Yet another crap days fishing

[stavey]

I went to a local estuary again yesterday one which i have fished for mullet since i was a kid (35 yrs+) i fished for about 8 hours walked about 10 miles using bait/ knowledge /times etc that i have amassed over all these years and i can confirm that the thinlipped mullet of the cuckmere that were once plentyful are now pretty near extinct.

 

I saw in this time 2 whelms and spotted one sickly looking fish of about half a pound on the surface, this is at a time of the year when you would expect to see them in large shoals containing dozens if not hundreds, i have been every month several times and it has been the same each time i have been, what with a local rock mark being gilnetted out and ruined last year now this! the pull of going angling is diminishing by the year, unless the inshore netting is "banned" i fear that rsa from the shore or in our estuaries in my part of the country will be a thing of the past.

[Snatcher]

A sad report mate,I do sympathise

[Steve Coppolo]

I know what you mean stavey. The fishing in my local estuaries has been terrible for the last few years. They were once full of mullet which would splash and jump as the tide flooded. The numbers of fish in those rivers was unbelievable. For the last two years I have only seen one or two lone fish. The big bass that used to be there have also disappeared and sport is now reduced to catching schoolies on light tackle and fly gear. Every now and then a bigger bass appears to remind me of what it was like just a few years ago. It's all very depressing.

[stavey]

I know what you mean stavey. The fishing in my local estuaries has been terrible for the last few years. They were once full of mullet which would splash and jump as the tide flooded. The numbers of fish in those rivers was unbelievable. For the last two years I have only seen one or two lone fish. The big bass that used to be there have also disappeared and sport is now reduced to catching schoolies on light tackle and fly gear. Every now and then a bigger bass appears to remind me of what it was like just a few years ago. It's all very depressing.

 

Very depressing steve, yet i saw other things that might bring a little hope to maybe a future generation of anglers and that was what i observed in the sky, climbing high above the downs on the thermals were a couple of buzzards (pretty extinct around here a few years ago) but what with the change in farming agriculture ie, set aside, as well as a couple of kingfishers that caught the eye as they flashed past these are returning along with there habitat, another thing is the sight of the ever increasing numbers of little egrets, i am still facinated by the sight of these little white herons, global warming may be a factor with these being here now but there must be plenty of fry for these to hang around all year and breed i guess?

Things are changing for the better on the land but it is below the waters surface that is getting ignored as it is out of sight unfortunately steve as we know........

[Pugs]

I went to a local estuary again yesterday one which i have fished for mullet since i was a kid (35 yrs+) i fished for about 8 hours walked about 10 miles using bait/ knowledge /times etc that i have amassed over all these years and i can confirm that the thinlipped mullet of the cuckmere that were once plentyful are now pretty near extinct.

 

I saw in this time 2 whelms and spotted one sickly looking fish of about half a pound on the surface, this is at a time of the year when you would expect to see them in large shoals containing dozens if not hundreds, i have been every month several times and it has been the same each time i have been, what with a local rock mark being gilnetted out and ruined last year now this! the pull of going angling is diminishing by the year, unless the inshore netting is "banned" i fear that rsa from the shore or in our estuaries in my part of the country will be a thing of the past.

 

Stavey I forgot to tell you when I was down there the same day there was a small inshore trawler about at most 400 mtrs of the low water mark under the seven sisters. Not sure if this was legal or not but surely it isn't? That is a nursery area! Think this trawler is one that is allways around the entrance or not far from it, bleedin commercials. Any way I've written to mr bradprat naming this mark as one that is 'abused'.

Edited August 26, 2006 by Pugs

[Leon Roskilly]

The NMC recently held a fish in on the Cuckmere, and very few fish were caught (I blanked).

 

I did see quite a number though (I suspect that most I saw were thin lips).

 

 

Gerry Green (One of the NMC founders) turned up and remarked that 'in his day they went out and caught mullet' , none of this 'might catch a mullet'

[clem]

The NMC recently held a fish in on the Cuckmere, and very few fish were caught (I blanked).

 

I did see quite a number though (I suspect that most I saw were thin lips).

