Interesting article on eels

[wotnobivvy]

Kennet and Pang eels survey highlights river barriers - BBC News

[Chris Plumb]

Thanks for that - in 50+ years of fishing the Kennet - I've only ever caught ONE Eel!

[chesters1]

I think it goes beyond 'barriers' the buggers have no bother finding isolated ponds to inhabit its the EA and them actively permitting the wholesale catching of elvers long before they can get upstream to find these 'barriers' thats the problem ,in the sixties bootlaces were the curse of anglers now they are gone i too haven't caught one for decades theres so much money in elvers theres an american series about catching them ,one day we will wake up and find theyre extinct in the west 

https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=Cold+River+Cash

You can bet theres rogue elements flogging ours aswell ,where theres money!

Edited March 21, 2022 by chesters1

[Martin56]

On the River Wharfe in Yorkshire, one could win matches with just Eels, the bottom was covered with Jelly blamed on some paper mills!!

[chesters1]

Its that sex industry again ,at least the tissues are bio degradable

[Ken L]

I laugh every time I see the "eels are endangered" narrative being trotted out.

The Severn and Warks Avon are stuffed with them. I catch them all the time on meat, and fishing worms will guarantee you catch eels.

I have a stream that runs through the local park and would entertain myself last summer by dropping chicken fames into it and watching.

Waiting a couple of minutes would see chub and eels appear, and at one point, I had five eels tearing chunks off the frame in a stream that's less than 2m across in broad daylight.

[BoldBear]

It's nice to see that they haven't disappeared everywhere Ken. 

I've only caught one from my rivers and ponds in over 25 years, and they used to be common at one time; especially in the Thames catchment. 

Keith

 

[Ken L]

21 hours ago, BoldBear said:

It's nice to see that they haven't disappeared everywhere Ken. 

I've only caught one from my rivers and ponds in over 25 years, and they used to be common at one time; especially in the Thames catchment. 

Keith

 

Makes me wonder whether other factors are at play.

We certainly have signal crayfish present in the local rivers and streams, but I'm yet to see one - that was the original point of dropping the chicken frame in the local stream where I know they've been reported, and where I've even seen a claw on the bank that was presumably part of a meal for a heron or mink, but so far at least, they have evaded me.

[Blackbird]

Otters regard Eels as choice fish dish, which might explain their low numbers. I still get pestered be eels chomping at meat baits and often saves a blank at last knockings, however I think I would rather take the blank.

 

 

 

[BoldBear]

I also suspect that the amount of jellied eels that they eat in some London areas especially the eastern areas of Smoke might have something to do with the lack of eels in the Thames 

Can’t stand the things myself

Keith

Edited April 14, 2022 by BoldBear