Pike exam

[Dick Dastardly]

I think Pike are a slightly special case here due to their vuneralbility.This comes about due to their physiology and the methods required to catch them.As well as a sporting fish they also play an important part in the natural balance of a water.This can be easily upset if too many are killed through bad angling.So much so that several of the most informed and sucsessfull fishery managers dont allow piking.

 

Lutra I thought that this paragraph I wrote gave my reasons why I thought that pike needed/warrented such.

 

Sadly you are correct that bad angling is found in other if not all forms of angling.Im not showing bias just to pike as I fish for them as I fish for ALL species with a wide variety of methods.

 

People mention the situation in Germany.I lived and fished (a lot!) during the 80's whilst stationed there with the Army.We didnt have to sit the exam thanks to a kind dispensation the local clubs/authorities made for us.I was an active member of a local German club though and so privy to the system (as it was then).Trying to liken the German exam (all though their system has some good points that we could learn from) doesnt really work.As the only part of their course/licencing exam that centered on handling was being taught how to cleanly and "humanely" dispatch a fish! Being able to recognise various problems such as disease and pollution (and then knowing the correct proceedure to report it to) was paid far more atention.Totally different type of thing for a country with a different out look towards its angling.No comparrison other than it demonstrates that a system of instruction and testing before licensing can and does work without it being the end of angling!

 

Lutra you wrote the following-

 

"on my local river the barbel suffer from the carp boys having a go for something different and when i see and hear of barbel going belly up in the height of summer i get pretty p. off. Other waters with quality bream and tench suffer as well. I caught a tench last year that's face was in such a bad way it brought a lump to my throat."

 

Then its a shame the barbel/bream/tench anglers dont try and do something about it as pikers are trying to do to protect their sport? Of course in all fairness it would be much harder to do simply because the same methods will catch all of those fish! Once again thats where piking is different/special case as we can be a bit more pro active as the methods used arnt likely to catch other species in general.

 

Another point you made-

 

"I don't know what the answer is but i don't think it is an exam for pike fishing as other sides of our sport would want the same and it would just get silly ( the end of the allround angler)."

 

No (as I have said) nor do I but that doesnt mean we should abbandon looking though does it?

 

Due to the growing pressure on certain species in todays angling then I think now is the time to start seriously looking.

[lutra]

Due to the growing pressure on certain species in todays angling then I think now is the time to start seriously looking.

Yes me to.

 

I did suggest smacking carp on the head and throwing them in the bushes for the foxes, as a way of controlling the spread of carp in our native waters on another post (didn't go down to well). As i see it the spread of carp is closely linked to the increase in carp anglers and there lies our problem and i still cant see a better way of dealing with it. I know this might seem a bit hard to some people but we have a big problem its just a shame others seem happy to ignore it and not come up with a better way of dealing with it.

 

Its a good job i stop short of adding carp anglers to the list of things to smack on the head.

[Peter Sharpe]

Yes me to.

 

I did suggest smacking carp on the head and throwing them in the bushes for the foxes, as a way of controlling the spread of carp in our native waters on another post (didn't go down to well). As i see it the spread of carp is closely linked to the increase in carp anglers and there lies our problem and i still cant see a better way of dealing with it. I know this might seem a bit hard to some people but we have a big problem its just a shame others seem happy to ignore it and not come up with a better way of dealing with it.

 

Its a good job i stop short of adding carp anglers to the list of things to smack on the head.

 

Great, then while we're at it, let's do the same with roach and put an end to he proliferation of all those match anglers with poles and blue seat boxes

[Peter Waller]

Vagabond, yes, City are in a lamentable state.

 

Re carp anglers and barbel, or carp anglers in general wishing to try something else, yes, part of the 'carp' enigma, or should I say 'Thatcherism' in angling!

[chesters1]

Yes me to.

 

I did suggest smacking carp on the head and throwing them in the bushes for the foxes, as a way of controlling the spread of carp in our native waters on another post (didn't go down to well). As i see it the spread of carp is closely linked to the increase in carp anglers and there lies our problem and i still cant see a better way of dealing with it. I know this might seem a bit hard to some people but we have a big problem its just a shame others seem happy to ignore it and not come up with a better way of dealing with it.

