Anglers unite to feed lake’s hungry carp
A GROUP of passionate anglers whose favourite fishing lake closed due to the pandemic have descended upon the venue with buckets of bait in an attempt to keep the fish fed during the prolonged period of inactivity.
Shearwater Lake, on Wiltshire’s Longleat Estate, shut its doors to anglers at the start of the March lockdown and it was feared the venue’s prized carp would starve when fishery staff were placed on the Government’s furlough scheme.
Jumping at the chance to intervene was fish farmer Mark Simmonds, whose actions have since inspired others to join in.
He said:
“I’ve supplied the estate’s fish stocks for years so I felt an obligation to help them out. So far I’ve dropped off three tons of Skrettings feed pellets at the fishery, which the estate has since supplemented with its own supply.”
The news of the ‘big feed’ quickly gained traction on social media, causing anglers and dog-walkers to descend on the fishery with buckets and bags full of boilies, pellets and bread to help out.
“As fishing still isn’t allowed, I’m sure all this extra food will be appreciated by the fish!” Mark added.
“Buy it before it’s gone” warn retailers as angling’s surging popularity causes stock logjam
From the big chain retailers to small independent tackle shops, the message to anglers is clear this Christmas – if you see it in stock, buy it now!
Angling’s booming popularity this year has led to a clamour for tackle, causing delays in the supply chain and the need for some adjustment of expectations from buyers and sellers alike.
There has been a surge in demand for fishing tackle
There have been more than 300,000 new anglers on the banks since the spring lockdown was lifted, and an astonishing 36,000 rod licences were sold in the traditionally quieter month of October alone. This has led to increased pressure on tackle manufacturers and retailers who are also battling the continued worldwide fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“My advice to people is if they see an item they want on the shelves then buy it now because you just don’t know when it will be back in stock,” said Dave Eve of independent shop Castaway Tackle in Oxfordshire.
His sentiments have been echoed by James Bigmore, director of large online retailer Total Fishing Tackle, who told us:
“If it’s in stock with your local retailer or with us, just buy it. If it’s a good-selling item and you know it’s had good reviews then pick it up, because there’s no guarantee when stuff will come back into stock at the moment.”
Lack of stock explained
When fishing was banned in March, few could have predicted the sport would rebound so positively from May.
The rush to buy tackle took retailers and manufacturers, who had been preparing for a bumpy year, largely by surprise. When the surge in demand came, the Chinese factories where the majority of tackle is produced were already playing catch-up after enforced closures earlier in the year. The ripple effect also meant shipping-container space became limited, and prices naturally rose.
“You’ve got to remember that this surge in angling popularity isn’t just in Britain,” said James.
“This boom has been worldwide. Everyone is fighting for shipping space, and companies are struggling to get stock.”
Flying hooks and long delays
One trade source told Angling Times that a large British tackle company had begun flying its hooks into the country to circumvent shipping bottlenecks during the initial lockdown, but air freight prices soon quadrupled as carriers saw the potential to cash in.
Dave Eve added:
“One tackle company has got a container of bedchairs and chairs coming in around now, but it’s all sold on back order and the next one isn’t coming until July.
“We’re seeing most orders coming back with 30 or 40 per cent of it out of stock, though that’s the fast-moving items like terminal tackle. Where before we might be ordering one trade pack of items, we’re now ordering two or three trade packs if we know it’s popular stuff that won’t perish. Talking to the sales reps, everyone is doing the same, so it’s creating even more demand.”
Changing buying habits
“What we’ve seen this year is that customers aren’t as brand loyal as they might once have been,” said James Bigmore.
“Because there’s not as much choice as before, where once they might have only been looking for a Trakker bivvy they may now be looking at the Fox alternative.”
He added:
“There aren’t quite as many deals around at the moment and prices will stay very stable. We’re quite a big clearance buyer because we’ve got the space and capacity to buy end-of-line stock, but there hasn’t been as much available this year.
“However, we’ve still bought clearance from firms like Nash, Daiwa and Shimano, and we will still have Black Friday and Christmas sales. It’s been a tough year for some people and I think customers expect those deals to still take place.”
Looking good for 2021
Despite the current logjams in the supply chain, the picture is improving. James continued:
“We’ve got stock arriving every day and it’s definitely been getting quicker in the last six to eight weeks.
“We’ve placed orders based on what we’ve seen this year and hopefully, by next spring and summer, supplies will be back to normal and it should be one of the best years in a long while for the fishing trade.”
Where do our fish go in the cold?
YOU’LL often hear about swims on barbel rivers that will produce fish during the day, yet the chances of catching them from the same swim after dark are virtually nil. But why do fish often move in such a predictable way?
