Let them Breed in Peace

[Chris Plumb]

First apologies for starting yet another close season thread - but something needs to legislate for the pair of idiots I had the misfortune to happen upon today.

 

It all started to idyllically - a pleasant walk in the Berkshire country-side, a Hobby swooping down to gorge on the Mayfly hatch, a Buzzard soaring on the day's first thermal, more Water Voles than I've witnessed in over a decade - there really does seem to be a population explosion this year.

 

The margins were full of bream and roach in a frenzy of procreation (it's no surprise they cross breed) and lurking just off the shallows every 20m or so a pike - waiting for an easy lunch as it picks off an exhausted skimmer.

 

And here's the rub what do I find but a couple of morons trying to catch these pike. What's wrong with that I here you cry? Its a still water, they're allowed to fish - what's the harm?

 

Well they were casting their lures to the edge of the breeding masses and then drawing the lures into the deeper water past the pike. Unfortunately their casting wasn't particularly accurate (they had 6 foot 'billiard cue' boat rods, plus line and tackle more at home for a wrecking session in the channel). Foul hooking the breeding fish was inevitable and I witnessed one small roach gasping it's last in the shallows having been tossed back as I arrived.

 

These guys were old enough to know better and had come equipped with no landing net for coping if they had hooked up with a pike (they hadn't) - though I expect any unfortunate beast would have been hauled ashore unceremioniously with their heaving gear. They seemed completely unconcerned when I pointed out they were disturbing the breeding fish pointing out they were only after the pike.

 

I have to admit, valuing my front teeth and always admitting to cowardice as a virtue, I left them to it - walking away seething and at such a pair of pig ignorant morons.

 

'Laws are required for when common sense fails' can't remember who said that but it seems to fit the bill here....

 

What would you have done??

 

Yours - still very angry.

 

Chris

[Peter Waller]

In fairness the lack of a landing net doesn't overly surprise me. The brain deads see Matt Heyes etc. hand landing so I don't find that a problem, ALL the experts do it.

 

In principle I agree with everything that you have said. Had the bream been carp then - - - - -

But then, of course they were only bream & pike.

 

[ 20 May 2002, 09:17 PM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]

[Eddie]

Peter Waller:

In fairness the lack of a landing net doesn't overly surprise me. The brain deads see Matt Heyes etc. hand landing so I don't find that a problem, ALL the experts do it.

 

In principle I agree with everything that you have said. Had the bream been carp then - - - - -

But then, of course they were only bream & pike.

No, it would have made no difference had they been Carp, they were after all Pike Anglers!!

[Danny H]

Although I am all for no close season on Rivers,

I wholeheartedly agree that on captive stillwaters, the spawning grounds should be roped off during this particular time of the year.

 

Having said all of that, " Boat gear", was this jerkbait gear?

If it was, We have had this debate, time and again

there are advantages in getting a pike in quick, and letting it swim off, rather than the fart arsing about that sometimes goes under the heading " Playing the pike"- which is more often than not inadequate tackle being used by a part time piker ( Float rods for spinners etc).

 

I would much rather see over strong tackle being used, than the more common, under powered tackle, that we get to see every summer.

[Andy Macfarlane]

Well the Roach round my way could not give a damn if you let a bomb off in thier spawning grounds.No matter what the disturbance..Novice anglers,pike and perch on the hunt,kids throwing bricks in,trying them with nets on a cane(the park pond variety etc.) and they have bred in numbers I have never seen.It was the same last year and this year Roach fingerlings are more prolific than EVER.Make from that what you will.

[Chris Plumb]

OK - so I may have confused the issue with my description of their pike tackle. If they were equipped for the job in hand and knew what they were doing it is even more inexcusable to cast bl00dy great lures armed to the teeth with trebles into a mass of spawning white fish. Most did carry on regardless but a few unfortunates didn't survive the experience of being foul hooked...

 

Chris

[Peter Waller]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Danny H:

 

Having said all of that, " Boat gear", was this jerkbait gear?

If it was, We have had this debate, time and again

there are advantages in getting a pike in quick, and letting it swim off, rather than the fart arsing about that sometimes goes under the heading " Playing the pike"- which is more often than not inadequate tackle being used by a part time piker ( Float rods for spinners etc).

 

I would much rather see over strong tackle being used, than the more common, under powered tackle, that we get to see every summer.[/QB]

---

A pike should be played to a standstill, I have no doubt of that. What I object to is the irresponsible use of heavy tackle where pike are boated before being played out, the result, the pike plays itself out in the bottom of the boat. If you ever watch the BBC's Tales of the River Bank then watch the sequence on pike boat fishing on Llandegfedd Reservoir, you'll see exactly what I mean, some of it was grim.

 

I both Ultra-Lite and jerk-bait for pike, so I see, and use, both extremes. Whichever method I would rather see the pike come calmly alongside, I roll the hooks out & off she goes, rarely do I even lift them out of the water.

 

I see far to much damage inflicted on fish that have, I think, literally torn themselves off the hook as there has been no give due to the anglers desire to bully the pike to the net.

[Danny H]

Peter Waller:

Originally posted by Danny H:

 

I see far to much damage inflicted on fish that have, I think, literally torn themselves off the hook as there has been no give due to the anglers desire to bully the pike to the net.

Fair enough peter, point taken Can happen.

 

On the Light tackle issue, I don't include a balanced ultra light set-up in my scenario, But I stress again I would rather see people use gear that is too strong than gear that is too weak.

 

No line class awards going on the Ouse.

But people still break off after "Playing "in a pike for 5-6Mins+, because they felt the need to fish as light as possible, WHY??,

 

If they do manage to land the fish

the exhausted pike goes through the Unhooking procedure out of the water.

 

Most J.B's are taken in such a way that Most pike can be unhooked by the water after a short fight ( PIKE AREN'T SALMON), Got to be better for the pike-surely.

 

Even so it is the Strong gear that is taking all the flak at the moment.

 

Could it be by people who have never, ever spent anytime fishing this method- No never, not possible, People surely wouldn't preach as fact, things they haven't done themselves, would they?

 

I too ultra light lure fish, But that doesn't mean silly light lines only light lures, no need these days.

 

Chris, I guess I got off the plot a little, I am

Not saying what they did was correct.

 

But your description seemed to take equal offence to the fact they were maybe using Jerkbait gear, as too the actual act .

 

I Know I'm not alone in seeing an increase in bad mouthing of Jerkbait gear.

 

I didn't want to get into this but:

Dead roach? Have you ever fished below a match?

 

If I fish downstream of a match, the roach

often come floating down belly up, I collect them for sink and draw.

 

Not everything is cut and dried.

 

Not every carp angler fishes four rods covering all the lake for themselves.

 

Not every matchman stomps past your swim with all his gear, only to Get a strop if you tip toe past him.

 

Not every pole angler takes up all the footpath.

 

Not every lure angler disturbs your barbel swim with his miscasts, oh alright he does!!.

 

Sure there are going to be a##eholes out there, ( surely we have all been)-

Don't tar the style, tar the people.

 

[ 22 May 2002, 01:30 AM: Message edited by: Danny H ]