Midlands electrofishing sparks debate over status of ‘non-native’ zander
Debate is raging once again over the status of zander after contractors were criticised for removing and killing the predators in a canal marina.
The Canal & River Trust (CRT) electrofished Diglis Marina on the Birmingham and Worcester Canal in Worcester, leading zander fans to question whether it would have any impact on established populations, whether it was a good use of CRT funds and whether other species caught during the operation were returned alive.
The ‘non-native’ zander are being removed from canals in the Midlands
‘Futile’ culls
“It’s an exercise in futility,” said predator angler John Glover, who believes electrofishing actually boosts zander numbers because it tends to remove larger fish, leaving younger ones to thrive. He said waters which aren’t electrofished balance themselves out, leaving silverfish populations to remain naturally consistent.
Mr Glover, of Tusses Lure Division Angling Club, criticised the sporadic electrofishing of CRT waters as a money-making exercise for contractors. He said:
“It’s counter-productive and it’s not efficient. All it generates is more zander, and these small zander go on the rampage, which is what annoys the match anglers.”
Healthy canals
On stretches of canal run by Tusses Lure Division, where the CRT does not routinely remove zander, Mr Glover said the all-round fishing had never been better. Moreover, he added, a zander-fuelled boom in lure angling was bringing money to the local angling economy.
“The canals are the best I’ve ever known them for coarse fishing,” he said.
“I love roach fishing and I reckon it’s currently the best it’s ever been.
“We’re trying to encourage more matches on our stretches and I think match anglers would be pleasantly surprised. I’ve had 2lb roach out of the Oxford Canal and, in the same spot where we’ve caught half-a-dozen zander in a day, a friend and I have each had 100lb bags of bream in the summer!”
John Ellis, the CRT’s fisheries manager, defended the Worcester cull but said he was happy to have a debate about the way canal zander are treated. He said the fundamental issue was legislation, including the Wildlife and Countryside Act, which makes it illegal to stock or return zander to the water.
“If people want to change the law they should lobby the Environment Agency and Government,” he said.
“Shouting at the CRT is a bit like lobbying the police to change the law on speeding – Parliament changes the laws, not those who enforce them.”
Mr Ellis said fully enclosed stillwaters could legally hold zander and that the CRT would happily donate all its canal-netted zander to such venues for free, but very few waters meet the criteria or have applied for a licence. He said none of the 72 reservoirs under the CRT’s control was classed as fully enclosed.
Electrofishing is used by the CRT to remove zander from canals
Duty under the law
He added that the approach to non-native species had to be consistent, and that anglers couldn’t pick and choose preferred species to remain.
“We can be prosecuted if we allow zander to enter other waters,” he said.
“There’s case law involving the plant Japanese knotweed, where Network Rail was sued when it started growing in people’s gardens.”
Asked whether removing zander had any real impact on their numbers, he said work focused on stopping populations taking hold in previously uncolonised waters and had successfully eradicated zander on stretches of the Trent and Mersey and Sankey (St Helens) Canals. He said:
“Electrofishing catches fish as small as 10cm-15cm, so we’re reducing zander numbers and overall weight. Its overall effectiveness depends on how efficient and regular you are.
“I agree there’s not enough science on this subject, nor the money to undertake the research. The industry collectively needs to sit around a table and work out a future.”
“We can be prosecuted if we allow zander to enter other waters”
Other concerns
Mr Ellis said about 100lb of roach and bream were caught during the cull at Diglis Marina, which cannot be fished, and were taken to a nearby Droitwich Spa AC stretch. Asked why MEM Fisheries, which he founded, was given the electrofishing contract, Mr Ellis said he left the business in 1997 and that an eight-strong procurement panel sat for all CRT tender jobs.
He said most of the CRT’s 250 tenant angling clubs support zander control, but stated he was in favour of a ‘Midlands canal zander zone’ which the trust proposed to the EA in 2015. No decision has yet been reached.
“I wish it was easy to legally create zander fisheries, because I think that’s ultimately the solution,” said Mr Ellis.
“That could include a small Midlands canal zone if people could sign up to reasonable compromises – including zander anglers, the EA, CRT, Natural England and wildlife trusts.”