Moving is inherently risky and uses energy, so there must be a strong survival advantage to undertaking such journeys. From daily feeding movement, to annual spawning migrations, fish populations are constantly on the move, and those movements are often critical to their survival.
Finding fish can be tough in the winter
Day and night areas
Many fish species will move on a daily basis, often heading upstream at dusk and back down before dawn. These ‘diurnal’ migrations normally correspond to feeding, with the fish moving upstream to find areas where invertebrate food is most abundant. Often this will be directly below shallow riffles, where the stony riverbed harbours vast quantities of caddis larvae and other invertebrates.
During the day the fish will take advantage of areas offering protection from predators, perhaps beneath overhead cover, or in side streams where bigger fish cannot pass.
How far the fish will move from day to day really depends on the distance between their safe resting areas used during the day and feeding areas used at night. On a big river like the Trent, bream may move several hundred metres each night. On a small stream, fish may only need to move a few metres to find the right conditions.
Incredibly, each fish in a shoal can find its way back to the exact spot that it prefers, often to within a few centimetres. Experiments have shown that fish have a very detailed ‘neural map’ of their environment that enables them to navigate precisely over large areas. This explains why hooked fish know where every snag is!
Fish will often move upstream at dusk and into the night
Reward versus risk
In every population of fish, around a third will rarely stray away from their home range. As long as there is enough food to be found then this is a good strategy, as it minimises risk.
Another third will move over a wider area covering two or three times the home range. These fish may have access to richer food larders, and will likely have less competition for food, but this is countered by the increased risk. The final third are true wanderers that can travel many miles on big rivers and rarely, if ever, return.
These fish face by far the greatest risks, but the rewards may be greater too.
Fish that move further will be at lesser risk from local events, such as flooding or pollution incidents, that could otherwise wipe them out. While the local population could be catastrophically affected, the survival of the true wanderers will in turn ensure that future generations are protected.
In many rivers, well-known productive swims will often hold plenty of fish, but these might not be the same fish all the time. An overhanging tree may be a great spot for chub, some of which are likely to be living there every day. Some others, though, may be just passing through. So a swim can be productive, but not necessarily because the same shoal of fish lives there permanently.
An overhanging tree may be a great spot for chub, some of which are likely to be living there every day
Falling temperatures
As a general rule, in cold weather fish tend to become more lethargic and reluctant to move. As cold-blooded creatures, their metabolism slows, so they’re less inclined to feed as they need less energy to move.
At such times, they’ll often tuck themselves away in areas of slower water such as in slacks, behind cover that deflects the river’s flow, or on the edges of creases.
Many species will often also become more nocturnal during cold weather snaps in a bid to avoid warm-blooded predators such as herons, kingfishers and otters. However, after being harder to catch for the first few days, once they’ve adapted to the change in temperatures, their feeding and movements start to return to normal.
In the cold fish look to hide in cover or become nocturnal to avoid predators
Boundaries to fish
Natural boundaries, such as shallow riffles, may reduce fish movement in times of low river flow, but in a natural lowland river there are rarely any natural boundaries that will halt fish movement. Yet, humans have installed weirs, sluices and dams on rivers, which stop all fish passage. These barriers can often prevent spawning migrations, and radio-tracking studies have shown that even small weirs can block almost all upstream movements of powerful fish, such as barbel. Only during floods are such structures passable. Many fish will remain below the barrier before giving up, so the natural spread of the fish is disrupted.
By migrating upstream to spawn, fish give their young several advantages. Larval fish are poor swimmers and will often be washed downstream after hatching, particularly during floods. By spawning upriver the youngsters have the best chance of spreading out naturally and finding suitable habitat.
Once the adult fish have migrated back downstream the young will face less competition if they stay upstream, often in small shallow streams. Predation may also be less severe here as well.
So, while movements may consume precious energy and have inherent risks, they are an essential part of the behaviour of river fish, whether these are short hops to feed, or epic migrations. disrupted.
Weirs can be a real barrier to fish movement
Action group formed to return sturgeon to UK rivers within next decade
A THOUSAND years ago sturgeon were frequent visitors to our rivers, before overfishing and habitat destruction all but wiped them out. However, now an action group has been formed with the goal of restoring the species to UK waters.
The UK Sturgeon Alliance is a partnership between a number of environmental organisations including the Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE), Institute of Fisheries Management (IFM) and Severn Rivers Trust.
Within the next decade, the Alliance will be working to ensure UK rivers and estuaries are in a fit state to accommodate the critically-endangered species and enable it to migrate up our rivers once again.
Could the mighty sturgeon be back in UK rivers?
