Eel Traps

[Dick Dastardly]

Totally agree Dunk.You would have thought that you must have a licence first then purchase the equipment.A bit like a shooter.A simple way of ensuring all equipment is licenced.

[Steve Burke]

If we struggle to hold an eel with two hands, it is oviously almost impossible with a beak. Good photo.

 

Peggy and I saw a demonstration of cormorant feeding at a wildlife centre in France. An eel was released into a huge glass-sided tank followed by a cormorant. The eel was easily captured and after a short struggle was swallowed. However it managed to get back out of the cormorant's throat on several occasions. Each time it was more and more subdued, and if Peggy's French is up to scratch the commentator told us that this was due to chemicals in the cormorant's throat gradually affecting the eel.

[gozzer]

If cormorants can be trained to catch fish, could eels be trained to strangle cormorants?

 

I can dream can't I?

[tony jolley]

Hi All.

Sat on this for a while so as not to influance any opinions on the subject.

Most of you will have seen many of my posts on this subject over the years many made at a time when it was not wide public knowledge that the eel was in total melt down.

 

As a National Anguilla Club member I will answer Zedheads opinion. I am in total agreement with you Zed head, (cool name). I have been a member of the NAC for over 13 years, and all my time as a member has been dedicated to trying to protect the species. through my time as general secretary whilst i have always maintained my position as Environmental co-ordinator with the help of Clive Dennison former ESG member now NAC we have opened up many debates across Europe through the political body Eel Conservation Society (ECS) many friends have been made to protect the eel. And with the processes going through at European level to protect the eel we have been very influential in these talks. with the help of SAA and EAA before.

 

The NAC's concerns regarding the eels survival has always been at the top of its agenda for many years now and will continue to be for the future.

 

I am pleased to see so many of you in favour of protectiong the eel

 

 

 

Also before following Dunks advice of interfering with the traps/nets make sure you KNOW not think they are illegal.I know nothing about traps but a good indication of if a Fyke net is legal is that it will have an "otter guard" (a square metal mesh) fitted over the entrance,a tag and also be clearly marked in navagable waters as opposed to being hidden.

 

When I used to net commercially (from the beach) I had my nets (and therefore living!) trashed several times by people who even then had the neck to call the police! because they were illegal.Strange how the police would be quite aggressive untill I produced my licence but then very reluctant to assist me by charging the "vandals"!

 

I havnt netted for many years due to my concerns for the future of eels but many still do LEGALLY please remember that whether you agree or disagree.

[RollingPinBoy]

Interestingly, on the Hampshire Avon, the EA have built an eel pass into the Gt Weir at Christchurch to help the eels get upstream....Yet they have given a licence/s to an eel trapper to place at least 5 Fyke nets just upstream of the pass!...Ray

[terry t shirt]

Thats the Ea for your spend thousands to improve the habitat and get rid of all the fish that woulds use it. Bet the trappers laughing all the way to the bank.

[john-d]

Ray, this really does sum up the E.A in all its apathetic glory. If its at all possible could you please P.M me with some further details and I will ask if they can possible give a reasoned explanation for there continued incompetence.

Its only my opinion, but as far as damaging/destroying fyke nets/eel traps illegal or otherwise, I consider them all fair game for some short, sharp reconstruction with a 14lb lump hammer.

Given the current situation of eel stocks, all netting should end immediately. However if!!! the eel stocks return to the same levels of 20/30 years ago, I would'nt have a problem with anyone netting or farming eels as a food source and would even once again use them as pike and catfish bait, something I personally stopped doing some years back.

John.

[poledark]

I don't want to seem unconcerned re the Eeel population, but does anyone have any real idea about "declining" stocks? MKF lakes have a very healthy stock of eels, many over 2.5lbs, but they range from maybe 12oz up to 6lb+ If I set my stall to catch them it would be easy to get 10 or more a day..........god knows how many at night!

 

Are these eels mature? Some of the 5lb+ ones must be mature enough to return to the sea? Or have they chosen to spend there lives in the lakes?

 

 

I do understand that there are apparently declining runs of elvers, are there any figures for the numbers of eels returning down rivers?

 

Den

[Dick Dastardly]

Hi Ray good to see you posting on here again been some time!

 

Den,like you I have not been able to accept that eels are in decline for many years. Recently Ive read lots of stuff sent to me re the eel issue and I think I have at last sussed out why the industries and our (as anglers) opinions on as to whether or not there is a decline varies.

 

Its simply that we base our opinion on what we catch from the "protected" waters that we fish and the industry gets their figures based on the much bigger overall area that they operate in.I really think its as simple as that and as such our view is a bit false.

 

Not sure where the problem lies exactly but I'm leaning more to some form of ecological problem which is magnified by the heavier commercial fishing.I can not see that any rod and line angling (even for the pot) is a problem.However we must be seen to be whiter than white if wee are calling on the commercial boys to cut back.I think a lot of the recent catch restrictions on adult fish coming into place in Europe should hopefully show that the problem is deeper routed as well as helping a bit.

 

I am though now regardless of how many eels we still catch! or exactly what the problem is convinced that there is definitely a problem that needs resolving.

 

On the subject of eels upping and leaving a water on mass,its a very strange thing (like everything with them it seems!) I'm no eel expert and hopefully Tony or one of the other more knowledgeable guys can comment but here are some observations Ive made.

 

Just because eels reach a certain size (and therefore are sexually mature?) it doesn't mean they necessarily migrate. Out of many waters I only know of/been involved with at the time I only know two where they have migrated. One was on a complex of three lakes (which had all been one once and were divided by road wide causeways) The eels in the lake in question were a major pain and loved boilies! Averaging around 1 1/2lb with a few over the years accidentally caught to 4lb they were every where.One year they all seemed to disappear.Only ones we caught were the very occasional very small bootlace whilst breaming. I assume all of the "mature" eels had gone regardless of their size. So it seems size isn't the overriding factor.

 

Strangely enough the bigger lakes population (we netted one of 8lb and some eel angler mates had them to 6) remained all the time I was there (some 5-6 years after the "exodus").Once again indicating that size isn't the governing factor.

 

There is/used to be a theory that truly monster eels would only ever come from "prison waters" ie waters that the eels couldn't leave to migrate so would therefore stay there all their lives. Don't know what modern opinion is but I always thought this a bit flawed as my view was if they got in they could get out! Ive seen them live out of water for several hours so can quite believe (although have never seen it) that they can cross land to a degree.So once again why some waters (and it seems to me to be all or nothing) eels stay and others go I don't know.

 

Whether you like them or not as a sporting fish there is no denying that they are a fascinating creature which we still so obviously no little about.

[Dick Dastardly]

are there any figures for the numbers of eels returning down rivers?

 

 

Den Ive got the stuff (some of which Tony sent me) on my old PC (Ive just been given a much newer/faster one) and havnt transfered the info on the old hard drive over yet. Amongst it there were a couple of bits about studies taken on the River Severn and the Hampshire Avon concerning the monitoring of eels at various traps returning to sea. It seemed that one of the observations was that the actual numbers going down the rivers hadnt changed a lot but that the numbers in the estuarys had dropped dramaticly along with the numbers of returning elvers.

 

Also read some stuff about returning adult eels staying off shore and not entering the rivers.I was always under the impression that the adults didnt return after spawning? So not sure what that was all about? Anyone else through some light on that?

 

Once Ive swapped all the stuff over I will forward it to you (or anyone else) if you want mate?