I wonder how long it will take?

[gozzer]

How long before there are reports of waters in the southern counties being 'decimated' and commercial fishery owners having their livelihoods threatened?

 

http://www.roydennis.org/isleofwight/

 

They are much bigger than otters, and can swoop on a water, grab a carp, and be gone, quicker than even the sneakiest EE.

 

Trouble is, they are sight hunters, and will be hampered by the 'liquid mud' in most of these ponds.

 

Still one can hope.

 

John.

Edited August 23, 2019 by gozzer

[Tigger]

 

 

Lol, a prime example of fake news there John .

[gozzer]

Lol, a prime example of fake news there John .

 

I wouldn't bet against them being blamed for eating the 'precious' carp Ian, just about everything else has.

 

Oh, I forgot to add cormorants to the list, my mistake.

 

I had a surprise while fishing the Aire and Calder canal the other week. I was catching pretty regularly, when it just went 'dead'. A few small fish scattered on the surface in my swim, and I thought 'not another bloody pike', I've had them in my swims a few times this year. Then, there was a boil just under the surface, followed by a cormorant surfacing right under my rod tip with a roach in it's beak! I don't know who was startled most, me or the bird? It just sat there looking at me for what seemed like ages, then dived back under, and reappeared about 30yds away on the other side of the canal. I must have given it a real scare, because I went back to catching, and never saw it again.

I've had seals bob up and watch me on the Wharfe at Tadcaster, but they kept their distance. The cormorant was so close, I could have easily got it in the landing net without fully extending it.

 

John.

Edited August 23, 2019 by gozzer

[Tigger]

 

 

Anglers have a hatred for any predators that eat fish, yet they keep stocking invasive species that truly are fish muchers!

For the biggest part anglers are imo complete fools!

[Vagabond]

WT Sea-eagles go for mullet in summer and things like turnstones and dunlin in winter - should make a few "conservationists" tick

[Phone]

Gozzer,

 

I particularly like the quote, "As a generalist predator White-tailed Eagles favour fish and water birds and scavenge carrion."

 

With an 85% approval rating for the restocking you may be turning heads about my beloved carp.

 

Phone

 

Question, how much of a flight is it from the Isle of Wight(sp?) to the main English island??

[gozzer]

Gozzer,

 

I particularly like the quote, "As a generalist predator White-tailed Eagles favour fish and water birds and scavenge carrion."

 

With an 85% approval rating for the restocking you may be turning heads about my beloved carp.

 

Phone

 

Question, how much of a flight is it from the Isle of Wight(sp?) to the main English island??

I've no problem with the reintroduction of the birds phone, if they could be bred to feed exclusively on carp, then it would be even better.

 

For them to cross from the island to the mainland would, at a guess, take about 20-30 mins with a tail wind, I think it's about 8 miles,at it's shortest.

 

John.

[Mikench]

The likely numbers will barely scratch the surface of our stillwaters. They may take cormorants, coots and mallard which would be handy. They would also be welcome to a few carp. Let's face it the pest water fowl , including gulls have few natural predators so a small cull by a magnificent bird of prey would be worth club membership alone and I'd go just to watch.

[ayjay]

I'm looking forward to adding them to my "Garden List".

 

 

[BoldBear]

I’m more worried by this

 

https://www.anglersnet.co.uk/news/mps-respond-to-chalkstream-crisis-campaign/

 

My local Chalk stream is running at only 37% of its long term average flow because of excess abstraction etc.

So I’m more concerned about my river running dry than some fish eagle.

 

Keith