Speaking as a non-executive director of the Angling Trust, Mr Ellis added:
“I’m sure it’ll come up at future meetings.”
Is the all-round matchman gone forever?
Match angling has never been more specialised than it is now. From the days of having to be a jack of all trades, you can now focus on one type of angling and find plenty of events to take part in, whether that’s on a canal or commercial using a feeder rod or pole.
That’s not a bad thing, as it cuts down on the kit needed and allows you to focus on your chosen discipline and become very successful at it. The negative is that the all-round match angler, the sort that can win fishing for carp shallow one day and then use the feeder for bream on a tidal river the next, is dwindling.
We asked four top names in match angling: is the all-round match angler becoming a thing of the past?
Is the all-round match angler becoming a thing of the past?
“They aren’t needed” - Tommy Pickering
“There are two types of match angler – the silverfish river angler and the commercial angler. We’ve definitely seen the decline of the all-rounder and the rise of the specialist, people who have learned that they can’t compete on that venue or that venue, so I’ll stick to this venue. They fish a style at a fishery that they enjoy, understand and can do well on, and now there’s so much choice in terms of matches to fish that who can blame them?
“The actual true all-rounder who can do anything anywhere are few, and those who are about tend to be team anglers, who need all of the skills to tackle a range of waters. What we’re seeing now, certainly in my area in Yorkshire, is a development of specific ‘scenes’ based around types of fishery. The Mirfield AC club runs opens on the River Calder and Aire & Calder Canal and gets 70-odd on them, and then there’s Southfield Reservoirs, bream fishing on the feeder, where you can’t get a ticket for an open! That’s before we even get to the commercial fisheries. The all-rounder is still out there, but the reality is, you don’t need to turn your hand to everything any more.”
“The all-rounder is still out there, but the reality is, you don’t need to turn your hand to everything any more.”
”It’s all about the money” - Dave Roberts
“I’ve had success on commercials and rivers at a high level, but certainly I do feel that what I do is a bit different. On my local River Wye match circuit, the crossover of anglers who do both is minimal and I think a lot of this is to do with prize money. Even in river fishing, there are more and more events offering £4,000 here or £6,000 there, which is enough of a carrot dangling to mean you don’t have to bother fishing commercials or canals to try and win a good few quid.
“That’s why the number of all-round match anglers is quite low.
“That’s not to say that many of the people I fish against couldn’t compete on a range of venues. Too many people see the young lads who fish F1-dominated venues and say: ‘I’d like to see them catch on my river’. They’re brilliant anglers and they would empty the place, but they don’t need to because there’s enough to keep them happy doing what they’re most comfortable with.
“Why make the effort to slog a mountain of kit across muddy fields on the river when they can fish almost out of the back of the car on a commercial? I don’t mind the muddy walks, but I can understand why so many are turned off by rivers.”
“Why make the effort to slog a mountain of kit across muddy fields on the river when they can fish almost out of the back of the car on a commercial?”
“It’s too tricky” - Steve Hemingray
“If you are not a professional angler, then it’s hard to do everything. Only a select few can do this and, even for me, work and family come before fishing, so I can’t fish every event that I want to!
“You have to pick the type of matches that suit you, which in my case are based around natural waters. For other people that will be commercial carping.
“The problem with fishing the Thames one day and Larford Lakes the next is the changing over of kit, baits and practice time, especially if you’re fishing venues you’re not familiar with.
“It’d be great to have a crack at the lot, but you have to be realistic and fish to your strengths. There are still some great all-round anglers out there, but they will always struggle to compete against the people who have picked one type of fishing and stuck with it.”
“If you are not a professional angler, then it’s hard to do everything.”
“They’re back!” - Darren Cox
“The all-rounder was a dying breed, but they’ve had a renaissance in recent years owing to the increase in events to fish.
“Take a feeder angler on commercials – they can now fish things like FeederMasters knowing they have the skills to compete and it’s the same with floats. If you can catch roach on the waggler on a river, then you can catch carp on it on a commercial. The only difference is heavier tackle!