THE DECLINE OF STURGEON
According to Rory Moore, BLUE’S head of international Projects, the sturgeon’s decline in UK waters can be traced right back to the Saxon invasion.
He said:
“There’s archaeological evidence that suggests sturgeon strongholds were first plundered by Saxon fish traps over 1,000 years ago, when the species was prized for its meat and caviar – as it still is today. This overfishing was an early sign of what lay ahead for sturgeon and other fish that travel from saltwater to freshwater to spawn, such as shad and salmon.”
Rory also revealed how the sturgeon’s slow growth rate may have also attributed to the species’ decline.
“They are large, slow-growing fish that require 10- 20 years to reach sexual maturity,” he added.
“They reproduce only periodically, laying thousands of delicate eggs on upriver gravel beds where the water is cool and oxygen content high.
“Given these traits, it’s remarkable that these fish are still battling for survival in a world of intensive agriculture, overfishing, water insecurity and changing climate, but we have a chance to make a difference.”
A WIDER CONSERVATION
To help gain a better understanding of how they can safeguard the species, the Alliance is working alongside conservationists in France, Spain and Germany who have undertaken similar restoration programmes. Rory said:
“The last known spawning ecosystem for European sturgeon is the Garonne river and Gironde Estuary in southwest France, and it’s here that conservationists have started restoring the breeding and feeding sites for sturgeon, releasing tagged, genetically diverse fingerlings and improving water quality.”
Over the last couple of years trawlermen in southern England have been catching young tagged French sturgeon in their nets, which has prompted the Alliance to take action.
“Although it is unlikely that sturgeon have spawned in UK rivers for many years, it’s becoming clear that sturgeon originating in European rivers are again migrating to the UK to look for suitable feeding estuaries and spawning rivers,” Rory added.
IMPROVING ACCESS
While the Alliance’s work is still in the early stages, it’s already finding ways to improve access on rivers for migrating sturgeon. As the fish attempt to navigate their way through estuaries that eventually lead to rivers such as the Trent, Thames and Severn, man-made barriers like weirs and locks will prevent them from reaching the gravel beds which they need to spawn.
Unlocking the Severn, a project set up by the Severn Rivers Trust, has already helped the rare Twaite Shad navigate the river by building fish passes that bypass these obstructions, and Mike Morris of the Trust believes sturgeon could benefit from the project too. He told us:
“The project is opening access for all migratory species to their historic spawning grounds. The design of the passes should allow for sturgeon to migrate upriver alongside a host of other species. It’s a wonderful legacy of a project that is focussed on protecting the UK’s population of one species, the Twaite Shad, but will also provide benefits to other iconic species.”
(Credit - Unlocking The Severn) Fish passes like this will help sturgeon migrate up rivers
HOW YOU CAN HELP
As the Sturgeon Alliance’s efforts build momentum, anglers are being asked to report any catches of the species to the Institute of Fisheries Management. The IFM’s Steve Colclough said:
“Anglers and trawlermen have an important role to play. If you catch a sturgeon of any kind, it’s important to take quality pictures of the flank of the fish and note whether it’s tagged or not, before releasing it. Informing the IFM where sturgeon are being caught will help the Alliance identify likely spawning areas and non-native strains of sturgeon,” he said.
If you catch a sturgeon, email the details directly to Steve at srcifm@gmail.com
The Uk Sturgeon Alliance plan to bring the species back to UK river systems
A ROD-BENDING HISTORY
In the 18th and 19th Centuries, sturgeon were often from the rivers Severn, Wye, Usk, Thames, Medway, Towy, Teme, Tay, Forth, Tweed, Trent, Dee and Annan. A 320lb sturgeon is reported to have overturned two coracles and broke three nets during its capture on the River Towy in June 1896, but the largest officially recorded fish ever caught on rod and line from a UK river was a 414lb sturgeon, banked in 1903 from the River Severn.
This sturgeon was captured by salmon fisherman Evan E Davies from the River Severn in the early 20th century (Credit - Dave Griffiths)
THE UK STURGEON ALLIANCE’S GOALS:
Ensure that UK rivers and estuaries are in a fit state to accommodate critically endangered European sturgeon.
Restore suitable sturgeon spawning and feeding habitats.
Improve connectivity of estuary and river habitats to enable fish migration.
Prevent non-native sturgeon originating from the pet trade from escaping into the wild.
Increase public awareness of UK sturgeon, and explore ways under International Union for Conservation of Nature protocols to restore sturgeon numbers in the UK.
How much do our coarse fish eat?
FISH being cold-blooded, the amount of food they need to eat varies considerably throughout the year, with more energy required when the water is warm than when it’s cold.
