Word of warning

[zedhead]

[Edited]Why should hooking wildfowl be the only way they learn to avoid anglers bait? [Edited] As I mentioned before, you shouldnt be surface fishing if you cant avoid wildfowl, it only takes attention and judgement on the anglers part, neither of which you seem to apply? Disgraceful

Edited July 29, 2007 by John S
Idiotic digs at another forum member

[Guest tigger]

Took about 5 grown men to hold the thing still it was goin absolutely mental. Eventually got it free and it buggered off. I was only a kid at the time and thought it was a real good laugh

 

 

That sounds like one heck of a big seagull !!!!!!!

 

Are you sure it wasn't Pegasus ?

[Guest Rabbit]

[Edited]Why should hooking wildfowl be the only way they learn to avoid anglers bait? [Edited] As I mentioned before, you shouldnt be surface fishing if you cant avoid wildfowl, it only takes attention and judgement on the anglers part, neither of which you seem to apply? Disgraceful

 

Agree!! Teaching the birds a lesson by letting them swallow a hook is just not on.

 

Just my ever so 'umble opinion mind JohnS

 

Right this idiot will shut up then.

[chesters1]

[Edited]Why should hooking wildfowl be the only way they learn to avoid anglers bait? [Edited] As I mentioned before, you shouldnt be surface fishing if you cant avoid wildfowl, it only takes attention and judgement on the anglers part, neither of which you seem to apply? Disgraceful

its got little to do with surface fishing swans can reach down 3 0dd feet and ducks dive especially young ducks ,anglers rarely (if ever )"surface" fish our local lake but most ducklings get hooked several times ,once hooked they avoid like a plaque going near floats or passing over line.half the problem is anglers chucking bait into shallow water at the end of their session ,ducks learn that anglers = food so hover round anglers and in dry months when there isnt grass about dive on anything they think is edible ,when one side of the pond is around 3ft deep even bait on the bottom isnt safe.

once they get hooked they learn to avoid anglers ,being as they dont respond to friendly advice they learn the hard way ,i'm sure the vast majority dont fish deliberately to catch ducks.

"surface" fishing instantly results in miniature Rudd which take food far faster than ducks so anglers fish on the bottom to avoid them

Edited July 29, 2007 by chesters1

[Steve Walker]

its got little to do with surface fishing swans can reach down 3 0dd feet and ducks dive especially young ducks

 

Very true. I saw someone hook a young duck on the bottom in 12' of water.

[Guest tigger]

Agree!! Teaching the birds a lesson by letting them swallow a hook is just not on.

 

Just my ever so 'umble opinion mind JohnS

 

Right this idiot will shut up then.

 

 

 

In my opinion your's and Zedheads opinion are both correct.

 

God forbid the anti fishing lobby see posts stating that the hooking of wildfowl teaches them a lesson, I'm sure they'd have a field day...............

[Guest Brumagem Phil]

The antis have a field day regardless, and anglers careless rig design, discarding of line, litter dumping etc etc is far more detrimental to wildlife than letting the OCCASIONAL duck learn that eating a piece of bread with an obvious piece of line and shiny swivel going into it isnt too clever.

 

I tend to do most of my surface fishing at night which means most of the wildfowl are tucked up in their beds. The downside of this is the odd one can sneak up on your in the gloom.

 

The swan I hooked by the way was as chesters suggested. My first season of fishing so a little naive and didnt expect a swan to nick my luncheon meat from 3 feet down!

[chesters1]

In my opinion your's and Zedheads opinion are both correct.

 

God forbid the anti fishing lobby see posts stating that the hooking of wildfowl teaches them a lesson, I'm sure they'd have a field day...............

the point is it does ,you can put as many signs up as you please telling ducks not to get hooked and you will notice them ignoring it the point is hooking a duck on purpose to teach it against hooking a duck accidentally and it learning through experience.

if you see a duck deliberately going out of its way to go around your float and line then i bet my last £ in the past its been hooked ,whether deliberately or accidentally is known to the duck but it learnt its lesson all the same.

no-ones condoning deliberately hooking a duck but ducks and hooks are a hazard that can only be learnt by experience.

 

what do you actually think makes adult ducks avoid hooks? divine intervention?

 

i cant actually see where rabbits statement is

"Agree!! Teaching the birds a lesson by letting them swallow a hook is just not on."

 

no one lets them swallow a hook deliberately i'm sure but **** happens its real life out there not some cosy fishing game on your pc

speaking with me bailiffs hat on now anyone deliberately trying to hook ducks would be ejected from the pond and their details passed on but accidentally catching one is something different.

 

i discovered a swan with a hook in it trailing line at frensham ponds one year ,i spent an hour catching it and it luckily was hooked in the beak ,as said swans are nothing to be scared of ,one grab at the head and tuck the rest under your arm trapping the wings and they become very meek and do their best to keep their head away from you rather than bite ! a swan hisses its all bluff once you have its head.

once their tucked up under your arm (or pinned down between your legs) they swiftly forget their bolshy bravado and are easy to unhook ,and ofcourse if its swallowed a hook its nearer to getting it removed by a vet than the stupid RSPCA chasing it around the pond in an inflatable untill it flies off! ,most will come to hand with bread in popular spots silly people in boats only make them fearfull.

patience is the key ,sit down on the bank and they will come over to see what the ducks are getting and eventually (most swans are tame to an degree) it will come closer with the promise of food ,no lunging let it come to you

a word of warning though swans have a soft spot in ordinary peoples minds ,just make sure your catching doesent cause a fuss ,explaining your an angler removing a hook wont go far to placate them ,just pretend your an animal "sanctuary" worker called out brings help from all sides

Edited July 29, 2007 by chesters1

[Neil G]

The antis have a field day regardless, and anglers careless rig design, discarding of line, litter dumping etc etc is far more detrimental to wildlife than letting the OCCASIONAL duck learn that eating a piece of bread with an obvious piece of line and shiny swivel going into it isnt too clever.

 

I tend to do most of my surface fishing at night which means most of the wildfowl are tucked up in their beds. The downside of this is the odd one can sneak up on your in the gloom.

 

The swan I hooked by the way was as chesters suggested. My first season of fishing so a little naive and didnt expect a swan to nick my luncheon meat from 3 feet down!

 

Agree

 

The amount of litter and line etc I find on some riverbanks is appaling...definately not good advertising for us fishermen.

 

I always try and take home as much of it as I can to get rid of it properly

[gozzer]

I've read this thread with interest, laughing at the naivety of some posts, and nodding in agreement with others.

As far as I know, nobody intentionally tries to hook water fowl. Just as a golfer doesn't aim for the wildlife, but I've seen them hit birds, same with cricket, and of course the amount of road kill we see.

We share this world with other animals, and sometimes both sides meet, with fatal consequences to one or the other.

This is life, and no amount of 'Disneyesque' thinking will change that.

All any of us can do is try to make sure that we take as much care as we can, to prevent it happening, but it will still happen regardless.

Most of us will at some time hook water fowl, it's inevitable, (we share the same environment).

Don't panic, just follow the advice given and deal with it as calmly as you can. But if the worst happens, then that's nature I'm afraid, and adopting the 'sackcloth and ashes' approach is showing a lack of understanding of that fact.

 

John.

Edited July 30, 2007 by gozzer