“Having an all-round skill set makes you a better angler and many of the people we see as the best started their match fishing doing very different things – William Raison, Andy Bennett and Steve Ringer are a few that spring to mind. They began on rivers and canals and still have those skills learned on natural waters. You never forget them.
“It’s still very difficult to flit between the types of fishing and be successful at it but, if you have experience under your belt, I think you can compete. Years ago, we used to have a National Superleague with rounds on rivers, natural lakes and big canals and that demanded that you had the skills to do the lot. That type of event has gone now, hence why people see so many successful anglers as ‘one trick ponies’, when the truth is that they’re actually not. Perhaps we need more of this type of event?”
“The all-rounder was a dying breed, but they’ve had a renaissance in recent years owing to the increase in events to fish.”
Huge trout banked...from a canal!
This large brown trout caught from a canal in Yorkshire is likely to go down as one of the most surprising catches of the season.
The impressive game fish was landed by Jamie Brearley, who was deadbaiting for pike on his local Wakefield Canal, and was just packing up his kit to head for home when his bite alarm sounded.
“I’ve been fishing the canal every week for nearly three months,” he told us,
“and this was the first bite I’ve had!”
“I’m absolutely chuffed to bits with the fish, though, which I reckon weighed around 8lb. All that time, effort and resilience certainly paid off!”
Jamie Brearley’s impressive canal trout fell to a deadbait
Prebaiting pays off for big Thames barbel
“After Storm Christoph hit, conditions looked perfect for a big barbel from my local River Thames.
“A warm wind was forecast for a couple of days and the water temperature was rising, so I prebaited a 9ft-deep crease with boilies for two days leading up to my planned evening session.
“I arrived just on dark and baited my rig with a 3 Foot Twitch Redemption Black wafter wrapped it in matching paste before lowering the bait roughly a rodlength out from where I’d baited.
“Half-an-hour later I had a whacking wrap-round on the tip and I struck into a barbel that powered straight into the main river and went solid.
“It just hung in the main flow, which was tanking through. After a bit of a tussle, I was able to guide her towards me where she gave me a superb scrap under the rod-tip.
“At 14lb 14oz it was a Thames chunk, and I was delighted to have caught a near-15 in January.”
James Hook’s 14lb 14oz Thames barbel
“Stop the snobbery over our record lists” - Des Taylor
Angling’s never been the most organised of sports, and even after 50 years of doing it there are still things about it that really confuse me.
Take our rod-caught record list. On it we have pumpkinseed, golden orfe, brown goldfish and bitterling. All these are from overseas and about as non-native as you can get, but new records for these species can still be accepted. Yet Wels catfish and grass carp, which have been here at least as long and in some cases far longer, are treated very differently. The records for both are frozen, and no further record claims will be accepted. Does that make sense?
I love fishing for catfish – they’re great sport
I know lots of serious anglers who spend thousands of hours trying to catch catfish and grass carp and have landed numerous fish over the frozen record – and yet neither the fish nor their captors get any recognition. I don’t know anyone who intentionally fishes for pumpkinseed and the other foreign imports. I suspect that any future record contenders will have been caught accidentally, yet these captures will be officially recognised.
There’s only a handful of anglers – me included! – who seriously fish for golden orfe, and yet these are also active on the record list. To add to the stupidity, that list includes zander, so why are the EA and many angling clubs still trying to eradicate the species from their waters? You couldn’t make it up.
I love fishing for cats. They’re a great sporting fish, and even though I know some have been stocked at huge weights I know of others of 100lb or more that have grown on from doubles.
Let’s draw a line under what’s happened in the past. These fish are here to stay, so let’s accept their presence and their right to a place on the record lists.
Exactly the same can be said of grass carp. Grassies are beautiful fish, and the big ones some of us are targeting in this country should get due recognition.
And while I’m at it, why zander are still being removed from some waters I have no idea. You only need to look at the Lower Severn at Upton to see that a healthy head of big zeds can live in harmony with the silverfish. Anyway, many specimen predator anglers in this country now rate a big zander as highly as a big pike, and rightly so.
This 18lb 11oz zander from the River Severn is as much a prize as a big pike
I think we should just revert to the original rules governing any record fish, which are that it has to be caught by fair means on rod and line. For me that’s it. Whether it’s been living in a wild water and never been fished for, or stocked the day before capture, it still has to be caught!
