Coot damage

[RUDD]

On arrival at the water last evening I noticed alot of lilly leaves and other weed floating on the surface.

It was not like that Sunday when we first noticed a pair of coots had arrived for the first time in years.

The baliff came round about half an hour later and told me the coots always pull up weeds and rip the lillies to bits.

There was so much crap floating that after an hour of putting out my rigs I had rafts of weed gathered round my line until it got so heavy that the tow started to drag my rigs!!!!!!!!

 

 

Anyone else heard of coots doing this sort of damage?

 

The baliff said the only way of stopping them will stop them for good if you get my drift.

 

Is this legal?

[Peter Waller]

Perfectly legal, coots do it all the time!

[argyll]

Coots are amongst the busiest nest builders that I've ever seen. Every year a battle of wits takes place in my marina between a pair of coots and a pair of grebes. The coots build a huge nest, the grebes nick bits of it. The coots rebuild, the grebes nick more. The floating stuff is likely being used by the coots but I suspect the major culprits at ripping things up at this time of year is more likely to be nesting grebes. At least it is on my local stretch.

[Isaac]

RUDD:

 

"Anyone else heard of coots doing this sort of damage?

 

The baliff said the only way of stopping them will stop them for good if you get my drift".

 

Is this legal?

It's a bit of a knee jerk reaction to consider such drastic action. It is natural, not damaging to the fish, a la cormorants. So it intereferes with your fishing. I bet the fish benefit from it in as much a lot of invertabrates will be disturbed from the vegetation and into the water.

[Casey]

I enjoy watching Coots when I'm not catching, so I know quite a bit about Coots.

[RUDD]

Isaac

 

I enjoy watching all wildlife.

I dont want to get rid of them, it's the baliff that has the problem.

 

I just want to know if anyone else has seen coots pulling up weed and ripping the old lillies apart.

 

They did not ruin my fishing, I solved the problem by putting back leads on.

 

I am interested to know if they are legal cannon fodder?

[Peter Waller]

No!

 

Why is it OK for carp to root up the vegetation but not coots?

[Wordbender]

Coz we don't pay loadsa money to fish a bleedin' COOT lake, do we?

 

I've heard that goldfinch poo can have a fish's eye out, an'all. And see them reed warblers? Break a man's arm, they can.

 

Oh yes, I seen it done.

 

[RollingPinBoy]

What venue are you fishing so we can come along and watch the coots?

[RUDD]

Wordbender:

Coz we don't pay loadsa money to fish a bleedin' COOT lake, do we?

 

I've heard that goldfinch poo can have a fish's eye out, an'all. And see them reed warblers? Break a man's arm, they can.

 

Oh yes, I seen it done.

 

Coots are easier to catch than carp when using floating baits, so are morehens, ducks, geese, swans and seagulls.

I have only ever hooked one morehen that fought like a bream and one duck.

I really thought I was in with the duck until it surfaced and took off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have even hooked a pheasant on the back cast!!!!!! I then had to land him with my net and untangle the bugger getting scratched alot in the process.