On a typical summer’s day a carp will need to eat 0.1 per cent of its bodyweight. This means that a 10lb carp will need 2oz of food each day. That’s 50 boilies, 200 pellets, or a tenth of a tin of corn.
In winter, the amount the same carp needs to eat is massively reduced. Now, the same fish only needs 0.01 per cent of its weight each day. That’s five boilies, 20 pellets, or a pinch of corn. From these amounts you can see why you generally need much less bait in winter.
These figures are only a rough estimate and don’t take into account any natural food that the fish will eat, or that other factors such as dissolved oxygen can also have a big effect on how much fish will eat.
“Fats, which we often think are unhealthy in our diet, are much more important to fish”
What’s the food used for?
During the summer, any energy that a fish gains from digested food is split three ways. A big chunk is spent on just staying alive. Breathing, swimming around and feeding take up most of this energy.
Second, the fish will be growing in length, which not only means that the skeleton and organs need to grow, but the scales that cover the body also need to increase in size. It was once thought that fish grew right the way through their lives, but we now know, mostly from repeated captures of known fish over many years, that eventually fish will attain a peak size and stay around this length for many years. This is very obvious in carp, but has also been noted in chub, barbel, bream and pike, so is probably seen to some degree in most coarse fish.
Once the fish reach maturity, some of any energy left over will be used to produce eggs. The rest will become body fat.
This final part is important, because during the winter months it’s common among some species to not be able to consume enough energy to meet their daily demands, so they have to rely on their stored body fat reserves. For larger fish this isn’t normally a problem, because they have plenty of reserves, but especially in young fish less than a year old the amount of body fat can be very low in the smallest examples, and they can run out of their energy reserves and, in some cases, literally starve to death.
As the fat reserves are used up they are replaced by an increase in the amount of water stored in the body tissues, which explains why fish are often at their heaviest in spring, even though they have been using up their reserves.
Roach make a really good living out of leftover carp bait!
Which foods are ‘best’?
Just as with humans, there are good and bad foods for fish, although these differ quite significantly from what’s good for us. Fats, which we often think are unhealthy in our diet, are much more important to fish.
While humans and other mammals produce energy from carbohydrates (complex sugars), fish derive their energy directly from fat. Fish, then, don’t suffer from obesity in the same way as we do, but must have a relatively high level of body fat. The right level of fat in the diet also means that fish will use more of the protein they eat in building body tissue, so they grow faster.
A good diet for carp contains around 33 per cent protein, six per cent fat and three per cent fibre. Not surprisingly, this is what you will find in the carp pellets that many fisheries supply, and it’s also the basis for many boilies. Pellets with more protein or fat, such as halibut pellets, are simply more wasteful, as much of the excess goodness will pass straight through the fish and be excreted.
Bait such as sweetcorn contain much lower fat and protein levels than the optimal, but are useful in a mixed or balanced diet because they will counteract the impact of other baits that have higher levels of these nutrients. Baits such as luncheon meat tend to have much higher fat and protein levels, and so create more waste.
Of course, even when fish are fed a perfectly balanced diet the vast majority of the food will be wasted. Either it will not be eaten and break down on the lakebed, or it will pass straight through the gut of the fish and be excreted as waste. In heavily-stocked fisheries, trying to maintain a healthy balance of different foods (much of it bait) is important, but in this situation controlling the total amount of bait going into the water is more important to prevent it becoming polluting.
Some species of fish may make a great living out of waste carp bait. Anecdotal evidence points to roach, in particular, doing very well in heavily-stocked carp fisheries. It may well be that because they are omnivorous (reliant on a variety of food of both plant and animal origin), roach are able to make a good living by feeding on the scraps left over by the messy carp.
Angling club beats local council in legal battle
SOUTH Wales angling club has won £39,000 in damages and legal costs after winning a seven-year battle against its local council. Rhymney and District AS launched the case after its Deri Lake was drained, without warning, by Caerphilly County Borough Council back in April 2013.
“The council came to de-silt the lake. It didn’t warn the club, and it opened an outlet pipe through which fish were sucked until there was only 6ins of water remaining,” said Andrew Kelton, the club’s legal representative.
An image of how the lake was left by the council
Club members who turned up the next day were greeted by a scene of devastation, with most of the fish they had stocked just a few years earlier either dead or struggling in what little water remained.
“When the club asked the council for compensation, it claimed that Rhymney had no proof of the fish being lost, and this remained its position for seven years,” Andrew added.
Club Secretary Jesse Pugh measuring the depth
Reflecting on the final outcome of the case, heard at Cardiff County Court, the club’s honorary secretary Jesse Pugh said:
“It’s a massive boost and will set us up for 10 years or more. I’m just worried they’ll put my council tax up after we beat them!”