There’ll always be the knockers who try to devalue record fish. We need to be very careful we don’t allow the coarse fishing record list to become the same as that of the game world, where we have ‘wild’, ‘natural’ and even ‘cultivated’ records, and where many records, for whatever reason, have been frozen out until further notice.
Too many fish are being caught at the moment that are being lost to angling history, and that’s not good at all.
This 21lb 2oz trout was taken the day after it had been stocked, but I still had to catch it
Call for Natural Resources Wales to take Wye pollution seriously
A WELSH Government body has been accused of downplaying pollution being caused by poultry farms along the River Wye. Reports suggest that 60 per cent of the waterway fails environmental targets for phosphates, and there’s strong evidence to suggest that the high number of poultry farms along the valley are a root cause.
However, in its recently published planning advice to councils within the Wye catchment, Natural Resources Wales downplayed the impact of the farms, stating instead that ‘phosphate is naturally occurring’ and that ‘bank erosion’ and ‘sewerage’ are possible sources.
Nick Mesham, CEO of Salmon & Trout Conservation, has labelled the advice heavily flawed and called for tighter restrictions on poultry farms.
“NRW has a responsibility to protect the River Wye. That responsibility cannot just be set aside or watered down in order to allow the poultry industry to expand” he said.
Reports suggest that 60 per cent of the Wye fails environmental targets for phosphates
Broken rod avenged with 3lb-plus roach - Paul Scowen
“FOLLOWING a run of four blanks and breaking one of my old rods, persistence paid off when I banked this 3lb 3oz roach.
“Targeting a southern pit, I fished a maggot feeder on a helicopter set-up to tempt the specimen redfin.
“Lockdown restrictions mean that I, like everyone else, am limited to fishing days only, so I’ve been fishing short afternoon sessions when bites are most likely.
“After a drop-back bite I was delighted to land this fish after what seemed like such a long wait. I’d fished the same venue last spring and had seven roach over 3lb.”
Paul Scowen and his 3lb 3oz roach
How will climate change affect our fisheries?
AS WINTER bites it can be difficult to believe that global warming is a real phenomenon. Yet whether or not you believe it’s caused by human activity, the climate is changing and this will affect our fisheries for centuries to come.
The Earth’s climate has always been in a state of flux, with periods when the planet was hotter than it is now and other times when it was significantly cooler. The last Ice Age, for example, which covered most of the UK in an ice sheet hundreds of metres thick, ended just 12,000 years ago – a mere blink in geological terms. Whatever the reasons, we’re now seeing the planet warm up and, with the complex weather patterns we see in the UK, this is already having an effect on our climate. The weather affecting the UK is becoming more extreme and less consistent.
The only certainty is that long-term global warming, climate change and disruptive weather will have consequences both good and bad
Which species will thrive?
Warmer summers and mild winters are good news for many UK species of coarse fish, many of which are close to the northern limit of their range. Species such as carp, tench and bream aren’t native to Scotland and the Borders, but are increasingly stocked in fisheries here and do well. Successful recruitment of small fish into the next generation is likely to be limited, though, particularly because of lower-than-required sustained temperatures in summer.
Higher summer temperatures and longer summers could well see recruitment improving for these species, particularly further north.
Bream may actually benefit from a longer spawning season
It’s not all good news, though, especially for some of our rare native species that require much cooler conditions. The once abundant burbot disappeared from our rivers after the last Ice Age, because it requires low temperatures to survive. Powan, a rare whitefish found in just a few glacial lakes in the UK, are also under increasing threat from rising temperatures and pollution. Grayling are perhaps another species that could see their range diminished as some rivers become too warm for them to tolerate.
Grayling are at risk from rising temperatures
Records may be broken
Will rising temperatures see our coarse fish records broken as fish will be able to grow faster? Once again, what benefits one species may limit another. Longer summers and mild winters can, other factors being equal, mean that fish can grow faster and for longer. Food must be plentiful, though, and oxygen levels must remain high for fish to feed.