Gerry Green (One of the NMC founders) turned up and remarked that 'in his day they went out and caught mullet' , none of this 'might catch a mullet'

 

Down at my parents yesterday whose garden backs onto the Humber about a mile upstream of the bridge and the river was boiling with fish at around one hour each side of low water. At first we thought it might be a swim of trout or salmon as we have always over the last few years seen the odd ones jump especially in flat-calm conditions. It soon became obvious by the sheer numbers and frenzid feeding activity that this was no salmon run and the fish must have been mullet and of a good size. With hindsight I wish I had got the binoculars out and had a closer look having said that Ive seen mullet before in other rivers and these behavoir pattens were the same.

Its sad to hear about the demise of these fish in some esturies but the humber is a big river and could hold a hell of a lot of mullet so maybe all is not lost and when the powers that be sort out the "rape and pillage" of our valuable esturine areas these fish should return.

[Leon Roskilly]

Its sad to hear about the demise of these fish in some esturies but the humber is a big river and could hold a hell of a lot of mullet so maybe all is not lost and when the powers that be sort out the "rape and pillage" of our valuable esturine areas these fish should return.

 

 

Tagging information shows that mullet seem to return to the same places each year.

 

The same fish is often caught a number of times from around the same locality.

 

Mullet are a very slow growing species and in UK waters can take up to 10 years to reach spawning aage, at around 3lbs.

 

6, 7, 8 even 9 or more pound fish are considerbly older.

 

 

That's why most mullet anglers return the fish they catch. A 6lb fish taken will never become an 8lber, and might take 20 years to be replaced by another 6lber with potential to grow larger.

 

So, if the population of an estuary is wiped out, even if the Golden Mile proposals meant that mullet were protected tomorrow, it would probably be 20 years or more before a population of older large fish, to delight the specialist mullet angler would be established, and for most theat will not be in their own lifetime.

 

That is why mullet anglers can be so angry at the taking of a venue's potential for a cash return that won't make that much difference to a single fisherman's income, but most of all why they are deeply sad and depressed when they see that happening.

[clem]

Tagging information shows that mullet seem to return to the same places each year.

 

The same fish is often caught a number of times from around the same locality.

 

Mullet are a very slow growing species and in UK waters can take up to 10 years to reach spawning aage, at around 3lbs.

 

6, 7, 8 even 9 or more pound fish are considerbly older.

That's why most mullet anglers return the fish they catch. A 6lb fish taken will never become an 8lber, and might take 20 years to be replaced by another 6lber with potential to grow larger.

 

So, if the population of an estuary is wiped out, even if the Golden Mile proposals meant that mullet were protected tomorrow, it would probably be 20 years or more before a population of older large fish, to delight the specialist mullet angler would be established, and for most theat will not be in their own lifetime.

 

That is why mullet anglers can be so angry at the taking of a venue's potential for a cash return that won't make that much difference to a single fisherman's income, but most of all why they are deeply sad and depressed when they see that happening.

 

I did not realise mullet were such a venerable species Leon. Knowing now this information if a large stock of fish where to become re-established it could , indeed will take many, many years.

I wonder if what i saw yesterday in the Humber are signs of recovery from when the river was cleaned up 20-30 years ago because I am sure they where there before the industrial revolution.

Edited August 27, 2006 by clem

[stavey]

Stavey I forgot to tell you when I was down there the same day there was a small inshore trawler about at most 400 mtrs of the low water mark under the seven sisters. Not sure if this was legal or not but surely it isn't? That is a nursery area! Think this trawler is one that is allways around the entrance or not far from it, bleedin commercials. Any way I've written to mr bradprat naming this mark as one that is 'abused'.

 

Hi pugs

 

Send an email addressed to mr t dapling chief fisheries officer here http://www.sussex-sfc.gov.uk/index.htm

and tell him your concerns, also get in touch with alan brothers who represents the rsa on the committee.

 

below is a bylaw taken from their site read it and tell him that you think that this trawler was possibly infringing and breaking it? then ask him what he is going to do about it and keep following it up from time to time until you find out the possible outcome etc, cheers.........