Rhymney Lake in normal conditions
UK anglers call on record captors to "submit claims" and "ignore the trolls"
THE VAST majority of anglers believe that Matt Atkins and Wayne Mansford, captors of record-breaking perch and carp respectively, should submit official claims for new British bests.
Not long after making the extraordinary captures, both anglers admitted they were having second thoughts about applying for records for a range of reasons, chief among which was the amount of online abuse they received from ‘trolls’ – individuals who use the internet to mock and discredit fish.
Matt Atkins was not sure if he would submit a claim for this record perch of 6lb 4oz
One man who’s fully aware of the unwanted attention that can follow a big fish capture is Neill Stephen, current joint holder of the British records for perch and chub. He’s adamant that the two anglers shouldn’t let the trolls get their way.
“I have every sympathy for those on the receiving end of negativity,” he said.
“These are two incredible fish and the captors should only be congratulated.
“I don’t see how applying for a record makes any difference. The catches have already been publicised and the application process is just one simple form. The fish either do or don’t meet the criteria.”
Neill has noticed more negativity about Wayne’s 75lb 2oz carp, and while he laments some of the changes in carp fishing over his lifetime, he believes that people should be allowed to enjoy whatever form of the sport they choose.
“We’re living in a world where more people like to target big fish,” he added.
“It’s a different type of fishing to what used to be around, but why shouldn’t people enjoy it? Choose what you enjoy, and let others do the same!”
Wayne Mansford with a massive 75lb 2oz carp - will he claim the record?
The trolling of catches online seems to be a growing problem, and it’s not just specimen anglers targeted either. Browse Facebook for any length of time and you’ll see young kids right through to veterans having their catches ridiculed, with one of the main accusations being that the fish ‘don’t look the weight’ or that computer software has been used to make them look bigger.
This latter accusation was levelled at Matt Atkins soon after pictures of his amazing 6lb 4oz perch were published. However, it appears that anglers as a whole are now becoming fed up with the online critics and their baseless claims.
Angling Times reader Michael Bilbie said:
“They’re just jealous keyboard warriors, who probably don’t know one end of the rod from another - pathetic! People should be congratulated for catching records and PBs. I saw the photo of the potential record perch and it looks the size stated all day long.”
These sentiments were echoed by fellow reader Ross Hunter, who said:
“Claim the record, forget the haters, because they’re just that – haters who wished they could have caught the fish themselves.”
The controversial subject of fish ‘not looking the weight’ in catch photos is as old as the hills, and it remains the main bone of contention in the digital era too. Yet, as legendary angling photographer Mick Rouse points out, images can be misleading. Mick, who was head of photography at Angling Times for decades and ‘snapped’ countless famous fish, said:
“By using computer programs like Photoshop or wide angled camera lenses you can make fish look bigger, but it’s not as simple as that because it can be difficult to make smaller species look their true size.
“Take roach for example. It’s tricky to make a fish of 3lb look the weight, and the same goes with perch. If you put their dorsal fin up, they look much larger, but with the fin down, as was the case with Matt Atkins’ fish, they look smaller.”
Mick added that while we do occasionally get anglers who lie about fish weights, these are generally known ‘individuals’.
“In the end, they’re only lying to themselves,” he added.
“I like to think that truthful anglers are in an overwhelming majority.”
Photo quality seems to be all important when it comes to silencing online fishing trolls
SAVE OUR SEVERN! - Anglers unite as plans for mega-dam are revealed
ANGLERS are being urged to join an action group and challenge a proposal to build a dam on the River Severn amid fears it will cause catastrophic flooding. Save Our Severn (SOS) has been set up by a team of Shropshire farmers and residents to counter Severn River Partnership’s plan, which would see a £40 million water barrier built on the river within one mile of Shrewsbury town centre.
The Severn River Partnership’s plan, would see a £40 million water barrier built on the river within one mile of Shrewsbury town centre.
The partnership, which is a consortium including the Environment Agency, Shropshire Council and Severn Trent Water, believes a dam would protect 2,500 homes south of Shrewsbury from flooding and pave the way for a massive development of up to 47,000 newbuilds.
Following an independent investigation carried out by SOS, however, the action group is arguing that the dam would be too small and could overflow within just 2.5 days of a full flood – submerging at least 10,000 acres of farmland and riverbank.
The news is a cause for concern for a number of angling associations, including Shrewsbury Anglers Club, which owns six popular stretches of the Severn in the area. Its secretary, Chris Wood, told us:
“Last winter’s floods were devastating and if we have similar cases, this dam could spell disaster. Aside from it creating a barrier to migratory species like salmon and eels, it’s likely we’ll see immense flooding.