Over the last few decades we’ve seen tench, carp and barbel records shoot up to weights previously thought unobtainable in the UK. Interestingly, the sizes reached by these species are now approaching those seen some years ago in mainland Europe.
The average size of specimens of all three species has also increased massively and across the whole country, which suggests that this is not just a localised phenomenon. While the carp record could be expected to increase as more fish of better strains have been stocked, the other two species are perhaps more intriguing. While many different reasons for this size increase have been postulated, only changes to the climate can explain why this has happened in so many, such diverse, venues.
Other species have seen no increase in their maximum size and specimens have, if anything, become more rare.
Pike and roach are good examples of species that appear to have been ‘left behind’. Both species are not close to their northern extremity in the UK, and so the climate here is probably already close to the optimum.
The records for these species are also similar to ours in many other European countries, suggesting that they derive no benefit from climate change.
UK perch are approaching the size of those found in Europe
The results of flooding
An increase in the frequency of extreme weather is predicted to be another consequence of climate change for the British Isles, and this could have a big impact on our fisheries. Heavy rainfall, leading to flash floods, has affected many parts of the country in recent years and can have a major effect on river fisheries and adjacent stillwaters.
Floods can wash away the young-of-the-year fish, in particular, and this can lead to the loss of potentially good year classes. With the populations of many river species, such as chub, often being dominated by just a couple of year classes, it is obvious that a badly-timed flood can have a serious impact on the fishery for perhaps several decades.
Increasing volumes of water also mean that there is rightly an increased emphasis on flood management to prevent flooding in the first place. While this is essential, engineering work and removing cover from rivers to increase their water capacity can destroy important habitats for fish and other animals and plants. Even if floods themselves do not damage our river fisheries, the management of flood risk may have a knock-on effect.
Whether you believe in human-made climate change or not, there are always winners and losers when the weather changes.
Predicting what these changes will be is, at best, an inexact science thanks to the complex interwoven connection between fish and their environment.
Heavy rainfall, leading to flash floods, has affected many parts of the country in recent years
Huge canal perch in the snow - Nick Wright
“IT WAS a very cold day down my local canal. However, after seeing someone feeding bread to the ducks, I suspected that there might be a few bait fish in the area, and some larger predators.
“I had a few casts with my lure before feeling a heavy thud on the rod. The fish fought deep, and I expected it to be a pike. But then I saw this huge perch, and when it hit the net, I couldn’t believe it.
“I’ve had big perch before, but this was something else! Sadly, I was on my own and had to ask a dog walker for a pic, so it’s not the best shot – but it’s a fish I don’t think I’ll ever top!”
Nick Wright’s 5lb 1oz perch fell to a Texas-rigged Z-Man Goat lure
Switch to maggots on dropping river brings big chub
Chub fishing hasn’t been easy in flooded rivers across the UK, but southern specimen angler Phil Buckingham made the most of his local River Lea as it fined down with this 7lb 8oz fish.
Fishing the Kings Weir stretch, Phil returned to a swim where he’d had a few indications earlier.
“I’ve been fishing Kings Weir twice a week this winter, with it being my local water, and on a previous session I’d fished meat in a big slack but only had a few pulls.
“With the colour dropping out the river I switched to a maggot feeder, and when my centrepin screeched I thought I’d hooked a barbel!
“The lack of fight indicated otherwise, and I was delighted to slip the net under the fish – my 11th chub over 7lb.”
Phil Buckingham and his 7lb 8oz Lea chub
PB Avon barbel leaves it late
Taking advantage of a brief rise in temperature on a local stretch of the Hampshire Avon gave Darren Smith this 16lb 10oz barbel.
Arriving to find a swim he had in mind vacant, he fed a few broken boilies and pellets with a bait dropper and left the swim to stew for half-an-hour.
“First cast I had a 6lb 12oz chub, followed by two smaller ones,” he told us.
“I figured they had probably cleared up most of the freebies, so just on dark I attached a PVA bag filled with feed to top up the swim.
“I was just thinking of packing up when the rod hammered round, resulting in this 16lb 10oz PB barbel.”
Darren Smith – 16lb 10oz barbel
Homemade lure tricks big Trent zander
After a busy week at work, predator angler Andrei Adomnicai was rewarded with this immaculate
15lb 2oz zander from the River Trent.
