Killing predators

[fenboy]

Hello folks,

 

I had a outburts last night on the forum (just joined, got a lot to say). Some were meant to be funny, so please don 't be offended.

 

But here's a serious one. Drinking in a very picturesque pub in Northamptonshire last week, a local told me he'd caught a 2-12 perch (on bleak livebait, from a lock cutting) and killed it for the table.

 

Now, let me give you a bit of history. I fought tooth and nail against predator killing on the Fens from about 1970 for at least 15 years. AND elsewhere ever since.

 

When I first started fishing as a lad in the 1960s, a few Fens locals did take the odd perch for the pot (they were the sort who would have eaten a cousin if they weren't already married to one another) but it was rare.

 

I have thefeeling that programmes like High Fearnley-Whittingsomething's could have a bearing on this.

 

While it's hard` to argue against catching for the pot on logical grounds (what better reason for going fishing?) where does it all end?

 

According to the Daily Mail, we're already knee-deep in asylum seekers prepared to eat anything that swims.

 

The war against predator killers isn't over yet, by a long way. The only plus point is that the ones from central Europe will prefer carp... and there are far`too many of them anyway.

 

It's pike, perch and zander we have to watch out for.

[Nugg]

Welcome to A.N.

I have to agree with your sentiments, but the taking off fresh water fish although abhorrent to many of us anglers is not illegal, as you know.

I myself have eaten Perch, albeit a very long time ago, and very tasty too.

However, the question of where the fish was taken from holds the key here, if the fish was stocked it would belong to whoever stocked it, be it a fishery or a club water, very few, if any allow the removal of fish these days.

There have been some threads on here of late concerning poachers taking Carp etc. from private fisheries, allegedly by the persons you mention, but as I understand it the police seem to be pretty powerless to act on this matter alone.

 

Originally posted by fenboy

The war against predator killers isn't over yet, by a long way. The only plus point is that the ones from central Europe will prefer carp... and there are far`too many of them anyway.

 

NOW YOUV'E DONE IT

 

[ 05. January 2004, 12:57 AM: Message edited by: Nugg ]

[Peter Waller]

Please Fenboy, don't take swipes at our carp angling friends, they can't help it you know!

 

Like you I can remember the emergence of Essex carp-man during the 70's Not always a pretty sight . But, so I'm told, those days are long gone and not to be dwelt upon, 'least not on Anglers Net ! I'm still wiping the blood off from the last encounter .

 

As for what's said in the Mail, do you really believe all that you read in the papers?

 

The biggest killer of pike is pike anglers. Lazy angling practices, the ease by which a deadbait can be lobbed out, some summer piking, the stupidity of some pike and the ease by which they can be caught, all factors that are damaging our pike stocks big time.

 

Yes, up on the Fens there is clear evidence of pike killing by asylum seekers, as well as by the natives, especially the ones that go 'ohhhhhhh' every time a plane flies over! Boycotting restaurants that sell zander & pike might be a start!

[fenboy]

I used to think that widespread predator killing was more or less extinct, but that's not the case. It seems to me that certain areas of the country never got enlightened. I know of a small angling club in the east midlands where standard practice in club matches is to kill all pike accidentally caught in club matches. To be precise, they are thrown up the bank to rot. The average age of most club matchmen is quite high, so this perhaps explains the unenlightened attitude. The truth is, though, that this sort of person doesn't have more than a minimal effect upon pike stocks.

But I can see a bigger problem in places like the Fens if immigrants are taking pike for the pot. It is a fact that there are large numbers of asylum seekers and European workers in the area working on the land. They are poorly paid and come from cultures where freshwater fish are part of the daily diet.

[malevans]

Whats more said match anglers are ruining there match fishing going forward. Waters need pike. When they are fishing non stop for stunted 2 oz roach they will have only themselves to blame.

[Peter Waller]

There is widespread use of setlines etc on the Fens. The Kings Lynn P.A.C., under the stewardship of another newspaper reporter/angling writer, Chris Bishop, is doing what it can. More help would not go amiss. You can contact Chris via the links to PAC Regional officers on http://www.pacgb.com You can also download Pike in your Waters to help you spread the good word.

 

[ 05. January 2004, 09:05 PM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]

[peter mccue]

On a naturally balanced fishery (is there any left!)there should be no fish killed whatsoever, predator or prey. we would simply be an overbearing burden on a very pressured system.

 

However, the falseness of a lot of our present day lakes & ponds begs the question, are you harming anything by taking the odd pike, Zander or even Carp when the balance is so heavily determined by man rather than nature.

 

When we have overstocked Carp, silver fish lakes & attempts to create overstocked Pike lakes, No one overall answer will suffice. It will be determined by various factors such as

 

1, Rarity of species

2, Financial considerations of fishery owner

3, Moral obligation to maintain natural lakes

 

We have lost the right to demand our preferred species be put back alive, because in a lot of waters we have decided that they are not to be allowed to live in a natural system.

 

We cannot allow unregulated taking of fish, but perhaps in this artificial system we have created there is room for people with a different view of fishing.

[fenboy]

I suppose I am being sentimental in objecting to the killing of a 2 lb 12 oz perch. It makes little difference to the ecosystem of a sizeable river, I know, but I hate the idea of such a fine specimen fish being killed, even for the pot.

The PAC have done sterling work in preaching pike conservation since 1977. But some anglers will never take pikers seriously so long as we continue to use livebaits. Mr Average is every bit as sentimental about 2 oz roach as I am about 2 lb perch, 20 lb pike, etc.

It's a tricky situation. I no longer livebait, but that's a personal choice. I respect the choice of those who do. My method of choice is lure fishing, although I sometimes muck around with deadbaits in the dead of winter and when the water's too coloured.

The decision not to livebait is, I admit, partly down to laziness on my part. But I do enjoy lure fishing best of all - I get more satisfaction from tempting a big predator to attack an inanimate object made to appear animate by my own efforts. Also, I find the immediacy of a take more heart-stopping than the onset of a run. Personal choice, as I said.

I wouldn't like to see livebait banned - it's part of our angling heritage - but I fear for its future. The chattering classes and the townies will look for new targets after fox hunting disappears.

[Peter Waller]

I'm beginning to quite like this bloke! We think alike on many issues, especially lures and lives!