Fishing Patrols

[Anderoo]

That's not irony

 

If fish are being stolen and the presence of uniformed bods is stopping it, that's great. Surely though most would be taken at night if the thieves are acting out of malice and not ignorance?

 

I don't like the inferrence that most Poles are carrying weapons. Evidence please. I suppose most anglers are carrying weapons (knives, banksticks) if that's what you mean?

 

I'm not saying that this doesn't happen, but in these reports they've always caught either very big fish (20lb or 30lb carp) or an impressive haul of fish (100lb of bream), something that would take any of us a long time to achieve. They must be great. I reckon it's a fair deal if we tell them that stealing fish is illegal and they show us how to catch the damn things.

 

I'm not sure what the legal situation is in this case. If it's a council-owned pond which is free to fish, are there laws preventing removal of fish?

[Guest Brumagem Phil]

The other thing of course is how many fish have been 'stolen' by the floods this year. Many pools have virtually been emptied. All I seem to be able to catch in the rivers this year are matchpool manky mouthed carp. :-(

 

Not to mention the explosion of diseases this year due tot he mixing of water from all sources.

 

I don't think anyone disputes that fish are taken by eastern europeans for the pot, but I doubt its quite the issue some seem to claim it is.

[Guest Rabbit]

It's called Irony.

 

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Come off it Newt. I am sure Ken can answer for himself.

[Fastd]

Hi Dave, being a 'Loiner' I have been trying to think of the place you mean, but without success. I can think of a few that partially match your description though.

 

As for the Eastern European thing, we've discussed it many times before, and it seems to be that some areas are apparently effected more than others.

I have only heard anecdotal evidence of this in the Leeds area, never a first hand account. Somethings I have heard, have been an obvious case of 'Chinese Whispers' or an 'anglers exaggeration', because the alleged size of some of the fish 'taken' from waters I know, are beyond belief.

We have a large Polish contingent in my area, but I have never seen or heard of them 'stripping' waters of fish.

I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I find it hard to believe it happens on the scale of some reports I hear.

The taking of fish for 'the pot' is a very emotive subject with some anglers, and I have been called a "vandal" for admitting that I have taken the odd fish myself.

 

John.

 

John,

 

The pond I was on about was Chippies Quarry at Scholes. I guess I was having a day of visiting old venues close to my heart.

 

The changes to the venue have been amazing and encourage the kids to go fishing instead of mugging.

 

I initially took the comments about the eastern europeans with a pinch of salt but when the CPO turned up he confirmed that anglers should not confront these guys...ring them as it was not considered safe to confront these blokes alone.

 

I can understand how on a club water it is easy to get together a few members who are prepared to explain to a group of foreigners in no uncertain terms that they are not welcome...but on a public water this is certainly not the case.

 

The other venue I mentioned was Fighting Cocks at yarm...a great surface carp venue in summer where filleted carp have been found regularly throughout the summer. Ferryhill the club who run the venue are large enough to ensure they have a 24/7 presence on the water of guys who are not frightened of explaining the finer points of catch and release to some foreigners (armed or not). As I understand it the problems have stopped on this venue.

 

The problem of large carp misteriously moving at night is not a new thing. I have been offered 20lb + carp at a third of the going rate when I was regularly buying fish for legitimate stocking of some ponds. These calls all came at night andoffered immediate delivery. I dont know where they got my number but I can have a good guess as the fish farmer.

 

Remember when barbel were first introduced to commercial ponds...where did they come from...I think Diawa Makin fishery was one of the first to introduce them...and the origin of those fish has been the subject of a major investigation in the past.

 

Illegal movement of fish has been a problem for years...but at least this has only been a redistribution of stocks...now the problem is killing fish of all sizes and literally decimating fish stocks. Your average British angler is not condition to eat coarse fish. Unfortunately our european cousins do not have the same attitude.

 

BTW I have eaten carp on numerous occasions and they are great eating.

 

Cheers

Dave

[Ken L]

What the hell is it got to do with racism?

 

Watch !

The thread starts of about the entirely legitimate subject of a specific national group taking fish for the pot to the extent where they are damaging a fishery.

Some people acknowledge that this is a problem.

