Demise of traditional angling

[Newt]

Gozzer - to back up a few posts and respond to one of yours, I now clearly take your point about restricted choices and you are correct. That is a worrysome trend.

 

I was purely responding to those who were bemoaning the use of newer gear and methods.

 

As is usual with this topic, we pretty much have two subtopics running here.

[gozzer]

Gozzer - to back up a few posts and respond to one of yours, I now clearly take your point about restricted choices and you are correct. That is a worrysome trend.

 

I was purely responding to those who were bemoaning the use of newer gear and methods.

 

As is usual with this topic, we pretty much have two subtopics running here.

 

Only two, Newt? That must be some kind of record for AN.

 

John.

[Steve Burke]

Many may fish just waters that might produce a PB. I certainly don't. Instead I prefer to catch fish that are a real challenge, preferably in unspoilt surroundings. In many cases of course these fish are likely to be big as there are fewer big ones than little ones, and often they've older and wiser too. But not always.

 

The fish I'm most proud of is a chub from a tiny steam of, if I remember correctly, just 2lbs 14ozs. It was far from being my biggest chub; indeed it wasn't even the biggest I caught that day. But it was the most challenging fish of any species I've ever got the better of. (Do a search for "Oswald" if you're interested).

 

The lack of challenge is the main reason that, apart for predators, I rarely fish commercials. As on some of these waters the fish rely on anglers baits for almost their entire diet (indeed on some they even rely on artificial aeration just to breathe!) there's insufficient challenge to interest me.

 

I'd add that fishery scientists will tell you that lowland stillwaters can support only about 300lbs per acre of non-predatory fish without artificial feeding, be it anglers' baits or whatever. It almost certainly means the vast majority of our stillwaters are overstocked, in many cases grossly so. Indeed, I suspect that some hold more fish per acre than some goldfish bowls!

 

Please don't think I'm knocking commercials though. Far from it. They're where I take youngsters or beginners to learn how to fish, and improvers to polish their skills. It's also perhaps where I'd go to try out a new idea. Additionally of course they make very good match fisheries.

 

What, like some others here, I do feel disappointing though is that so many almost identical waters are being created where the fish are so easy to catch. Even worse, many excellent fisheries are being converted into such venues.

 

I don't much like the crowds on such waters either - but they must be fulfiling a demand otherwise they wouldn't be so crowded in the first place!

 

But will they survive? Eventually there may well come a time when supply exceeds demand. More and more overstocked waters are being created, and I also suspect that some anglers will get bored and decide that they want more of a challenge. If this happens, many commercials will go bust, the same way as many put and take trout fisheries did a few years ago.

 

In the meantime though, there’s fewer and fewer waters left for those who prefer what many on this thread call traditional angling.

 

But I’d hazard a guess that, especially if you include those who don’t post, the vast majority of members currently fish these overstocked venues!

[Kappa]

Only two, Newt? That must be some kind of record for AN.

 

John.

 

Wow I've really opened a can or worms here! My main worry like some others is the limited choice. I have nothing against commercial fisheries per say, I have been known to go along when I need to remember what a fish looks like. I can't fish my favourite lakes anymore due to closure and concreting etc. At the moment I can't think or find a lake near me where I can sit in relative peace surrounded by nature and just catch a few smaller fish in fact its pretty much all commercial/expensive day ticket lakes. Of course I want to catch PBs I've been trying to beat my tench PB for years and have really tried hard to beat it this year! As a result I've found over the years I've got more high-tech and to be honest I don't really like it too much! I feel like some how I'm losing my fishing "soul". However I also feel that in some circumstances, especially when waiting a long time for large fish, "modern" techniques greatly improve your chances of a fish, no-one can watch a float for 72hrs!

 

This thread is related to Anderoo's river thread with loss of stretches to syndicates etc. To be honest I don't mind syndicates, I think they can be beneficial for the water it’s just a shame for those who can no longer fish the stretch. If a water I loved was lost to by a club I would sooner take it over rather than lose it! There is small stretch of the Thames I grew up fishing it was amazing, nothing big nothing spectacular, I just love the place unfortunately it’s now private. Just around the corner from there are the most beautiful mature lakes. There are tench in there, none over 4lbs but again I just fell in love with the place but it’s been closed. So now I’m left with commercials or big carp lakes there really aren't any "wild" shallow lakes near me that I can think of and there is loads of water in Oxfordshire! There are no “quick evening relaxing session waters”.

