A Morning In The Life Of A Commercial Fisherman

[sam-cox]

That sounds like a substainable fishery, Leon.

 

I listernedb to an interesting doc on radio 4 about scotish salmon fisherman on the Tweed on Sunday morning. Was facinating.

One old fisherman, (the last genuration of salmon fisherman in his family explained that the fisherman had become to efficient and started catching a years catch in one week, this was with the avalability of sonar.

But he said it wasnt so much the lack of salmon that would stop him netting but the ROD FISHERMAN.

Sound familiar?

[Steve Coppolo]

I commend you steve for your change of stance towards commercials, i guess you have learnt a lesson from the outcome of the stour and orwel project then, i seem to remember a little hostility towards people like wurzel from you after they had squashed you proposals in to the groung in the time it takes to boil an egg, all that hard work eh, yes i did send my consultation papers back to your sfc and received there letter saying it was a no no but then maybe some advantages may go your way in the long run

 

Hello Stavey

As Peter says, we met before the Stour and Orwell proposal was kicked into touch. My anger at the result was directed more at the Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee than any commercial fishermen. The way they go about there business is a disgrace, and my opinion on that hasn't changed even though I now sit on the committee!

 

I spoke to several fishermen before going into that meeting, and spoke to them again afterwards! There was never any hostlity between any of us. I have another friend who is an ex-commercial fisherman. He used to post on here too, but unfortunately for us he had enough of all the nonsense. He still reads the board though, and hopefully he might start posting again one day. The first time I met Wurzel I went down to his boat. He could have told me to f*** off, but he didn't. We chatted for hours and I learnt loads of interesting stuff. He also gave me the numbers for some good fishing marks and invited me out with him and his crew. We've been angling together plenty of times, and he's a good, keen angler. A trawlerman I met at the SFC meeting in January invited me out with him for a day, and although I didn't take him up on it this year, I'll definately be going next year. I'll be taking a huge bucket with me too for all the peeler crabs I'll be getting.

 

The thing is, I am an angler and I'd like to see some restrictions on inshore netting. I'd love to see the BMP implemeted, and Wurzel knows that because I've told him. He, being a commercial fishermen, wouldn't like to see it implemeted, because although he can see the logic behind the theory he doesn't think it will be workable. He's told me his views and I've told him mine. If someone is a decent bloke, they are a decent bloke. I'm not going to fall out with someone just because they are a commercial fisherman. Christ, I even talk to a couple of Tottenham fans that I work with

 

As for all the hard work, yes it has been hard sometimes. But whatever the outcome, I can at least say I did my bit. I don't know what you mean by advantages coming my/your (?) way. You'll have to explain that one to me.

 

I will go to sea with Wurzel again, many times hopefully. I like to know that when I make a comment about something, I've got at least half an idea of what I'm talking about.

[Brian Carragher]

Well done Steve for a well balanced piece on commercial/angling. I've noticed that some of the vitriol towards commercials seems to be waning and we're now reading more from what I believe is the more moderate voice of the average(not in ability) angler

[sam-cox]

That was the point to this topic Steve, and already commercial fisherman and anglers are chatting nicely and hopefull we are all learning something.

 

I learnt something Sunday Steve, I dont like the cold mate, or whiting.

[Snatcher]

Aaarrhh aint it nice to see everyone lovey dovey

[Steve Coppolo]

I learnt something Sunday Steve, I dont like the cold mate, or whiting.

 

That was bloody cold mate

 

As for the Whiting, the less said the better

[stavey]

quote, Why ever not !

Pahaps Steve or Sam will confirm that I reliesed all the mullet I caught last summer, I fished for the sport, did you expect me to put them in a fish box and send them to market?

 

Wurzel while you were enjoying last years bit of mullet angling how would you feel if them same mullet never came back the following summer due to some moron wiping them out with a net for 50p a pound eh, and if you know anything about that species you will also no that this is perfectly possible.

[geffaz]

i thought this was an Angling forum! im not intrested in your bloody gill nets and your poxy 1 and a half lb bass mate!

save it for a commercial site! trawling and angling ar as diffrent as painters and painters and decorators dont yous an anglers forum as a platform to state your dwindling case!

i could not give less of a sh*t wot u get up to! its just us real anglers that have to put up with you lot being short sighted and smashing my sport!

but im sure it will all come to an end one day and the you will be out of a job and ill just have to drown my sorrows down the pub every weekend or maybe take up golf!

 

golf hmmm! maybe i should start a thread? 1 day in the life of a golfer would be just as relavent

[wurzel]

Hello Stavey

 

This is where you and I can't seem to agree.

You see I don'think it is possible to wipe them out, If it was they would be extinct years ago. I agree it is possible to knock a hole in the local shoal, and if you are fishing a particular shoal and a netter comes along and catches them, what he does not catch he scares away.Its a bugger.

I know one area that Steve and I fished for mullet last year has been netted in the past several times, but the fish are still there and in good numbers and size, So can you honestly say you know of a spot where there used to be lots of mullet and now there are no mullet what so ever left there.

Perhaps you should try and catch mullet in a net, you will find out that it ain't so easy as you imagine. I have heard of huge shoals of mullet encircled by a mono ring net and not one fish ending up in a fish box, every one lept clear or filed out through a small gap before it could be closed.

 

Geffez! a long walk on a short pier comes to mind.

[geffaz]

dam u cut me to ribbons ther mate great come back!

as it happens i enjoy peir diving in the summer! as i have since i was 8!

shame its impossibel now and way to dangerous as discarded nets ar hanging about rapped around the struts!

your a fisherman im an angler end of!

i dont care how difficult it can be, much the same as bowling a 300 or a hole in one! who gives a sh*t.

save your bleeding hart for sombody that cares ;-]

u can wine as much as u like but for me and the majority or real anglers some re training might be in order! oh thats right fish stokes last forever my mistake!