“The dam will also need to release water to stem the floods which, depending on the volume, could remove large areas of gravel downstream and change the river’s topography. Local residents need to seriously consider whether they think this is the right course of action.”
Now, the action group is raising as much awareness as possible to highlight the damage a dam could potentially cause. SOS’s joint chair, Ed Tate, said:
“Flooding is a serious issue on the Severn and we want to see a good solution to the problem, but building a dam isn’t it. We’ll create a petition to try and thwart the plans, but making people aware of what’s happening is our primary goal right now.”
Save Our Severn
FOR MORE INFORMATION
join the SOS action group, visit www.saveoursevern.com
Tributes roll in for Britain’s oldest matchman
Frank Posiak, Britain’s oldest match angler, has died at the age of 94 after a short illness.
Having fished around 10,000 matches, Frank was loved by his fellow anglers and tributes have poured in from all corners of the angling community.
Members of Long Eaton Angling Federation, of which Frank was a life member, shared some of their stories.
“My favourite Frank Posiak moment was when he won a match on the ponds with 27lb,” said Pete Allwood.
“He was stood on the bank behind peg 8 with his hands on his hips and a massive smile on his face. Me and Alan Wright stopped to ask him if he had caught carp. ‘Yes’ he responded. Tench? ‘Yes.’ Bream? ‘Yes.’ Big perch.... ‘YES! Can you lift my net out, please, I might fall in!’ RIP Frank, your smile will be sadly missed.”
Club member Daz Lewis added:
“It’s so sad that another one of our great family of anglers has gone. He was a true gentleman of our sport.”
Frank still fished well into his nineties
Extra £1.35m to be invested in fishery projects
Following a boom in rod licence sales this summer, the Environment Agency revealed that £1.35m of additional income will be invested in fishery projects, with an extra £400,000 being pumped into fish farming and research.
The news follows hot debate on where the new income should go, and it seems that the EA is investing it to safeguard the future of our sport.
An EA spokesperson told us:
“Securing £1.35m will benefit our angling community, as it will go to our Fisheries Improvement Programme and the Angling Improvement Fund (AIF) to support local projects across England.
“These projects have already had a big impact, with the AIF helping to fund more than 500 angling projects.
“An additional £400,000 will go towards new equipment at the National Fisheries Laboratory, Calverton Fish Farm and new technology to monitor fish populations.”
The EA is reviewing where further income will be allocated. Watch this space for further developments.
To submit a proposal for the Angling Improvement Fund, visit: www.anglingtrust.net/aif
The money has been generated from a boom in rod licence sales
Anglers urged to help in fight to protect our waterways from pollution
THE Angling Trust is taking a stand against the growing threat of pollution in UK waterways with a new drive that aims to preserve not only our fishing, but also the health of the whole aquatic environment.
Named ‘Anglers Against Pollution’, the campaign is demanding better monitoring of our waters and proper enforcement of laws and regulations, leading to more efficient and stringent prosecution of those found guilty of large-scale pollutions.
The campaign is demanding better monitoring of our waters and proper enforcement of laws and regulations
It follows damaging recent assessments that revealed none of our waters meet European chemical pollution standards.
Britain’s anglers have a long history of striving to protect our rivers and stillwaters dating back to the creation of the Anglers Conservation Association in 1948, and the Trust is hoping that those within our sport will once again step up to the plate and put pressure on Government by signing the petition that was launched on October 15.
John Cheyne, National Regions Manager at the Trust, is spearheading the initiative, and he told us:
“The waters we fish are in crisis, suffering from all forms of pollution, from agricultural run-off to plastics, chemical pesticides and raw sewage. Time is no longer a luxury we can afford in the fight for our environment.”
The waters we fish are in crisis
The new campaign will not be seeking the creation of new legislation to tackle the growing pollution threat, as John believes that current laws are sufficient – they’re simply not being enforced properly.
“The Environment Agency has seen its budget cut by 50 per cent since 2010, so proper monitoring becomes a real challenge,” he added.
“When it does catch a perpetrator, they get off far too easily. Take water companies. The fine they face is often cheaper than the cost of fixing a pollution issue, so they simply take the hit and continue to offend.
“Now is the time to take a stand. Get behind our new campaign and let’s demand that our rivers, lakes and canals are clean and healthy places full of fish and abundant wildlife for us all to enjoy.”
Fishing jargon buster!
All hobbies come with their own unique language, but in fishing tackle companies seem fond of baffling us with exciting-sounding labels that often go unchallenged. It’s time we dug beneath the hype to reveal what those terms really mean!
