Jump to content

The Upper River Gt Ouse, Bedfordshire


Black Rabbit

Recommended Posts

What has happened to this once prolific stretch of water? 10 -15 years ago it used to be a Mecca for anglers in pursuit of large Chub and Barbel, but nowadays you never read anything in the weekly angling press about this water.

 

Has the Upper Gt Ouse really fallen into such decline? If so, what are the reasons? Surely it can't be blamed on Otters and/or Comorants.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is interesting;

 

https://hydra.hull.ac.uk/assets/hull:8222a/content

From these key findings, it has been identified that bottlenecks to barbel recruitment in the Great Ouse include:

 

 home ranges and therefore longitudinal movements were limited by the presence of weirs acting as barriers to migration. Adult barbel were therefore not able to colonise other habitats outside of the study section for feeding, refuge or spawning (Chapter 4);

 

 low flows and high temperatures significantly affected behaviour of barbel, specifically the movements made in 2010 but it is also likely that the reduction in flow was responsible for the lack of spawning in 2011 (Chapter 4). Water temperatures exceed those deemed optimal for barbel embryonic development (Chapter 5);

 

 spawning gravel quality, specifically increased periphytic diatom biomass, reducing dissolved oxygen levels at night; infiltration of fine sediment and a combination of fine sediment and diatoms causing biofilms directly smothering eggs and larvae (Chapter 5);

 surface gravel size of available spawning habitats are smaller in diameter than what is preferred by barbel (Chapter 5);

 

 no lentic habitats available for drifting larvae and young fish, increasing the risk of year classes getting washed down stream in main river flows (Chapter 6);

 

 the presence of signal crayfish (Chapter 6).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

'Decline' is a very subjective term. What it usually means is (1) fewer fish in total i.e. generally harder fishing, and/or (2) fewer (perhaps to the point of 0) fish of a particular species.

 

I don't know that part of the Ouse so can't comment on what's happened there, but I do regularly fish stretches of river that are widely claimed to have been 'decimated', that are 'in decline', or that are generally viewed as being a pale shadow of their former selves. When pressed what most people mean is that there used to be a lot of easy to catch barbel, and now there aren't. If your favourite species is barbel and you knew those rivers when they were really good barbel waters then I totally understand why that can be seen as a decline. On the other hand, you can see them in their current state as exceptional large chub and perch waters, if you're prepared to put in some effort to find them. Not many people are, which means they are usually deserted. No fish get reported, everyone assumes there's nothing there...

 

One of the most exciting things I hear from people when scoping out a new bit of water is 'it's not worth the effort mate, years ago this was a fantastic bit of water but there's nothing left now, the [insert otters/cormarants/eastern Europeans/crayfish/all of the above] have wiped it out.' that is music to my ears as it usually means empty banks, big fish, and an interesting challenge.

  • Like 3

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What has happened to this once prolific stretch of water? 10 -15 years ago it used to be a Mecca for anglers in pursuit of large Chub and Barbel, but nowadays you never read anything in the weekly angling press about this water.

 

Has the Upper Gt Ouse really fallen into such decline? If so, what are the reasons? Surely it can't be blamed on Otters and/or Comorants.

 

Are they catching small chub and barbel? If so there might be a healthy future, in my opinion more important than than a low density of large fish. When the biggies die what's left?

It's never a 'six', let's put it back

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always thought the bubble would burst, if there are only large fish being caught where are the juvenile fish? this its what has happened to the river Lea. The best barbel river seems to the the Wye with lots of small to medium fish showing.

take a look at my blog

http://chubcatcher.blogspot.co.uk/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing I have noticed, in the last 6 years or so, is that the water quality has suffered.

 

Where at one time the water would run gin clear during the summer months, the river now carries colour all the year round. This must surely have an effect?

 

Any locals out there have any ideas as to cause of this colouring?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, it has changed but not as some folk describe.

 

There does not seem to be the shoals of silvers that once were. The chub are wary......even for chub. Ive not seen any otters but ive counted a grwat deal of cormorants.

 

The big fish are still around, maybe in fewer numbers as they decline over time and are quite catchable. Empty, uncut banks, snags etc put people off, but I adore the place.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not fished it for a couple of years (since I lived nearby) but used to enjoy the stretch around Olney and down as far as Turvey.

 

It is a tough river to fish in places, but always threw up a decent fish or two. Some of the chub that I pulled out were cracking fish and there were always plenty of silvers.

 

Would love to have another bash at some of my favourite spots.

Our chief weapon is surprise

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Where at one time the water would run gin clear during the summer months, the river now carries colour all the year round. This must surely have an effect?

 

That is highly significant, and I felt very sad to read it. Back in the early 1960s, soon after I had met Chevin at an angling show. I received the first of many invitations to fish the Beachampton stretch, staying at Dick Walker's hut.

 

What a revelation that first week-end was ! A personal best roach of 1-12, a personal best perch of the same weight, and a personal best chub of 4-8. All have been exceeded since, but those three days were a huge step forward in my angling experience.

 

Much more important than my own PBs was the opportunity to observe big fish behaviour in the clear water. I was no stranger to clear water in my trout streams, but this was the first time I had been able to watch big chub . ( Our chub stretches in the south-east are quite murky due to the Wealden Clays) I learnt more in that weekend about stalking chub than in all my previous years. That knowledge has been for life, and applies to all waters, clear or coloured - a priceless experience.

 

Why is it murky now ? My first reaction is that the gravel crust that used to cover the bottom has probably been dredged out, so even a light rainfall will put enough water through to erode a silty/muddy bottom and thus colour the water. However, I have not fished the Gt Ouse for many years, so yes, local and recent input would be welcome.

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We and our partners use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences, repeat visits and to show you personalised advertisements. By clicking “I Agree”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit Cookie Settings to provide a controlled consent.