What changes

[NICK R]

Would you say some of the blame could be blamed at tackle shops , selling at no thought to the consequences ,could they be more efficient
Would it help if there were more National training schemes for angling?

[croc hunter]

no i wouldnt nick at the end of the day they are only making a living

i think if they ran courses only a select few would attend because most of the time people only take up the sport in the summer months and dont really care about the lasting effects they are having on the fish

[Mr-G]

I think part of the blame can be passed to tackle shops, but only certain ones. My locally run shop is a family run business and is run by keen anglers, they are very happy to sit there all day long and give you advice. These types of shops i think are great.

If they are more geared at just taking your money though then thats a different story larger tackle "superstores" are usually only concerned with how fat your wallet is or what type of plastic you have.

[jools]

fish care in general and i am sorry to report that some of the worst cases of mishandling fish are the matchmen ive watched a few from barnsley who fish some of the opens near us and they sling the fish in and out slam them into the keep net as fast as possible then when it comes to weighing in and returning the fish there is little or no respect for them....pond owners supply their own landing nets and for matches keep nets this would be more biosecure and less cross contamination

[NICK R]

Its not just the match man/woman tho jools ,Have many times have you seen pictures on forums and in mags where the fish care has been the last thing on the anglers mind ,

Anglers stood up / no mats while taking the so called trophy shot ,Line far to heavy for the job in hand ,the list is endless .A lot of this stems from anglers not being educated in fish welfare

[BoldBear]

I would like to see:

• A fishing licence that expired 12 months after you bought it.
• More mixed fisheries that are not just stuffed with Carp and more Carp but have a more natural balance of fish species.
• I would like the large shoals of quality Rudd that once disturbed the surface of lakes across the country to return once more.
• I would like to see the return of the warm summer nights where you could fish in a thin t-shirt and listen to the Barbel grunting as they picked off snails eggs and insects from the undersdes of the streamer weed.
• I would like to see a simple Angling proficiency test introduced which included fish & fishery welfare, before an angler could buy a fishing licence, similar to what they have in Germany and elsewhere.

[NICK R]

I would like to see a simple Angling proficiency test introduced which included fish & fishery welfare, before an angler could buy a fishing licence, similar to what they have in Germany and elsewhere.


my thoughts as well

I would also like to return to the days where it never seemed to go dark

very lucky with the rudd as the lake i fish has some stonking golden ones ,
put a chunk of bread on a stone in the water and pick the fish off as the flakes fall off .
a small bubble float with a piece of bread fished on the drop ,, heaven

[BoldBear]

I envy you Nick. I used to fish in the same way when chasing the large shoals of quality Rudd on our clubs estate lake but they seem to have almost dissapeared these days.

[NICK R]

Is it angling pressure that does it do you think


Any way



GOOD FISH HANDLING Guide, Top Tips on caring for your catch:

1 A disgorger is an essential angling aid to help you unhook the fish quickly and safely, always take one with you when fishing. Hang the disgorger on a long length of shearing elestic around your neck - it will then always be available and close to hand.

2 Handle a fish with wet hands only, do not use dry towels or cloths as they will strip the fish of its protective layer of mucus.

3 Never stand up holding fish and if you must carry them always use either a landing net or a weigh sling.

4 Think about where you unhook fish – unhooking/carp mats are a good investment and help to cushion the fish (ensure they are wet when in use). Otherwise, lay the fish on soft, wet grass after checking there are no stones underneath. NEVER unhook fish on hard ground, wooden stages or on anything that has a wire netting anti-slip surface.

5 When fish are out of water they often flap around, try covering the fish’s eye with your landing net – fish become much calmer in darkness.

6 Rods and line – including poles and pole elastics - that are too heavy for the size of fish being caught can cause unnecessary damage: match your tackle to the size of the fish you are likely to catch.

7 Use landing nets and keepnets that have the Angling Foundation’s water-lily approval mark - they have been tested to ensure that they are fish safe. Make sure your landing net is large enough for the fish you may hook.

8 In summer the water temperature is warmer in shallower water - do ensure that if you are allowed to use a keepnet, as much as possible of the net is submerged.

9 Always ensure discarded line is cut into lengths no longer than 10cm and that you dispose of it properly. As with all litter, take it home if there are no bins provided.

10. Where possible, never retain over 50lb of fish in one keepnet at a time, as you can crush the fish in the bottom of the net when lifting it out of the water. Bring two or more nets if large catches are expected.

11. Do not use fixed rigs – make sure that if the line breaks it will not result in the fish dragging around a leger weight or a swimfeeder.

12. Return fish gently to the water and never, ever ‘throw them back’. If a fish rolls onto its side, hold it gently, upright in the water, until it regains the strength to swim away.

13. If you intend to take a fish to eat, and you are allowed to do so, dispatch it quickly and speedily.

14. Caught a heavy fish? Don't lift it out of the water in your net by the net-handle. By doing it that way you're likely to bend the handle but feed the handle back until you can grasp the net head and "Y" connecting block. Doing it this way will save you breaking your net and possibly damaging the fish.

Remember that you are the eyes and ears of waterside wildlife. If you see fish or other animals in distress, please report it immediately to the fishery owner, manager or bailiff.


taken from the PAA

[BoldBear]

I don't think it is angling pressure that has seen the demise of the Rudd shoals in our estate lake as we have a very small membership with an extremely long waiting list.

I suspect it may be more to do with the sudden appearance of 'Turkish' Crayfish in our water a few years back, because the Rudd who had been present for a hundred years or so beforehand started to decline just after the crayfish arrived; perhaps the crays fed on the Rudd & Roach spawn as the quality Roach have also reduced in number as well.

We have a couple of Catfish in the lake that have grown fat on the Crays with the biggest cat just over 40lb and the crays have almost dissapeared so perhaps if we are lucky the quality Rudd & Roach may start to recover to their former glory once more (if the cats don't eat them of course ).