High-modulus carbon
A bit like saying ‘3am in the morning’, describing a carbon rod as ‘high-modulus’ is using extra words that add nothing. Modularity is basically a material’s stiffness, so a high-modulus rod is relatively stiff and won’t flop around like wet spaghetti. But all modern rods are relatively stiff and the term ‘high’, without any context, tells us nothing.
Gear ratios
What would tackle companies plaster their reel boxes with if gear ratios didn’t exist? Since time immemorial, reel buyers have been told about their prospective purchase’s gear ratio and we’ve all had to stand in the tackle shop nodding as though we know what the hell it means. Well, a reel with a 4.9:1 (said ‘4 point 9 to 1’) ratio will turn its spool 4.9 times for every one turn of the reel handle. And what does that tell you? Unless you know the circumference of the spool, not a lot!
Reel buyers have long been told about their prospective purchase’s gear ratio
Hydrostatic head
You can almost picture a carp brand’s product developer donning a white lab coat and picking up a clipboard as he or she announces their latest bivvy’s ‘hydrostatic head’ rating. Measured in thousands, it’s a figure that sounds technical and cutting edge, but in reality it’s just how much water can sit on a fabric until it leaks. A 10,000mm rating means a column of water 10,000mm tall (that’s 10 metres) can press down on your brolly before it can’t hold back the liquid.
1K/2K/3K carbon weave
Strap yourself in. This is properly dull. These figures refer to the density of the carbon, noticeable in the ‘lattice’ effect seen on uncoated rods. Carbon fibre is supplied in continuous sheets and the K figure denotes how many thousand carbon filaments they contain. The more Ks, the heavier the material. Cheaper rods will feature 3k carbon weave, which is a good all-rounder balancing weight and strength. 2k and 1k are rarer and lighter.
Fuji reel seats
Often prefaced by the word ‘genuine’ in a rod’s marketing blurb, having a bona-fide Fuji reel seat is often presented as a badge of honour, but why? Fuji is a brand hailing from Japan and is best known for its quality rod fittings (including guides and handles), but the company produces various ranges, from budget to high end – so don’t get too excited by it all.
Having a bona-fide Fuji reel seat is often presented as a badge of honour
‘200D’ fabric
Another term often found in catalogues and on websites without explanation, the ‘D’ number used to describe fabrics on clothes and brollies is – like a pair of tights – the denier rating. The higher the number, the thicker and tougher your new jacket or shelter will be. Simple.
Anti-frap tip
Staying with the circular things that channel line the length of a rod (guides? Eyes? Rings? Call them what you like!) this peculiar phrase has crept into widespread use in the last decade or so. A ‘frap’ (or, more commonly, a ‘frap up’) is when your line tangles around a guide during a cast, so anything ‘anti-frap’ must be a) brilliant and b) really clever, right? They’re certainly effective, but they’re just rings with tucked-away bowed legs.
They’re certainly effective, but they’re just rings with tucked-away bowed legs
Bi-conical mini extensions
Poles are the place to go if you want jargon! We’ve covered the descriptions of carbon already, but a term that’s currently doing the rounds is ‘bi-conical mini extensions’. It sounds wondrous and futuristic – like a bionic man – but, broken down, it just means two (bi) cylindrical diameters (conical), so the extension can fit on different pole sections at either end.
SiC guides
No, not ill girl scouts. SiC guides are yet another term that gets bandied around with little explanation. Written with two capitals and one lowercase letter because...er…science, SiC is silicon carbide and in this usage refers to the lining of your rod’s guides. Silicon carbide is strong, lightweight and incredibly smooth, so it offers very little resistance and won’t damage your line.
Oscillation
What a beautiful word, so beloved of feeder anglers and carpers. The slower the better, so the marketing spiel goes. That’s certainly up for debate, but we’re not here to take on that battle – what does oscillation actually mean? Generally described as ‘slow’ or even ‘super-slow’, it’s just a fancy word for the up and down movement of your spool as you reel in. Not quite so sexy now, eh?
Oscillation - a fancy word for the up and down movement of your spool as you reel in
What does the future hold for our fisheries?
AS THE autumn leaves begin to turn, they herald not just the start of a new season, but also the end of one of the most remarkable summers of fishing on record.
Across the nation, clubs and day-ticket waters have been hit by a tidal wave of new pleasure anglers, giving our sport a much-needed boost. The question now remains: what does the future hold?
Many people will now be going back to work as the furlough scheme ends and, while a return to something like normal levels of angling activity is expected over the coming months, many fisheries and clubs are expanding and upgrading their facilities to accommodate the throng of new anglers ahead of the good weather returning next spring.
