Commercial Fisheries they can't all be bad, can they?

[Dave H]

Yes dave there are but they are either stuffed full of tench anglers after them or carp anglers after the big carp that are there aswell.

 

I don't want to join a circus just for a pb. It doesn't mean anything to me. A tench of 6lbs plus from the fens is as good as a 10lb boilie fed fish from a Stillwater. Anglers are so driven by size and I think that's to do with modern carp fishing. I still think the water is important and if you enjoy being there.

 

The above pics were self take and that's the way I like it. Out there me and the wildlife. And being an old fens warrior I am sure you recognise it.

 

Yes i have finally come up to date after a 16 year break of fishing on where fishing has become now and having something like the fens or broads or severn or any water like that on your doorstep is the way to go.

I miss the Fens i really do ...Good Luck

John

[Anderoo]

Absolutely. It's the difference between fishing to please yourself, and fishing to impress other people.

 

Yes exactly.

 

If the perch in question had been stocked at 3lb+ in large numbers, possibly without enough natural food to sustain them, or correct environment to support them, then I would want nothing to do with it. But that's not the case. They have got there 'naturally' and grown big because the environment is ideal for them. No different really from the river perch I also fish for.

 

The same can also be said for other species that seem to thrive and grow big in similar waters, like roach. Again, if I had the choice between a 2lb+ roach from a river and one from a commercial, of course I would choose the river. But these choices are self imposed, and I would have no problem with also fishing for big roach in a small pond, providing they had grown to that size in the water, and were not stocked as big fish.

 

Here's a nice example that might blur the boundaries further - Willow lake at Linch Hill is now day ticket, after being syndicate for a very long time. Its huge roach are almost legendary, and it's not a big lake. I believe there's even a cafe there now. Did the 2lb+ and 3lb+ roach have more 'value' when it was a syndicate fished by proper dedicated roach anglers, rather than now when any old tom can turn up, pay his money, get something from the cafe, and cast out a maggot feeder?

[John Weddup]

Yes exactly.

. No different really from the river perch I also fish for.

 

Totally different to the river perch you fish for. The river perch is not surrounded in all directions by small roach and rudd that a commercial water is. The commercial water perch will be a lot younger than the river fish and grow quicker. The commercial fish will not be as wise as a big old river fish. The commercial perch will have no other predators after it.

 

The smaller man made commercials that are dug at 4ft deep or less and stocked do not have natural perch in them they are introduced to keep the numbers of small fish down a little. These quickly grow on much as pike do when introduced to a new water with loads of bait fish.

 

I shared my pictures, not too impress fellow AN members as I don't give a flying fig about PBs etc as I already stated, but too express an opinion.

 

I could go to several small waters around here and catch 2lb roach all day but I do not consider that a great angling experience as its easy to do. Catch one from a small river and that is a proper catch.

 

John

[Anderoo]

The river perch I fish for are surrounded in all directions with millions of crayfish - and in the summer (on the Thames, at least) millions of bleak! More free food than any commercial!

 

John's point brings me back to the Wingham bream (and tench and carp, for that matter). They were introduced into a water where they would not naturally occur, and have more natural food than they can ever possibly eat. It's no wonder they grow so big. The only difference between that and a commercial is stocking density (although there are a lot of tench) and a cafe

 

PS again, this is not a point about Wingham, I'm just using it as an example to illustrate my point.

Edited August 13, 2013 by Anderoo

[John Weddup]

The other thing to consider with proper commercial small carp waters that the perch are now famous for is the water clarity. In these waters they are always well coloured. Something that must help the perch to feed and chase about less for their food.

 

It certainly makes catching all species easier too when the water is well coloured including rivers.

 

John

[Anderoo]

I certainly agree that (in my limited experience) commercial perch are easier to catch than river perch of the same size. But I really enjoyed fishing for them

[John Weddup]

I certainly agree that (in my limited experience) commercial perch are easier to catch than river perch of the same size. But I really enjoyed fishing for them

Got lots of small waters near me with perch over 3lbs and might well try myself. Prefer the rivers for them but if they are in flood I might well give them a go.

 

John

[Anderoo]

Got lots of small waters near me with perch over 3lbs and might well try myself. Prefer the rivers for them but if they are in flood I might well give them a go.

 

John

 

That's exactly the situation I found myself in last winter John. All the rivers were flooded and totally unfishable, so this was a plan B (ordinarily I'd have been out chubbing). I enjoyed it more than I expected to and learned a lot more than I was expecting to too, I'd give it a go if your normal options are out of the window, you might enjoy it!

[Phone]

All,

 

So - it looks like the conclusion is - - - if, in the users opinion, it is a good pond it's a "natural". If not it's a (?).

 

Isn't that true of any fishing spot?

 

Fish present - within reason - doesn't seem to matter although both must have at least a reasonable stock of fish (and likeminded fishermen). What's overstocked to one may not be overstocked to another. A good species or mix of species is a matter of opinion.

 

Do I have this right?

 

Phone

[gozzer]

All,

 

So - it looks like the conclusion is - - - if, in the users opinion, it is a good pond it's a "natural". If not it's a (?).

 

Isn't that true of any fishing spot?

 

Fish present - within reason - doesn't seem to matter although both must have at least a reasonable stock of fish (and likeminded fishermen). What's overstocked to one may not be overstocked to another. A good species or mix of species is a matter of opinion.

 

Do I have this right?

 

Phone

 

Much more than that Phone. First there's the issue of choice, or lack of it. I have several 'fisheries' local to me, and they are all stuffed full of carp. I have two choices, either fish in a place I don't like, or don't fish, I chose the latter. Because I have limited chances to travel to other waters, then my sessions are few and far between, of late. I considered packing it all in a couple of years ago, but with a lifetime of angling behind me, the urge to go is too strong.

Secondly, and most important, is the number of these overstocked waters that are situated in areas prone to flooding. The overstocking ensures that during a time of flood, a greater number of fish are liable to escape into surrounding river systems. These are usually fish that are not indigenous to the system, and therefore act in direct competition to the resident species. This again can have a direct affect on the balance of the whole system.

Opinion as to what is regarded as overstocked has changed. The presence of these waters have increased expectations so much, especially amongst the young or new angler, that anything less, and the fishery is regarded as 'crap', and not worth fishing. So the pressure is on the fishery to stock more, and the cycle continues.

 

 

John.