Fishing in freezing conditions with a high river, the odds were against him, but perseverance paid off.
He told us:
“After an early 6lb pike I fished on through the cold. Suddenly, the lure was hit by what felt like a lorry and my heart started racing. The fish stayed deep, and after a good battle my friend netted a 15lb 2oz zander – caught on a 10cm homemade lure.”
Andrei Adomnicai – 15lb 2oz zander
Fishing prescribed on the NHS!
Angling is set to be prescribed by doctors on the NHS to help combat mental health problems.
Fishing will be prescribed to combat mental health problems
This significant endorsement of the sport’s life-changing qualities will begin with a trial scheme in the South West.
Under the pilot, which will begin referring patients this summer, GPs at seven surgeries in the Somer Valley, Somerset, will prescribe fishing to those with conditions such as depression and anxiety. Angling is one outdoor activity seen as part of the ‘green prescribing’ solution, which links countryside pursuits with restorative effects.
At least one large local angling club has agreed to provide access to fishing kit and venues for the scheme, Angling Times understands, although more are expected to follow suit as it gathers momentum.
People will be able to be prescribed angling by their GP as one of a number of activities to improve mental health
Angling’s advantage
Dom Garnett, who has been part of the planning process with the Angling Trust, told us:
“People will be able to be prescribed angling by their GP as one of a number of activities to improve mental health.
“Our sport has an advantage over some of the other activities labelled as ‘green space’ or ‘blue space’ therapy because it can be sociable or, for those with anxiety when around groups, it can be a solitary pursuit.
“If we get some good case studies from this pilot then we can get the message out there that angling is really good for you. I see no reason why this can’t go nationwide, which would be brilliant for angling.”
“I see no reason why this can’t go nationwide, which would be brilliant for angling”
The scheme’s backers
The trial in Somerset is backed by a partnership between Natural England, Wessex Water, the University of Bath, Bath and North East Somerset Council and the local NHS. It has been funded by Wessex Water, Defra and Natural England and is expected to run for three years, but may be extended to five if funding can be secured.
Wessex Water has backed the scheme because it’s keen to reduce the use of anti-depressants in the Somer Valley. These find their way into the sewage system and are costly to remove. The utility company has said that it will monitor water quality during the scheme and the University of Bath will track the project’s effectiveness by surveying GPs. Water companies elsewhere are also likely to monitor the impact of the trial with a view to duplicating it.
The trial is expected to run for three years
Fishing as a force for good
Organisations such as iCARP have demonstrated angling’s ability to help servicemen and women suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues, but this NHS-backed scheme adds further endorsement and boosts the sport’s flourishing public image. When lobbying for a safe return to the banks after last year’s initial lockdown, the Angling Trust’s When We Fish Again proposal quoted Dr Paul Stolk as saying:
“It is evident that participation in angling can have a positive effect on personal health and wellbeing, most notably as a means by which an individual can escape or recover from stress, trouble or illness.”
Dom Garnett added:
“We know the therapeutic value of angling and more case studies will only help us grow and reach more people. This will help take it from the anecdotal to the real world, proving it works. It’s great for mental health generally, with fewer people needing expensive therapy and popping pills.”
“We know the therapeutic value of angling”
A step in the right direction
Commenting on the scope of the pilot scheme, Dom said:
“It’s not a silver bullet – it won’t be for people with really serious mental health issues and it’s not going to be perhaps the only answer or definitive answer, but it could help a lot of people.
“There will be a lot of people who haven’t processed what they’re going through and will still carry the scars and anxiety of lockdown once we emerge from it, and I believe fishing could be of huge benefit.
“Angling is more visible than ever. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if it was seen as part of the solution as we return to normality?”
Jane Wright, a senior adviser at Natural England said:
“I’m pleased to be overseeing this fantastic project, working with partners to embed the use of green prescribing to improve mental health and wellbeing.
“This year has shown how essential nature is to our wellbeing. Angling offers a great opportunity for people to connect with nature and enjoy a sport that’s healthy and fun. The health and wellbeing benefits of fishing are well-known and we hope to see a positive impact on the community and those who need additional support.”
