barbel at makins

[Brian Carragher]

So Brian, are you saying that Barbel evolved entirely in the Yorkshire rivers eco system and no-one has ever introduced them at some point?

 

 

James

 

Yes thats what I in essense said backed up by natural history (unless you know otherwise) and it would also appear to be the same knowledge that Gozzer (John) also has

[gozzer]

I'm not a fan of Indian food Den, but I do know a few people that have worked at McDonald type fast food outlets.

 

I have seen Makins (that man has a lot to answer for), never fished it, wouldn't want to.

In fact as far as 'commercials' are concerned, I wouldn't fish them for free, with borrowed tackle and with a "nice" free sunday lunch thrown in, (all of which I have been offered at one particular water).

 

Getting back on topic. If people want to fish for barbel, and not make the effort to find a river that contains them, then it's their choice, (and their loss). It's the stocking policies, both in species and the ridiculously high levels that I am against.

 

John.

[Steve Walker]

I wasn't going to reply to this topic because I think the original question was asked in good faith and I don't want to be rude - but I echo everyone who has advised a trip to a river.

 

....

 

Barbel should not be in stillwaters and to think otherwise is just selfishness.

 

And another one here. It's just a rotten thing to do to a barbel for the sake of novelty and convenience.

 

I don't think McDonalds is the right food analogy for these places, though. I'd think more battery eggs / factory farmed chicken. Industrialised angling.

[Steve Walker]

Yes thats what I in essense said backed up by natural history (unless you know otherwise) and it would also appear to be the same knowledge that Gozzer (John) also has

 

 

Barbel recolonised the rivers flowing East into what was effectively the Rhine delta after the last ice age more or less sterilised the British Isles of fish. Rising sea levels later inundated what is now the North Sea, cutting off further migration and leading to the relatively impoverished fish assemblage even our eastward flowing rivers have compared to mainland Europe.

 

I've never read any account of pre-ice age fish assemblages in the West-flowing rivers of Britain, so I don't know whether barbel have ever been native to those rivers (I suspect not), but it's safe to say that they have not occurred naturally there for a very long time.

[Anderoo]

I don't think McDonalds is the right food analogy for these places, though. I'd think more battery eggs / factory farmed chicken. Industrialised angling.

 

Exactly, Steve. Battery fish, what a miserable existence. Still, nice little earner, eh?

[Kappa]

I wasn't going to reply to this topic because I think the original question was asked in good faith and I don't want to be rude

 

Likewise! However....

 

Like Den I can't necessarily see a problem with stocking Barbel in stillwaters. I'd imagine they would thrive in a gravel pit. It is an interesting point though, Chub and Orfe (Ide) are regularly stocked (either naturally or not) into stillwaters but as far as I am aware they don't spawn in stillwaters. Clearly they can thrive in the right sort of water but eventually they will die out unless restocked. In the same way I'd expect Barbel to do well in good quality waters, potentially thrive, you never know the next Barbel record could be a 25lber from a gravel pit! Clearly Barbel can't spawn in stillwaters and hence are not usually found there, but they don't seem to be able to spawn in the Windrush or Thames either!

 

As another example, you could describe brown trout and grayling as quintessential 'river' fish requiring high oxygenation and clean water, but both will thrive in stillwaters, and in the case of trout, are regularly stocked into these waters but this seems to be accepted.

 

I think the issue of commercials is a separate one, any fish stocked into these will probably have a hard time, so the argument should be against the fisheries themselves rather than against stocking a particular species. It is worth remembering, if the fish are 'that' stressed/diseased/maladapted then they will die and only an idiot would keep restocking Barbel if they all just died.

 

Rich

[WickerDave]

I think it was Phase Three I was on the FIRST thing that struck me was that each and every pool in the complex was long and thin with an island in the middle, making each swim just like the ones on the canal, less than 2 miles away.

 

IF The EA were smart, they could have saved all the hassle of digging new pools and stocked the local canal system? Or am I being a bit altruistic here? Surely to get Anglers back on the canal system would be better for the environment and the local "micro economy" than digging new puddles for fishermen to sit on?

Phase Three is designed for match anglers so has central islands for all to fish to to make swims "equal" and to rest the end of their poles on.

 

Excess Makins fish have been used to stock the local canals, so they have benefitted, see http://www.waterscape.com/features-and-art...for-2008-season

[James P]

Phase Three is designed for match anglers so has central islands for all to fish to to make swims "equal" and to rest the end of their poles on.

 

Excess Makins fish have been used to stock the local canals, so they have benefitted, see http://www.waterscape.com/features-and-art...for-2008-season

 

Blimey that's a lot of fish to take out of one water and still keep it well stocked!

 

James

[gozzer]

Blimey that's a lot of fish to take out of one water and still keep it well stocked!

 

James

 

Sure is, especially considering that the largest water there is about 6.5 acres. There will of course be extra fish put back in to compensate for the 'loss' .

I'm dubious about the word "benefit", it's only of benefit if the water will naturally support that amount of fish, otherwise another overstocked fishery is created.

 

When you see the actual amounts and number of fish involved, it explains why some of us disapprove of this type of 'fishery'.

 

John.

[Steve Walker]

They want rid of a tonne and a half of roach and perch to make room for more carp; it's more socially acceptable (and I should think a hell of a lot cheaper) to dump them live into a canal than dead into an incinerator (you aren't allowed to send fish to landfill).