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Berr luddy bootlaces are back!


Peter Waller

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Thanks Steve. How many years would that eel have spent in UK waters? Is it roughly ten years of age per pound? Female or male? Whatever, it had a few scars on her hide. Surprisingly little slime when compared with a gyrating bootlace though. Gorgeous, rich grey colour it was too. A really unexpected bonus fish.

 

Was a time when she would have gone in the fridge!! But you wheird eel types have shown me the error of my ways .

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Bob Bradford:

For your information Vagabond, the EA have sold approx 200 licences to net Eels and Elvers in the Anglian region, three years ago , it was twice that amount, is there a connection?

Yes Bob - back from before you started posting here.

 

Various angling politicians spend a lot of time bemoaning the decline of the eel.

 

I suggested that a few eel-lovers, armed with buckets, could collect elvers by the bucketload at the first weir and transport them well upstream - thus avoiding many of the hazards that elvers face (including, especially, commercial netters)

 

The same politicians just couldnt wait to tell me the captures would be illegal, and the releases against Section 30.

 

Get special permission said I, or kick the EA to do it for you. From your experiences with the missing fish of Potter Heigham you can guess the answer to that one.

 

What I was hinting (nudge nudge) is that some enterprising Robin Hood has taken unilateral action.

 

This would ensure a healthy eel population in the headwaters of many river system - not that I have done, or am exhorting others to do, any such thing.

 

I would imagine that you and I are on the same side over preserving eel stocks.

 

PS am at present posting this from a hotel terminal in Madeira, so may not be able to reply for a few days (going fishing)

 

[ 24. June 2005, 09:17 PM: Message edited by: Vagabond ]

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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Very humbling stuff. I've not had a big eel for many years now, but as a youngster fishing in Germany I was 'plagued' by them and wished that I wasn't at the time. I've never weighed an eel but I think I've certainly caught them well in excess of 5lbs before.....50 years old. Wow!

Paul

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Vagabond, I am in error and please except my apology's, I mis-understood your post, I thought it was a sly dig at me, and my comments regarding missing fish from the Broads, I guess I am a tad touchy on this matter,Bob.

I am a match angler .....not an anti-Christ!!!]

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No problem Bob, I realised you had misunderstood.

 

All I know about the "missing fish of Potter" is what I have read on AN, but FWIW I find it interesting that according to the reports, large quantities of scales were present, but NO claw-prints, spraints or fishbones were found.

 

Such evidence is not consistent with attacks by otters, but is consistent with illicit netting.

 

It is probably impossible to prove anything after this length of time. A victory for bureaucratic inertia.

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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Some nice posts here my friends. I wonder if the flash floods in this summer have enticed may eels to venture that much further inland??.

I do hope this is a trend which can continue.

 

On Vagabonds subject of elver stocking.

 

The ECS has been campaigning the EA to take these steps for many years now. Obviously as a group in the angling worlds eye the ECS and its member groups cannot support any illegal stocking of eels or elvers. We have taken the political route to raise the awareness of the "Eel decline" which the EA agree is very real and NOT a short term project. The EA realise and believe a 20 year plus management project is required. This I believe is a more realistic and optimistic projection. As Steve points out the eels of 4lb or more are old fish 40 years plus it will be these "bootlace eels" which will be the future.

I have been told by the highest level at the EA that an elver stocking programme is needed in some catchments but am I am not privy to the locations of any elver stocking which is intended nor would I post it if I knew.

I for one hope that the "Increased" levels of small eels being caught is a direct result of the work of the EA in removing obstacles from the migration path of the upward travelling eels in the river catchments. As part of the EA work on the eel decline and the partnership formed with the eel angling bodies I have had some paperwork detailing the RnD on elver passes this is one of the main problems that have faced the elver recruitment and one which I believe is being addressed.

However I do feel that if the number of net licences have reduced to commercial eel nets men, then this could show how much impact the reduction in active netting could have on the eel population.

Remember elvers don't become eels overnight years pass by.

 

[ 25. June 2005, 11:33 AM: Message edited by: tony jolley ]

Tony B.T Jolley

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Thank you for being so gracious Dave.

 

Without wishing to hijack Peter's thread, I would just like to comment that, I realise the EA are not going to be able to prove who removed the fish (if ,indeed this is what happened) but , the whole point of the petition Lee has started, is to uncover the truth, many of us cannot accept what the EA are saying on this matter without proof, in a nutshell, just because the EA have said it is "probably otter and mink predation" does not make it so, all we are doing is questioning their action on this very serious issue.

I am a match angler .....not an anti-Christ!!!]

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Dear Peter

 

It is certainly good news to see respected anglers changing their views about the species and returning eels of this quality back to their domain alive.

 

She would certainly be well over forty years old......and may have as long again to live within our waterways if she doesn't return back to sea......and a fish of that age is probably past her 'going back urge'....but lets hope not eh!

 

Thanks for your consideration in putting her back alive.....as they say, it's one step at a time in the changing of minds and trends.

 

Apologies for the time factor in replying to you Peter.....my broken leg confined me to the settee for a few days, after me pushing too hard up and down the stairs with impatience at it mending.

 

Dear Anthony....

 

Keep pushing the info and carrying the cause.....the tide is turning as you can see.

 

I'll sign off proper now for the time being.

 

Yours With Respect.....

Steve

Chairman of the National Anguilla Club.

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A couple of weeks ago, I fished a pond near me called Abrook on Thursday night. I was using a bunch of about 12 dead maggots hair-rigged after some of the carp and had four casts between 10-12midnight and caught 4 eels. 3 of them were about 8-10oz but the last one I had at about 11.15am webnt 5lb 8oz and like the majority of big eels I've ever caught, was hooked perfectly in the top lip!

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Dear MikeyP....and others out there.

 

Here's a good tip for the continued conservation of eel stocks within our water systems.....

 

Do not...NOT....mention by name or location any lakes, ponds, meres, reservoirs ect ect on here or any other fishing website.

 

Why?

 

Simple really......If I were an eel netsman, forums like these would be my first port of call. Information is really far too easy to obtain via reading and asking a few cleverly worded questions.

 

The Internet is an awesome font of information. Fishing forums are an even better source of information for anyone wanting 'short cuts'.

 

If eel netsmen get onto your favourite water, they'll take whatever they get in their nets, eels and all.

 

We, in the National Anguilla Club, get strange enquiries each year from dubious persons.....some with accents and some without.....our motto is 'always remain vigilant'.

 

Like the man in the 'fast show', it's best to adopt the line...."You ain't sen me, roite"

 

Continued eel stock protection rule 1 announcement over......thanks for listening.

 

Yours With Respect....

Steve.

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