Angling offers a great opportunity for people to connect with nature and enjoy a sport that’s healthy and fun
Birdwatchers and otter lovers spring to defence of Kent’s anglers in gravel pits drama
BIRDWATCHERS and otter lovers have sprung to angling’s defence in a bid to save fishing at four historic gravel pits.
Bradbourne Lakes has been fished since 1948, but Kent Wildlife Trust (KWT) has told Bromley & District Angling Society (BDAS) to move on from next month, as it plans to redevelop the site.
Bradbourne Lakes has been fished since 1948
The lakes, on the Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, hold 40lb-plus carp, specimen tench, bream and pike, but BDAS has been told that angling will end on March 15, even though it has an agreement until 2024.
This has prompted the Angling Trust’s Fish Legal team to intervene. It says the planned termination of BDAS’s licence is “not effective” and that the club “would welcome a constructive discussion” on the site’s future.
BDAS secretary Dennis Puttock said:
“Our members are appalled by the treatment they have received from KWT. Its misguided anti-angling agenda is a slap in the face to our volunteers and to all the local families who value this peaceful oasis.”
Support for the club’s plight gathered momentum last week, with backing even coming from several communities deemed to be at loggerheads with angling.
Dave Webb, of the UK Wild Otter Trust, said his organisation was
“dismayed to hear fishing at this historic club lake was to be ended”,
adding:
“We totally rebut the idea that angling, otters, beavers and other wildlife are unable to co-exist.”
James Wallace, of the Beaver Trust, said:
“Angling, beavers and nature restoration are compatible. We hope that the Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve will find a compromise where different activities, including angling, can be accommodated.”
Chris Couch, from Sevenoaks Birdwatchers Action Group, added:
“Do the new heads of KWT not know that fishermen, birdwatchers and wildlife go hand-in-hand?”
KWT spokesperson Fiona White told Angling Times:
“Ahead of the public consultation, we felt it was right to communicate our intentions to BDAS first as a key stakeholder. We had hoped BDAS would contact us directly after our initial conversation, in which we offered further support and discussion if desired, but we are yet to hear from them.”
The Duke of Edinburgh was a former visitor to the site now proposed to be off limits to anglers
Carp Team England boss on a 'species hunt'
Carp Team England manager Rob Hughes has paused his quest for huge carp and set his sights on smaller coarse fish.
“Pre-Christmas and pre-lockdown I decided to spend time over the holidays with my 14-year-old son, trying to catch different species on short sessions,” he says.
A big dace, just one of the different species Rob has caught
“We set a few targets, and even fishing just short sessions in the afternoon have been great fun. Trotting maggots on the stick float, maggots and worms on the waggler, drop shotting and jigging, wobbled lures, fly fishing for pike, plus boilies and bread feeders were just some of the tactics we used.
“Once the box was ticked there was no repeating it. It was on to the next challenge.”
Lures did the trick for the perch
Rob enjoyed a phenomenal roach session recently, taking 48 redfins in an afternoon, the majority of which weighed over 1lb.
Just part of Rob’s phenomenal roach haul
“But the highlight of the winter for me has to be a gudgeon a smidgeon shy of 7ins!” says Rob.
This huge gudgeon has been Rob’s highlight so far
Optimism for big summer of match fishing
Match organisers remain hopeful that the sport’s big events, including Fish ‘O’ Mania, Maver Match This and the Division 1 & 2 Nationals, will go ahead later this year.
Although nothing can be set in stone given the current lockdown situation and uncertainty surrounding the lifting of restrictions, Andre Grandjean, Chairman of the Angling Trust’s Coarse Competitions Committee, is optimistic for a summer of big events.
“Our plans are full steam ahead,” he said.
“By June and July, when most of our events are due, we’re expecting that things will be okay to go ahead.
“One concern people have had is how and where we’ll fit the qualifiers for these events in, but most of these don’t start again until after April, and we anticipate that by then these will go ahead as planned, in a Covid-safe way of course.”
Maver’s Andy Kinder is the man behind the mega-money Match This event that unfortunately was cancelled last year. This time though, he’s hoping that event can take place.
