another load of busters browns

[Leon Roskilly]

Has someone introduced bass and mullet then?

 

No, nor salmon or sea-trout, or shad, eels etc but once the fish have moved into the fishery, whoever controls the fishery decides who can fish for them and under what rules (given that additional protection for some species is provided by legislation).

[barry luxton]

Whats the difference between chichester and weymouth harbour then Leon? At the top end of weymouth there is a sluice between fresh and salt, that prevents access to the sea, i couldn't tell you if there is bass or mullet above that, If there is someone would have had to release them there.

 

Any comment regarding the evidence ?

[Leon Roskilly]

Whats the difference between chichester and weymouth harbour then Leon? At the top end of weymouth there is a sluice between fresh and salt, that prevents access to the sea, i couldn't tell you if there is bass or mullet above that, If there is someone would have had to release them there.

 

Any comment regarding the evidence ?

 

Christchurch Harbour is a very different place to Weymouth harbour.

 

Have a look on Google Earth.

 

Christchurch 'harbour' is a large body of water behind a natural barrier with a narrow opening to the sea, and two rivers emptying into it which. although tidal, makes it mostly freshwater behind the barrier.

 

And yet it's brackish enough and with enough food available to make it attractive to sea-fish that will tolerate the salt-water, and for fresh-water fish that will tolerate the salt.

 

And at the same time supporting migratory-fish that transit between the sea and the rivers (when fishing there it's also worth remembering that the denser salt-water tends to be in a layer beneath the fresh-water).

 

 

Weymouth harbour is largely man-made at the mouth of a river where the river flows directly into the sea, having passed the sluice that keeps the river navigable, but stops the saltwater and tide from travelling up the river (if it doesn't yet have a fish- pass, it should get one soon as a result of recent legislation).

 

 

If you fancy a trip down to Chichester harbour during the summer for some proper fishing, let me know and I'll show you how to fish it (chest-waders definately needed if trotting for big mullet, Elton can set up his bivvy and carp-fish from the shore), but leave your sea-fishing tackle at home!

 

With regard to 'the evidence' you'll need to speak to others, but probably best not to form opinions on that before having done the research!

Edited December 27, 2009 by Leon Roskilly

[Steve Coppolo]

Oh, that explains a lot. So, the National Mullet Club and the Angling Trust had nothing to do with these restrictions and it was all down to the fishery's owners?

Edited December 27, 2009 by Steve Coppolo

[barry luxton]

Thats the other problem Leon, others have used poaching by rod and line as evidence, all i'm asking is sight of it, there must be some evidence of bass and mullet removal surly. Otherwise it would be a shame to slag off rod and line anglers without it. Mullet club recons they have it.

 

The other difference next year of course is weymouth, loads of mullet, no restrictions.

[H.A.]

So, the National Mullet Club and the Angling Trust had nothing to do with these restrictions and it was all down to the fishery's owners?

 

That's quite correct.

 

The Lower Avon and Stour have always been protected and 'policed' by local (mainly freshwater) angling clubs and the regulations are set up by their committees.

 

There was an uncomfortable few years when nobody knew (inc SFC) whether or not the harbour required a Freshwater licence since bream and roach had been caught by 'mulleteers' as far down as Stanpit Marches, almost to Mudeford Harbour.

 

 

I quote from an article I wrote a while back -

 

The fishing here is incredibly varied with some marks in Christchurch Harbour as likely to produce sea trout, carp and freshwater bream as well as bass, flounders and mullet.

 

1. Stanpit Marshes, Christchurch Harbour.

 

Fabulous fishing, if you are prepared to specialise. A word of warning, an EA coarse licence and day permit from local tackle shops is required.

[H.A.]

..... there must be some evidence of bass and mullet removal surly. Otherwise it would be a shame to slag off rod and line anglers without it.

 

Quite right Barry. The problem is well known to the SFC and the EA. Mullet and Sea Trout are regularly targetted by rod and line 'anglers' armed with sets of trebles.

If an Environment Officer was called, they got off with a warning.

 

Two years ago, when I was a committee member on SSFDC, it was getting very close to a prosecution with certain regulars. I don't know if they proceeded with a test case.

