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Barbel introduced to Loch Lomond


Leon Roskilly

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"Gudgeon have no place in the River Endrick and IMHO any angler catching one whilst fishing there should not return them"

 

Crikey. Gobio slaughter in the Highlands, eh? How very noble. It could even be a movie: how about casting Mel Gibson to lead the local clans on a determined campaign to rid the Endrick of the English invaders?

 

I'm sure it will make a lot of difference.

 

But what would make more difference to sport on the Endrick and every other salmon river in Scotland - and I assume it's salmon the locals are concerned about? - would be to stop catching and killing them, whether by net or rod and line, as they ascend the rivers to spawn.

 

The Earth's flora and fauna can't be preserved in a timewarp. Even if Man wasn't on the scene, populations of other creatures would wax and wane, expand and contract.

 

But I guess that for those obsessed enough to see the humble gudgeon as a threat of some sort, then some form of cull would provide a relatively harmless way for the tribes to indulge in some blood-letting. And I'm equally sure that there will be a certain comedy value for those better able to get things into perspective.

Fenboy

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there used to be a bylaw demanding that all roach caught in the river tay were not returned. It was amazing the police used to turn up to check on you, mind you they never realised a keep net had to be closed at one end, just forgot to tie it officer. Its imaterial nowadays as the great majority of the roach have gone !

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  • 2 weeks later...

jim.d:

sad to hear about the Saone, its a graet place. why are they netting it the cats have no food value, maybe their going to stock the big L with them

I don't know where you get the idea that cat fish have 'no food value'. In many parts of France silure is a delicacy, notably in the 'La Dombes' region between the Rhône and Saône.

The problem isn't what people don't know, it's what they know that just ain't so.
Vaut mieux ne rien dire et passer pour un con que de parler et prouver que t'en est un!
Mi, ch’fais toudis à m’mote

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I believe it is the smaller fish that they eat of these its about a3rd of the body, it would be a fair lump of fish even off a modest 35lb fish. The french do have a propesity to eat most things, which is their right, I just could not see even the most ardent fish eater sitting down to a meal of a ton up cat, although Ive seen a photo of a50lb carp on a bar b que!

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I'm sure I've read somewhere that the problem is apparently down to commercial Bleak fishing on the Saone.

 

The fishermen want the Catfish out to alleviate predation on the Bleak, which suggests small Cats must be giving them some stick.

 

Apparently, there has been a huge increase in small Carp which suits the French angler very well, so there might not be too much of a fuss made about it locally.

Peter.

 

The loose lines gone..STRIKE.

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The sadest fact Peter is that cats rarely eat Ablette (bleak) the fish just doesnt fit in with any of the feeding cycles cats go through during their growth! However try telling them that.

 

And maybe even sadder is that most of the proffesional netsmen I know agree with that!God only knows where it comes from.The French have never liked them...most likely because like most non indigenous cats in several European countries they were stocked without consent by Germans!

 

The effect on the rivers ecosystem in such a short time has amazed me.I wonder how this sudden explosion in the survival rate of small carp will afect the river as a big carp venue? The average size of a Saone carp used to be 18lb with lots of them.Will this average drop or will it affect the ultimate top end? I dont know only time will tell.

And thats my "non indicative opinion"!

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BUDGIE:

The average size of a Saone carp used to be 18lb with lots of them.  Will this average drop or will it affect the ultimate top end? I dont know only time will tell.

Certainly you do know Budgie. Yes and yes.
" My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!" - Harry Truman, 33rd US President

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Yes Im afraid it may be the case Newt.I cant be 100% sure as I have no knowledge of the rivers carp prior to the stocking of the cats.Maybe in time it will all balance out as nature intended it regardless of wether it suits our preferences as anglers.

 

Other than my obvious upset with the cat fishing situation I was also very disapointed to be constantly catching these small carp when feeder fishing rather than the tench,bream and barbell we used to.

And thats my "non indicative opinion"!

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The Cats do seem to be being made the scapegoat here judging by Budgies post. However, in the long term the cats are in the system & as far as I know they breed very well, so it would appear that it would be almost impossible to eradicate the Cats if that was their objective.

 

Another point is, with the inevitable increase in small Carp, surely this ideal sized food supply would lead to another population explosion of Cats should they stop netting for any length of time?

Peter.

 

The loose lines gone..STRIKE.

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