“We managed to do around seven qualifiers last year, which frees up a bit of space in the calendar this time round,” he said. “While there’s still a way to go, I hope that the event will go ahead as planned.”
“By June and July, when most of our events are due, we’re expecting that things will be okay to go ahead.”
Rig change makes all the difference for specimen chub - Tom Stafford
“Conditions on my local river in Essex looked perfect for chub, so I headed down there at 8am with my quivertip rod, a net, a rod rest and a bucket of bait.
“With just a couple of hours’ fishing at my disposal, I could only afford 10 minutes in each swim and hoped for a quick bite on my link-legered cheesepaste and lobworm offerings, but before I knew it my time was running out and I was in my final swim without having had so much as a knock.
“It was an ‘S’ bend with an inviting slack on the far bank, and I nicked on a whole lobworm before flicking my rig out to the mark.
“After five minutes I reeled in to check the worm, only to find it chewed and covering the hook point, yet I hadn’t received any indication on my rod-tip.
“So off came the rig and I tied on a new, short hooklink incorporating a Drennan Quickstop before hair-rigging half a lobworm to the back of my size 12 hook. It’s a technique I often use when for perch, as I find it makes for better hooking efficiency.
Hair-rigging his worm bait to the back of the hook was only a small tweak, but it paid off for Tom Stafford
“A couple of minutes after casting back out, there was a little judder on the tip before it smashed completely round and I connected with a strong fish that immediately tried to get into the marginal snags.
“I was adamant it wasn’t going to reach them, though, and by piling on as much pressure as I dared I steered this huge chub up to the surface and shouted ‘get in!’ as it slid over the net cord.
“It was a massive fish for my tiny local river and, at 6lb 5oz, it proved to be a new personal best into the bargain.
“I had made only a small rig change, but it made a huge difference at the eleventh hour of the session!”
Tom Stafford – 6lb 5oz chub
Big carper finds perfect lockdown target
Big carper and The Challenge star Harry Charrington has put the carp rods away for now and set his sights on greedy river chub.
“If I’m still to get my fishing hit in lockdown that’s the only way to go,” he says.
Fortunately, Harry lives just a stone’s throw away from a fantastic stretch of river in East Anglia, one with a good head of chub.
“I’m very lucky in that I can easily access miles of quality river with dozens of great spots, all with the aid of my bike, so it couldn’t be more local. Since Christmas I must have had over 30 chub, with the average size between 3lb and 4lb 8oz.
“However, I struck gold the other day when I managed a 5lb 3oz and a 6lb 1oz in consecutive casts, with the six being a new PB!”
Harry is clearly delighted with his 6lb 1oz chub
Cod stocks at critical level
CATCH and release regulations could be introduced to help protect stocks of cod around our shores, a new report has revealed.
The UK fisheries audit released last week by conservation organisation Oceana claimed half a dozen species are in a critical state due to overfishing, with herring, crab, and whiting also amongst the stocks deemed to be at a critical level due to overfishing.
An Oceana spokesperson told us:
“The UK is currently negotiating catch limits with the EU and Norway. Usually, a specific recreational catch quota is allowed, as happened with seabass and European eels, but as this is the first time such negotiations are happening since Brexit, we’re not sure of the outcome. If the UK allocates a zero-catch limit on cod, it could apply to recreational anglers too, which could result in catch-and-release fishing only.”
Catch and release regulations could be introduced to help protect stocks of cod around our shores
Huge river pike is a "fitting reward" - Leigh Laffar
“I headed to a spot on my local river at sunrise and baited close to the near-bank snags with chopped sprats before casting out my floatfished roach deadbait over the top.
“By 4pm I’d not had a take, so I nicked on a fresh bait and cast it next to one of the snags. The float buried within seconds.
“Straight away this heavy weight charged downriver on a savage run. After 10 minutes of steady pressure I started to gain line and drew the pike to the surface, where I could see it was only lightly hooked on the bottom treble.
“Thankfully it went into the net on the first scoop, and at 29lb 4oz it was one of the proper ones, a rich and fitting reward for all those blanks I’ve endured this winter.”
Leigh Laffar – 29lb 4oz pike