 

Its a good job i stop short of adding carp anglers to the list of things to smack on the head.

the increase of carp is mainly down to demand ,if your club has 70% carp anglers then waters will get more carp to enable their members to catch them ,its a sure way of losing members if only a small % of waters have carp and the waters full by dinnertime friday!

to keep those members clubs increase the waters with few carp to carp waters.

stockbridge (where i bailiff) is a almost carp free water and is mainly fished by the older members for crucian and tench ,how long it will stay as a non carp water i dont know as the committee looking at the bailiff sheets see its hardly half full never mind completely full in the summer .

seeing the hard facts may deem it to become another carp lake which would annoy the older regulars no doupt but keep the majority happy.

its not suited to carp by any means the few we have are very slow growing but this maybe because boilies havent been chucked in by the bucket.

perhaps wildies can be introduced which could make a balance and keep both sides happy

but do carp anglers want a carp that fights like a tiger or one with a heavy belly and a name? i think perhaps in the carp angling world size comes before quality

 

its amusing seeing carp anglers coming to my pond not being able to get a swim elsewhere ,fox everything and not a bite ,our carp stick there noses up at them only the daft orange koi gets caught ,the rest just swim past waving if you see them at all

stockbridge is a delight it doesent respond to groundbait nor distance fishing the fish are under your rod tip and if only anglers would listen they would bag up ,every year i tell certain members they are fishing to heavy and to shot their float right down every year they catch almost nothing ,you can get bigger bags fishing close in than the matchmen do in a match with their meters of pole at spectacular prices

Edited November 13, 2007 by chesters1

[lutra]

Great, then while we're at it, let's do the same with roach and put an end to he proliferation of all those match anglers with poles and blue seat boxes

Sorry don't follow how getting rid of an important and native part of the food chain would help? As for the blue box brigade are they not one of the best water police we've got.

[lutra]

the increase of carp is mainly down to demand ,if your club has 70% carp anglers then waters will get more carp to enable their members to catch them ,its a sure way of losing members if only a small % of waters have carp and the waters full by dinnertime friday!

to keep those members clubs increase the waters with few carp to carp waters.

stockbridge (where i bailiff) is a almost carp free water and is mainly fished by the older members for crucian and tench ,how long it will stay as a non carp water i dont know as the committee looking at the bailiff sheets see its hardly half full never mind completely full in the summer .

seeing the hard facts may deem it to become another carp lake which would annoy the older regulars no doupt but keep the majority happy.

its not suited to carp by any means the few we have are very slow growing but this maybe because boilies havent been chucked in by the bucket.

perhaps wildies can be introduced which could make a balance and keep both sides happy

but do carp anglers want a carp that fights like a tiger or one with a heavy belly and a name? i think perhaps in the carp angling world size comes before quality

 

its amusing seeing carp anglers coming to my pond not being able to get a swim elsewhere ,fox everything and not a bite ,our carp stick there noses up at them only the daft orange koi gets caught ,the rest just swim past waving if you see them at all

stockbridge is a delight it doesent respond to groundbait nor distance fishing the fish are under your rod tip and if only anglers would listen they would bag up ,every year i tell certain members they are fishing to heavy and to shot their float right down every year they catch almost nothing ,you can get bigger bags fishing close in than the matchmen do in a match with their meters of pole at spectacular prices

Its a bit like kids and sweets, if they think there's a chance of getting them they will ask.

 

Ban the stocking of them, there not native and it should be illegal any way.

[barry luxton]

Sorry if i was not to the point enough.

 

What makes pike a special case to need exams to fish for them over other species?

 

Would guys who have been fishing for thirty odd years need to sit an exam just to fish for pike, appears to be a bit daft to me.

[Anderoo]

To clarify, I was suggesting that a teach-in at club level, for those who wish to fish for pike, is a good idea. It should involve both theory (rigs, indication) and practical (fish handling) elements. Once completed, you're free to fish for pike on the club waters.

 

Everyone should have to do it, regardless of how long they've fished for pike. It's a couple of hours of your life, that's all. If you know it all already, so what? Besides which, you might just learn something new. Remember that the club doesn't know if you're telling the truth either - you could be a novice who claims to be an expert. Plenty of those around!

 

Pike fishing is sufficiently different to other forms of coarse fishing, and the pike is sufficiently different in terms of vunerability and importance to a balanced fishery, to warrant special treatment.

 

I wouldn't like to see any form of written 'exam', nor any kind of proficiency test at national level for any kind of fishing. What I would like is for more people to help each other out rather than condemning them if their experience falls short of their own.

[lutra]

Pike fishing is sufficiently different to other forms of coarse fishing, and the pike is sufficiently different in terms of vunerability and importance to a balanced fishery, to warrant special treatment.

Sorry but i cant see that pike are any more vulnerable or important to a fishery than any other predator like say perch.

 

Interestingly Ive just been reading Keith Arthur's bit in this week AT about some report that says pike are one species that's doing OK.

 

Maybe we would be better off bring in an exam to fish for Salmon, Sea trout or eels.