Oh dear!

[Peter Waller]

Was watching the speedboat racing on my local broad today, quite exciting!

 

But there in the distance was a youngster, with his twelve foot carp rod and baitrunner, lobbing out a shiny new lure, with no trace! Grrrrrr, not only that, but when we drifted over to have a quite, friendly word about close seasons and had he read his licence, as he was clearly over twelve, it was very clear that he had no other gear with him whatsoever. Nice kid, no eff off or anything of that nature but it is indicative of the problems facing pike today. Here was a big kid showing off infront of a gang of little kids. Kids don't want to start off on roach, and they don't have a clue about pike, nor the gear!

[Paul_D]

Just as importantly, did you ask the Speedboat racers to stop racing as they would be disturbing breeding fish at least as much as someone fishing?

[Peter Waller]

That point was made some years ago to the Broads Authotity after a huge amount of dead roach were found floating on the surface after the racing. It was a one off event in that respect since the boats now avoid going through that particular spawning area.

 

[ 31. May 2004, 10:08 AM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]

[Eddie]

quote:

---

Here was a big kid showing off infront of a gang of little kids.

---

And when the big kid drifted back where he came from was the little kid any better educated and equipped?

 

Pound to a penny as soon as you were out of sight that shiny new lure was getting more swimming lessons!

[Peter Waller]

No better equipped but certainly better educated. No, the lure didn't come out again. And hopefully next time he will be better equipped.

[Pangolin]

Raises an interesting point, Peter: if somebody does have a licence and has paid the day-ticket price, do they have a right to fish as they choose? I've never seen fishery rules that stipulate that a landing net must be used... they mostly say no keepnets, no pellets etc. . At a lake, a few weeks ago, I spoke to an 'angler' who was on holiday in the region. He hadn't brought any tackle with him, or his licence (he claimed), but he had paid the baliff for his day's fishing. He was after carp, freelining floating crust, using a 6' 'starter rod' and plastic fixed-spool reel. To his credit, he had borrowed a small landing net from another angler, on the day, for his stalking. I'm pleased to say he didn't catch anything, (nor did I, for that matter!) but,looking back, what rules had he broken?

[Peter Waller]

It was a public water/river Pangoline. When an angler catches a fish they borrow it from the next angler inline to catch it and so on. We owe it to our fellow sportsmen to look after their catch as much as our own, if you get my drift!

 

You are right though, I think. The byelaws don't state that an angler should be suitably equipped, or do they? You raise an interesting point.

[jedi_knight_298]

Hi im new to this site,

My grandad has a lake in bristol and its in the rules that anglers must have a landing net and a unhooking mat with them at all times.

i think its a reasonable rule as its better for the fish. trying to land big fish without these would probably damage the fish. i think most anglers would not object to these rules being put in place by the envoroment agency. still it would probably be nice to see that kid on the lake try to unhook a pike without forceps :-)

[John S]

Hello jedi, and welcome to the forums

 

I applaud your granddad on his rules regarding landing nets and unhooking mats, I just wish that other lake-owners would institute the same sort of rules....

 

Tight lines, and don't be a stranger now you're here

[awaaar]

yeah, those are rules on one of the club waters up here, "no unhooking mat + no landing net = no fishing"

 

makes sense really