Some people deny that there is a problem and call the people who do say there is a propblem racists.

Next thing you know, the thread is nothing to do with stopping illegal taking of fish and degenerates into group B calling Group A nasty racist types.

Personally, I suspect that the responce of group B is triggered by the absence of any evidence to back up their argument that nothing is happening to our fish stocks - particularly those in our city lakes whch group B of course doesn't have to rely on for a bit of sport.

[Guest Brumagem Phil]

Watch !

The thread starts of about the entirely legitimate subject of a specific national group taking fish for the pot to the extent where they are damaging a fishery.

Some people acknowledge that this is a problem.

Some people deny that there is a problem and call the people who do say there is a propblem racists.

Next thing you know, the thread is nothing to do with stopping illegal taking of fish and degenerates into group B calling Group A nasty racist types.

Personally, I suspect that the responce of group B is triggered by the absence of any evidence to back up their argument that nothing is happening to our fish stocks - particularly those in our city lakes whch group B of course doesn't have to rely on for a bit of sport.

 

 

Yawn, is it that time already?????

[Dansdad]

What the hell is it got to do with racism? Unless of course you start from the point of being one, and the taking of coarse fish simply adds fuel to the fire.

Locally in Gloucestershire and Worcestershire we have a problem with the taking of coarse fish but I and others will talk to these people and show them the errors of their ways. We even have a network of anglers who alert each other via mobiles when such an occurrence happens, believe me half a dozen anglers 'educating' the offenders does have an effect. and such incidents have decreased.

Turning a blind eye will not help, nor will by and large the police or the CPO''s... (God forbid) but anglers can. If we can't help our own sport, no one else will.

 

 

Here in rural Lincolnshire we also have a problem with East Europeans taking fish for the pot but I think its more an ignorance of the law rather than deliberately disobeying it. However this is no excuse and when in this country they have to live by our laws so education is the way forward.

 

Interestingly, a number of Poles were caught spinning on a local commercial match water. They didn't know they were doing wrong and the local bobbies said that they couldn't be prosecuted because they were no warning signs in Polish ! Hmmm......it could only happen here !

 

Cheers

 

Ron

[gozzer]

John,

 

The pond I was on about was Chippies Quarry at Scholes. I guess I was having a day of visiting old venues close to my heart.

 

Dave

 

Ah, that was one of the spots I had in mind Dave. I only know it by reputation, never fished it, I'm on the other side of Leeds.

 

I have no doubt that some fish are taken by foreign workers/ immigrants, but as to how often and in what numbers, I have my doubts.

As I said I have never heard from anyone who has witnessed it, or even had first hand experience of of an incident. It's always been, 'someone who heard from someone that they'd been told', kind of thing.

It makes me wonder what they would do with 100lb of carp or bream, (some of the quantities that have been mentioned). How long would it take to eat that lot?

I think that the idea of moving/stealing of fish to stock waters is a more plausible scenario, judging by the alleged number and size of the fish taken.

 

John.

[Guest Brumagem Phil]

I think you are quite right john.

 

The fishing in many places this year has been bloody hard anyway so very easy to suggest there aint no fish in there and blame the eastern europeans. I've been fishing SoA and apart froma brief spell after the floods which were prolific, my rods may as well be lightening conductors for all the movement in em lately. My blog has been dead because the fishing for me has been blank after blank....but i'm not naive enought to blame my blanks on the eastern europeans pillaging my local rivers and canals.

 

Bottom line is Poland has a thriving angling society so how can just a few hundred thousand poles in the UK decimate the mega stocks of fish we have in the UK in just a couple of years? Simply doesn't make any sense if you ask me.

[Anderoo]

I think they've been at the perch stream I had so many nice fish out of last year - it's either that or I'm crap, and that can't be it

 

I don't doubt it happens, but there's always a lack of facts and an abundance of emotive terms like 'decimate'. The fact is that anyone taking fish for the pot in this country, regardless of where they're from, are in many cases not breaking the law. It's been done to death on here, but it's a law I support (the law allowing us - anyone - to take fish to eat) because it's in the best long-term interests of angling.

 

If someone is stealing fish from private stillwaters, that's a criminal offence and should be dealt with as such.