though I feel it does more harm to angling than the taking of a few fish, but as I say, it's legal.

 

I posted a link to the laws covering the area in question, so the poster could read them and be fully aware of them.

Should we only tell newcomers of the rules we agree with, and leave out the rest?

 

John.

[hermes]

Yes I will speak for myself and if I am alone in my comments I still won't change my mind.

 

I don't do predator fishing but thought some of the most popular dead baits were the oily sea ones like Mackerel, Smelt etc.. if live fish are used for Piking then I think that sucks!

 

Like you after 30 years fishing we have formulated our own opinions. I have made my mind up not to kill any fish that I catch, I far prefer to admire their beauty and let them swim off unharmed. I'm not talking about the impact on the stock of any fishery but a deeper appreciation of wildlife.

 

This guy has asked for some info on an area that I know quite well and as long as I have given him some info I think I am entitled to share my opinion regarding taking fish.

 

I have never said it is illegal, I just think it's sportingly unethical.

 

I wonder how many members here take fish, I for one wouldnt dream of it.

[Anderoo]

I haven't for a while, but I have killed and eaten many coarse fish in my time, plus used many hundreds of others for predator bait. Fish are caught to be eaten first and foremost the world over. Including game and sea fish here...

 

I'm not surprised non-UK anglers - and also UK non-anglers - find it odd we go to all that expense and effort just to let them go!

 

As long as it's not an immature fish or a really big specimen I really can't see the harm, plus (a point that has been made many times here recently) once we give up the right to take a fish to eat, we will have absolutely no justification for catching them in the first place, in the eyes of many...

 

(We don't need to actually exercise that right.)

 

Just my opinion.

[gozzer]

Yes I will speak for myself and if I am alone in my comments I still won't change my mind.

 

I don't do predator fishing but thought some of the most popular dead baits were the oily sea ones like Mackerel, Smelt etc.. if live fish are used for Piking then I think that sucks!

 

Like you after 30 years fishing we have formulated our own opinions. I have made my mind up not to kill any fish that I catch, I far prefer to admire their beauty and let them swim off unharmed. I'm not talking about the impact on the stock of any fishery but a deeper appreciation of wildlife.

 

This guy has asked for some info on an area that I know quite well and as long as I have given him some info I think I am entitled to share my opinion regarding taking fish.

 

I have never said it is illegal, I just think it's sportingly unethical.

 

I wonder how many members here take fish, I for one wouldnt dream of it.

 

That is your opinion/belief and I respect your right to hold it, and act on it. All I ask is that anglers/people respect the opinions/beliefs of others that might difer from their own, so long as it's legal.

 

Andrews post is exactly right, and if/when the proposed legislation from the EA becomes law, then it will be just one more nail that anglers have hammered into their own coffin.

 

John.

[lutra]

Yes I will speak for myself and if I am alone in my comments I still won't change my mind.

 

I don't do predator fishing but thought some of the most popular dead baits were the oily sea ones like Mackerel, Smelt etc.. if live fish are used for Piking then I think that sucks!

You think its more acceptable to use use sea fish for dead bait,why?

 

Like you after 30 years fishing we have formulated our own opinions. I have made my mind up not to kill any fish that I catch, I far prefer to admire their beauty and let them swim off unharmed. I'm not talking about the impact on the stock of any fishery but a deeper appreciation of wildlife.

And i fully respect your choice to fish for your own pleasure, after all i do the same and have never killed a coarse fish to eat either. But i think thats probably for differant reasons to you, as ive just never fancied it.

 

This guy has asked for some info on an area that I know quite well and as long as I have given him some info I think I am entitled to share my opinion regarding taking fish.

Sharing your opinion? Seemed to me you were having a go at him or any other new comer that may wish to try eating a coarse fish.

 

I have never said it is illegal, I just think it's sportingly unethical.

Some people would say its unethical to fish for fun.

 

I wonder how many members here take fish, I for one wouldnt dream of it.

Ive never wondered how many members on here take fish. I just don't think we have a problem to need to wonder.

Edited September 12, 2009 by lutra

[raqman]

Hi Guys,

 

I do not want to get into a debate about taking fish home or not, different cultures and nations have different habits and as I am a guest "new" fisherman here, I will respect the view that the UK sees this more as a sport than a hunting hobby. I read better after posting that you can actually take fish hom over 30cm etc.... (so apologies my previous post came did not make that clear, still it is quite confusing, other fisherman tell me it is illeagal, even my local postman who is a localsaid that same).

 

Just some feedback for any other newbies here:

 

Staines Thames. Not bad fishing, seen others catch large Carp and a nice venue till 10am, when suddenly everyone that has a huge boat for a tiny river kills it all. Great for spinning.

 

Epping Forest. Nice location, relaxing, but seems to me from what I have tried, quite shallow waters.

 

Canals. No luck there, bad for spinning due to the width.

 

Ruislip Lido. No luck, shallow, quite dirty.

 

My other friends went to Lizards and caught fish easily, so I am going to try out that spot.

 

What I have noticed is that even tackleshops seem to not want to give advice, all about cloak and dagger about good venues in the area.

 

I just hope I can remain interested in this sport with all these rules and regulations and it being only a sport, rather than a hunt. Saying that, I have yet to have a famous battle with a catch, so that all may change when I try Lizard and finally catch something.

 

Again all the above my own views and experience and I have gone along with another friend who is a more experienced fisherman from the continent.

[Newt]

Not to worry raqman. This (taking coarse fish for the table) is a discussion that arises from time to time.

 

Most (all?) of us have our own opinions about taking coarse fish for the table or for bait or whatever and I doubt if anyone's mind has been changed by any of the debates.

 

It is good that you now know more about the actual rules and please don't take any of the negative comments personally. I doubt that hermes would approve of my taking fish either even though where I live it is an accepted practice just as it was where you lived in Italy.