Smelt

[arbocop]

I note that the smelt is inlcuded in the new freshwater fish byelaws. I've nver caught one - I know that they are (or were) in the Thames - but I've never caught one. Good pike bait I understand.

 

Has anyone else managed to bank one of these mammoth 2" long fish?

 

How far upstream do they run?

 

Mike

[Andy Macfarlane]

It's my favourite pike bait after brown trout and lamprey. Never seen or caught any though.

 

I believe Neville Fickling is solely responsible for their demise...lol

[The Flying Tench]

the smelt pike baits I buy are up to 6" long.

[arbocop]

the smelt pike baits I buy are up to 6" long.

 

 

I didn't know they grew so large.

[Andy Macfarlane]

They go bigger than that. Turbo Smelts (thats a pikers name, not a species) go up to about 9".

[Anderoo]

I've never caught one but the old boys in the Norfolk village I grew up in claimed they used to catch them from the tidal Ouse and then hop over to the Relief Channel and use them for pike bait. No idea if it's true or not!

[KAYC]

saw one caught on the tidal at kingston many years ago, I think you will get more information asking on the sea forum.

Edited May 28, 2010 by KAYC

[Andy Macfarlane]

I've never caught one but the old boys in the Norfolk village I grew up in claimed they used to catch them from the tidal Ouse and then hop over to the Relief Channel and use them for pike bait. No idea if it's true or not!

 

Sounds about right to me. They are an estuary species and they do venture up river to spawn, so it rings true.

[nomadpaul]

We used to catch ours from a power station in West Thurrock on the banks of the Thames. There was a water outflow pipe that we presumed was discharging the water used to do something in the building and we'd sit by this pipe with a shopping trolley acting like a net to collect the fish for my dad's sea fishing trips !!!