Didn`t survive the encounter

[JV44]

saw this on our recent trip down river the eel was 3 or 4 lb at a guess Here they are hanging out [url=http://s292.photobucket.com/user/JV44/media/IMG_9476_zps9b2209bc.jpg.html] Every year downstream we see more groups not bigger but more groups of them ,How many is 2 many?? Piccys not the best but had to get the shots quick

[Steve Walker]

That's some meal!

[ayjay]

That's some meal!

 

Certainly is, I've seen them with both Pike and Chub that had to be 3lb+: they must have a maximum size that they can handle but I don't know what it is.

[Tigger]

Have any of you ever actually had hold of a cormorant ? I have ....many times and their heads and beaks are only small so the fish they have in their beaks look much bigger than they actually are. A fish of a pound would be very difficult for a corm to swallow unless it was a species shaped like the eel or pike.

 

How big would you say the pike is in this pic....

 

http://www.neatorama.com/2008/02/09/cormorant-swallowing-a-pike-fish/

 

If you read it the pike was 12 inches long so what would that actually weigh ?

[chesters1]

its not the fact they cannot eat a certain sized fish but the damaged caused to a fish if caught and not eaten ,in many cases the fish lives on that day but weeks or months down the line it dies of infection after the wounds caused by the beak tearing out scales mounts up.

not just corms but i have also found dying fish full of infection with partially healed puncture wounds from herons over the years but not as many as distinctive corm wounds on both sides of the body.

[Tigger]

its not the fact they cannot eat a certain sized fish but the damaged caused to a fish if caught and not eaten ,in many cases the fish lives on that day but weeks or months down the line it dies of infection after the wounds caused by the beak tearing out scales mounts up.

not just corms but i have also found dying fish full of infection with partially healed puncture wounds from herons over the years but not as many as distinctive corm wounds on both sides of the body.

 

 

So what ?

[poledark]

I caught a Corm on a slow sinking deadbait and when I tried to get the hooks out, I was able to get my fist right down its throat...............easily. I've also, likeJV, seen them take eels of 2lb plus, I cheered one the eels on in the battle to stop being swallowed, and when it disappeared I hoped to see it pass right through

 

Even a Grebe can swallow a 20oz pike........I've got a video.

 

Den

[chesters1]

 

 

So what ?

it means everything you wrote was irrelevant,their heads maybe small but their beaks sharp and their gape big

they maybe not able to eat a 10lb carp but it could end up just as dead if they tried

and yes i have buried corms so have been up close and dirty

Edited October 4, 2014 by chesters1

[JV44]

Ian take your point about Cormorant neck size but that was no bootlace even if my guess may have been out,posted as where we go down each year the number of groups is deffo increasing just wondered if the same appeared to be happening in other areas not start ww3 lol does beg the question of when is there 2 many ? how many more can the river sustain?? but for the record and balance there were plenty of silvers in all areas we stopped so guess recruitment is keeping up at the moment

[Steve Walker]

Ian, your secret is out mate, now we know how you nail all those barbs