The 3m Farce

[Dick Dastardly]

The four rod rule was introduced at a time when pike fishing on The Broads was at a wonderful peak. The four rod rule, when linked to the 3m 'farce', is to my way of thinking a selfish, short-sighted mistake. It might well be acceptable for carp anglers on controlled, private waters, but for pike fishing it has coincided with a growing and catastrophic drop off in the quality of sport across East Anglia if not further a field.

 

Sadly Peter I dont think either reducing the rod numbers or the 3m rule would have saved your piking on the broads.Its just to popular and attractive to non pike anglers. The Broads being synonymous with pike means that every body (be they pike anglers or not even anglers) that hires a boat for a holiday will fish for them. The lack of knowledge and casual (chuck a rod out while having a beer and a hand of cards in the cabin) style of fishing will cause problems. Even in Winter when "proper" pike anglers visit the extra pressure of even competent anglers is going to cause problems...

 

But Peter why should the rest of us in the rest of the country be penalised because of the sad situation you and your back yard waters are in? I feel for you but I also feel its unfair to punish the rest of us it wasn't our fault or the methods we use (quite safely and to no apparent detriment of our fishing) that's caused your situation.

[Peter Waller]

I have and still do fish in the Fens. As an example it's not unusual to see three anglers with twelve rods spaced out along the bank, and all three grouped up around their car / bivvy. It doesn't help.

[poledark]

I have and still do fish in the Fens. As an example it's not unusual to see three anglers with twelve rods spaced out along the bank, and all three grouped up around their car / bivvy. It doesn't help.

 

And no doubt everyone of them is a "caring" "expert" angler. Almost every so called (in their own eyes) expert piker I have met has the same high opinion of themselves and simply flout all the rules as and when it suits them.

 

That's why rules are made.

 

Den

[Dick Dastardly]

Not got a very high standard of pike angler on the waters you fish Den? maybe they are just carpers who are struggling a bit?

 

So why do you object to spacing rods out?

[Phone]

BUDGIE,

 

Doesn't seem to be an objection to "spacing" out rods? It's just that 3 anglers 3 meters between swims in 3 meter swims is indeed a considerable "space" if they are all collected around a table in the car park for tea.

 

Are you suggesting for a moment many on AN don't hold a "different" opinion of "accomplished" pike anglers than of equally accomplished carp anglers? I might add, I'd just bet there are as high a number of carp anglers "breaking the rule" as there are pike anglers.

 

Phone

 

Edit: In fact, I'd say (from my limited piking experience) carp in a natural enviroment and not "overstocked" are 10X more difficult to catch than pike (or most predators).

Edited February 24, 2012 by Phone

[Dick Dastardly]

There are a lot of bad wanna be Pike and Carp experts it seems these days Phone. I just think its wrong that the better pike anglers (and by better I mean the ones who do care about their quarry enough to have bothered to learn how to handle and fish for them properly so decreasing the impact they have on them) are legislated against because of the anglers who practice pike fishing poorly.

 

Surely no one can argue that there isn't just as many carp (or whatever for that matter) anglers who behave poorly and adopt bad angling practices? No one can surely agree that being zipped up in both a sleeping bag and a bivvy several yards away from your rods is any less "bad practice" (if bad practice is defined as "not being in control") than the wide awake pike angler sat between his rods spread over a distance?

 

The point being that many anglers (carp,pike,any) can see there is an element who are fishing "badly" and of course dont condone it....................but there are no rules in place to try and control this. I do get angry when it becomes a Carp v Pike thing but come on how can the alert awake piker be chastised by the fast asleep carper when control is the issue? I'm not saying it should be banned (yes I think more should be a bit more responsible as night fishing is about fishing not just going sound asleep!) but come on why is it ok for one and not the other to be legislated against?

 

Now I'm sure the replies against what I have said will centre on deep hooking but Ive already explained that in practice this doesn't happen (if once again done correctly) Self hooking rigs will most likely be mentioned in defence of sleeping carpers (etc) but it still boils down to control or the lack of it. Ive sat there umpteen times listening to alarms sound for an eternity (surely others have as well?) Ive had "sleep hooked" carp come through my lines when some 50m away! Ive landed a catfish on a "sleepers" rod that I could actually see the spool under the line it had taken that much!

 

Or am I missing some thing?

[Phone]

BUDGIE,

 

Excellent points! As for me, I was just trying to slip a #22 hook under your fingernail. Our cultures for "long session" is SOOOooo different I have no business in a "what's right" discussion. The US is getting better - but - I'd hate to have to make any comparisons to the UK about fish care. We are still deplorable by your standards.

 

Phone

[barry luxton]

Off topic, bovered. thanks very much for doing me reel servicing Budgie and the tip rings mate, i will try and do them proud this sunday. Your a top bannana.

[Dick Dastardly]

Off topic, bovered. thanks very much for doing me reel servicing Budgie and the tip rings mate, i will try and do them proud this sunday. Your a top bannana.

 

 

More than welcome Barry after all us Bad Boy (non expert) Expert Piker Renagades need some one who will talk to us! Good luck on the boat trip.

[Peter Waller]

And no doubt everyone of them is a "caring" "expert" angler. Almost every so called (in their own eyes) expert piker I have met has the same high opinion of themselves and simply flout all the rules as and when it suits them.

 

That's why rules are made.

 

Den

 

Den, spot on. Let 3m become four and there will be some that insist it should 5m.

 

I voiced my disgust to one piker who told me not to worry, he knew what he was doing, he knew how to turn a pike's gut inside out to remove gorged hooks.