 

I think this is much less about large carp waters but more about muddy holes with thousands of 2-5lb carp! I don't really care what other people want to catch, indeed in an ideal world it would be nothing that I want to so I can have all the waters to myself. However as everyone moves towards "easy commercial lakes" (like Wingham ) the is not enough interest to pay the lease on the quiet ones or the club have no choice but to change the lakes to meet demand, i.e. pull out the weed and stock 5000 1lb carp.

[dant]

As is usual with this topic, we pretty much have two subtopics running here.

 

To a certain extent the two sub-topics run hand in hand...In the case of some of the fisheries we are talking about they're inextricably linked..

 

Often and with increasing regularity the art of watercraft isn't learnt by people new to the sport because they don't need to learn it on the places they fish..

[Steve Burke]

However as everyone moves towards "easy commercial lakes" (like Wingham )

 

Just wait until you've fished the swim I give you next year!

[dant]

Steve has raised an interesting point regarding the boom and possible subsequent bust of commercial fisheries..

 

If in a worse case scenario the series of pits that my local club have lost due to a huge increase in rent are filled with small Carp or generally overstocked they would face stiff competition from very similar fisheries in the local area...

If the demand wasn't high enough for the new tenants to make enough money, it was deemed not profitable and the tenancy was relinquished. What are the implications for the pits in the future.

The natural food sources that had maintained a stable, mature population would become decimated, the water quality will have dropped and possibly not be able to support such bio diversity as it previously had..

How long would it take a fishery to find a healthy balance after a massive over-stocking??

[gozzer]

I'm glad to see it was a can of worms you opened Richard, it could have been a bag of boilies.

 

It's good to see that some are waking up to the effects these policies might/will have, on the future of the waters concerned.

It doesn't just end there, carp are being introduced (by natural or illegal means), to some rivers as well. The effects on the species present, can only be guessed at, but I'm guessing it won't be good.

You can put fish into a water far easier than you can take them out.

 

John.

[chesters1]

i'm perfectly happy fishing in a pond where i know not one fish will ever come close to my biggest fish of those species.

i fish purely to catch fish not notch my pb up another ounce purely because i want a bigger fish.

the club has lakes where i can easily break all my pb;s but life is to short to sit for days trying when i can have fun catching tiddlers for a few hours then go home ,more than once i have helped the mrs tackle up her stuff then relaxed in my chair drinking in the peace and quiet and not fished at all.

my usual spiel to those not catching whilst getting their permit numbers is "this is the best lake in the club to blank in"

fishing isn't just about catching fish but a whole outlook on life.

remember when you were kids and experimenting making tackle in the close season? the excitement looking forward to using it come the 16th ? yes you had fun just thinking about the fishing and come the 16th did it really matter you didnt catch the expected monsters so vivid in your imagination as you painted that float ,not for me! just the fun of being away from home (and your parents) the "escape" factor is still strong after 40 years and still comes fishing with me now.

fish come 3 or 4 on my list of fishing ,just the smell of a lake at dawn stirs something deep in my soul,you wont catch me moaning that i blanked, catching fish whilst fishing is cream on the cake not the cake itself.

you may prefer taking barrows full of tackle to a distant swim ,been there done that but i realised i could get just as much fun walking 20 feet to the nearest swim to the car park (the only swim we fish) with just enough tackle for that session and be entertained by the whole outside thing .

i have fished lakes streams rivers both little and large ,carp fished for weeks on end and had a spell match fishing ,but all that travelling and "conquering" new venues isnt a patch on just simple fishing and catching fish for just fun.

the club has 22 waters i have fished 4 since 1974 ,i go carp fishing (not very much nowadays alas) in a lake with carp ,tiddler snatching in a lake of tiddlers and pike fishing in the other two but my favourite (and the reason why i became a bailiff on it) is my beloved tiddler lake ohh and its the closest ,some will call me lazy (for not travelling to far off fisheries)some will call me a fair weather fisherman (certainly not that) but in reality my happiness switch on point is far lower than most other anglers ,just talking to other anglers brings me happiness! the actual "doing" is the cream.

i have nothing against carp anglers (i enjoy carp angling) but small enclaves should be left for those such as myself who are happy to sit round an almost empty lake ,who dont follow the tackle cat walk and not wear almostrealtree clothing including underwear ,should stockbridge have an introduction of carp then i would reluctantly hand in my bailiffs pad ,there are plenty of waters with carp already in why have them in all waters

Edited May 24, 2007 by chesters1

[gozzer]

Careful chesters, that was almost poetic, it will ruin your street cred'.

 

But very true all the same.

 

John.