 

[Steve Coppolo]

Thankfully, there are plenty of other places just as 'magical' as Christchurch harbour, that the NMC know nothing about - where anglers have, for generations, enjoyed catching a wide variety of good quality sea and coarse fish, almost exclusively self regulated.

[steve pitts]

That's quite correct.

 

The Lower Avon and Stour have always been protected and 'policed' by local (mainly freshwater) angling clubs and the regulations are set up by their committees.

 

There was an uncomfortable few years when nobody knew (inc SFC) whether or not the harbour required a Freshwater licence since bream and roach had been caught by 'mulleteers' as far down as Stanpit Marches, almost to Mudeford Harbour.

 

I quote from an article I wrote a while back -

 

 

QUOTE

The fishing here is incredibly varied with some marks in Christchurch Harbour as likely to produce sea trout, carp and freshwater bream as well as bass, flounders and mullet.

 

1. Stanpit Marshes, Christchurch Harbour.

 

Fabulous fishing, if you are prepared to specialise. A word of warning, an EA coarse licence and day permit from local tackle shops is required.

 

I remember making my first pilgrimage down to fish the Royalty and Christchurch Harbour when I was 15 or 16 (which is 40 years ago). The Hants Avon and The Dorset Stour, which converge at Christchurch, were nationally famous back then and anglers (freshwater) used to travel from one end of the country to the other for the variety and quality of species.

 

You had to buy a day ticket (around £3 if I remember) to fish the Christchurch waters from Davis's tackle shop back then and nothing has changed in this respect, although the under 12's can now fish for 'free' to encourage take-up of angling by youngsters.

 

Getting your day ticket at Davis's, a couple of pints of maggots, a few new Avon floats and staring at the photos of record-sized fish posted all around the walls was all part of the ritual.

Of course, not everyone bought a permit and you would often see the bailiff in his patrol boat asking anglers to pack up and leave. The term 'illegal fishing' probably refers to those who do not buy a day ticket, or who fish without an EA rod licence i.e. they are not fishing legally.

 

I continued to fish from Christchurch town pool (as in Leon's photo) all the way down to Mudeford Quay over the next 25 years from a variety of hired punts, small inflatables and GRP dingies, so I know the area quite well, although I haven't fished the harbour since the mid 90's when the fishing was already showing signs of deterioration, especially for the big roach that we used to catch in the Stour. We also used to catch lots of big thick lipped mullet, 40 - 50 thin lips in a session and some surprisingly good bass on the baited spinners, whilst we were fishing for the thin lips.

 

So, IMO, If the Ringwood & District AA, who have run this water for decades, consider that these new rules, including C&R, are how best to manage the fishery, then that's fine by me and it wouldn't deter me from renewing my aquaintance with Christchurch Harbour sometime in the future, in fact it might just temp me back.

 

Cheers

Steve

 

 

BTW Barry

There are thin lipped mullet in Radipole lake, above the sluice gates in Weymouth Harbour, along with some bloody good carp.

 

I have no idea how they got in there, but there's a possibility that they could get through the sluices and into the fresh water lake when the sluice gates are open on spring tides, as I've seen thin lipped mullet running up and over a weir in the River Frome, several miles from the open sea and in pure chalk stream water.

Edited December 28, 2009 by steve pitts

[barry luxton]

Quite right Barry. The problem is well known to the SFC and the EA. Mullet and Sea Trout are regularly targetted by rod and line 'anglers' armed with sets of trebles.

If an Environment Officer was called, they got off with a warning.

 

Two years ago, when I was a committee member on SSFDC, it was getting very close to a prosecution with certain regulars. I don't know if they proceeded with a test case.

 

 

So is this the evidence then H A of the decimation, theiving, poaching. There is enough rules and regs to deal with any miscreants surly. Weymouth doesn't have a problem, why is that. On the basis of what you have said, all visitors will now be 'controlled' just because of a few. Is that the right way forward.

 

What about the comments on that angling site were the actual guys recon the fishing is fab, are they lying.

 

Is Ian Carrier still active, or is it safe for Pat Carling to fish his home waters. That was another bit of twisted legislation fit for purpose, don't you agree.

 

Hi Steve, thanks for your posting, i will have a look on the other side of the road now you have mentioned it.

Edited December 28, 2009 by barry luxton