Dave *Ferret1959

[John S]

Ant! Was it you who has/had fishing rights to a canal?

[*Ant*]

Ant! Was it you who has/had fishing rights to a canal?

It certainly was me John. But not anymore as I gave it up a few years ago.

[John S]

Pity, looked a good place to fish (as I very nearly found out once).

[*Ant*]

It sure is a pity John, but I got very disheartened with the local angling. My passion was tracking down and catching carp from the various canals in my area. But the Eastern Europeans have decimated the carp stocks, I even caught three fellas pulling plastic fish boxes out of the canal filled with carp. I had a word but just got an aggressive mouthful back. I did phone the Enviroment Agency to report it and was told of a number of similar reports in the area. They said they would send someone down to have a look but I guess they were well gone by the time they got to the place. The result is that the local canals are now void of carp, I went a whole 12 months without a hint of a carp, so I packed it all in and haven't had my rods out in over 18 months now.

Of course the bleeding hearts brigade will say it doesn't happen and it's not a problem, but there you go, it certainly is a problem as myself and the local anglers can testify.

Edited April 14, 2019 by *Ant*

[John S]

When it comes to people stealing fish like that, the Environment Agency are all talk and no trousers. And even if the fish-thieves were apprehended, what would happen to them if they went to court? A slap on the wrist and they'll be back on the canal later that day.

 

And people whinge when a lake owner puts a sign up saying No Eastern Europeans

[*Ant*]

It angers me John, but more than that it saddens me. As I say fishing the canals for elusive carp was a big passion of mine and something I've put many hours into over the past 25yrs or so. I absolutely LOVED wiling away the hours in the countryside at the side of a canal fishing for carp, and it seems like virtually overnight that's been taken away and ruined, it is heartbreaking and will take years for the carp numbers to recover, if ever.

[Ken L]

Most of my fishing sessions are with lures and most are on the Severn but a quick look at the record below shows me that I didn't catch a single pike in 2014 or 2018. I know why but apparently saying why makes me a racist.

I know that there are no longer any significant numbers of carp in Sandwell Valley and the carp that I used to see regularly cycling into Birmingham from Smethwick have vanished but apparently saying why makes me a racist.

I've also reported the exact location of people who very definitely were of eastern European origin and fishing to steel fish to the EA with nothing happening as a result.

It really ticks me off.

Of course, they're not all bad. I was talking to a Polish chap who was lure fishing the canal last week and I seriously doubt he was taking any fish at all.

On a slightly more positive note, there are still plenty of carp in my local park pool (rumour has it that a couple of spankings have taken place to keep it that way) which is very non-commercial and I do still occasionally see guys targeting canal carp in what would be south Staffordshire.

If you fancy a crack at either venue, shout up and I'll drop you a PM because it's getting to the point where I'm no longer prepared to post any venue details on an open forum.

[chesters1]

Blimey carp cycling into brum thats new lol

As a youth carp in the military canal were a rarety (often heard about but never caught if it were true) and river carp even rarer and people complained even in the small numbers present they were to be killed as it wasnt 'natural' to be there and they would destroy the habitat (they do stir up silt),now people are complaining they are not there! Strange old world

 

Another strange thing is people naturally ate freshwater fish (i expect in ww2 they were eaten on a industrial scale) but the place teemed with them ,now they are not fish are in tiny numbers compared ,perhaps these foreigners are doing us a favour eating them? Hopefully they will remove the pollutants which is the real problem aswell!

 

Legaly if a group of people took the daily amount it would become a big amount on any small river .

1 pike (up to 65cm)

2 grayling (30cm to 38cm)

15 small fish (up to 20cm) including barbel, chub, common bream, common carp, crucian carp, dace, perch, rudd, silver bream, roach, smelt and tench

 

Plus taking non native fish (strange common carp are native perhaps they are now indiginous despite only being for food the reason they exist) on top

Edited April 14, 2019 by chesters1

[Ken L]

Thanks to Thomas Telford, there are all sorts of fish to be seen while cycling into Birmingham.

[chesters1]

Thanks to Thomas Telford, there are all sorts of fish to be seen while cycling into Birmingham.

He made fish bicycles aswell as bridges amazing!