A tidal wave of new anglers has given our sport a much-needed boost
Aaron Grantham, manager of Lincolnshire’s Lindholme Lakes, one of Britain’s premier commercial fisheries, experienced such a busy summer that he’s completely restructuring his business plans.
“It’s been scary!” he told us.
“Numbers have dropped a bit in recent weeks, which is a good thing because the fish can have a bit of a rest, but the number of new people we saw was just incredible.
“Around 1,500 anglers visited each week, up from our usual 1,000, with a large proportion of these being pleasure anglers.
“If we can retain just 20 per cent of these newcomers next year it will be a massive boost for the industry, so we’re making some big changes to try to keep these new faces coming through the gates.”
“We’ll often have all our lakes booked on weekends for matches,” Aaron added,
“but from next year we’re going to make sure that we always have a lake or two reserved for the pleasure lads. Every weekend there will be up to 50 pegs to choose from. In addition, we’ll be building between 50 and 100 new touring caravan plots on a new site with a toilet block. We want to keep everyone happy and continue to appeal to the newcomers to our sport.”
Lindholme has big expansion plans
It’s just not day-ticket fisheries that have experienced a dramatic rise in numbers, with angling clubs across the country also experiencing unprecedented demand from new members.
Wiltshire’s Warminster and District are one such club, and its president Richard Curtis revealed how the club was so busy at times that it struggled to cope with the demand.
“It was manic. I spent three weekends solid just sending out membership cards, and we took so much money through PayPal that it shut down our account because it suspected we were money laundering!
“In the 2015/16 season we had 142 members, including just one junior. Now, we have 924 members, including around 150 juniors. It’s a dream situation that I never could have imagined would arise.”
With such a sharp rise in members you’d expect that there would have been problems with crowded banks – as has been the case at some day-ticket carp lakes – but Richard revealed that the club managed to accommodate all the newcomers, and has even expanded its portfolio as a result.
“We’ve acquired a new water, giving us six lakes and two stretches of river approximately four miles long, ensuring there’s plenty of room for people to spread out. In addition, we’ve bought tools to help maintain and improve our fisheries, such as a boat with a weed cutter, which will help to manage our waters and hopefully encourage new members to keep coming. With the influx of cash we can continue to invest in our waters and continue to thrive.”
Warminster AC saw a sharp rise in members
Bedfordshire-based Vauxhall Angling Club also experienced a record year, and even closed its memberships in mid-August after reaching its 11,500 capacity.
Head bailiff Dave Bing, was impressed with the behaviour and respect for the rules shown by club members during the summer.
“At some day-ticket waters I know there have been problems with people kicking off about various things as well as huge queues to enter fisheries,” he says,
“but our members have shown great respect for the guidelines we put in place. I think the difference is that day tickets are a commodity.
“With an angling club, members have made an investment and are part of something. There’s more of a duty of care towards other members and officials. Our bailiffs have also done a great job of ensuring that everyone follows the guidelines set out by the Angling Trust.”
Many of Vauxhall’s new members have been people that have got back into fishing after a long lay-off.
“I’ve talked to lots of people who fished as kids but then started playing football or rugby at the weekend and focused on that as their hobby instead. While these contact sports were still banned, they gave fishing another go, and many of them now say, ‘Do you know what? I’m not sure why I ever gave this up.’ Hopefully they’ll keep coming for many years, and continue supporting us and the sport we love.”
Vauxhall AC reached its capacity
RiverFest Final shows the Trent's a silverfish Mecca!
SILVERFISH sport on the River Trent scaled new heights last week when dozens of anglers put together double-figure nets of roach, dace and perch during the RiverFest final.
The prestigious event, which was held on the Burton Joyce stretch in Nottinghamshire, had competitors and match officials comparing the venue’s impressive current form to that of the river’s match fishing heyday of the mid-1980s, when bumper weights were common.
The Trent fished really well in the RiverFest final
One of them was RiverFest’s chief organiser Dave Harrell, who reluctantly moved the final from the River Severn to the Trent for 2020 – a decision that ultimately proved fruitful.
Dave told us:
“I was a little apprehensive with the venue switch, but the results hammer home just how well the river is fishing for silvers at the moment.
“Roach and dace were caught by pretty much everyone competing, with bream, specimen perch and barbel also making an appearance.
“It reminded me of how prolific the Trent was in the 1980s when the power stations pumped warm water through the river. There then followed a spell in the doldrums when the stations were shut down in the 1990s, but it now looks as though the stocks have well and truly returned to the level of 30 or 40 years ago.
“To sustain a healthy head of fish you need good water quality, so I don’t think the Trent is in as bad a condition as some people seem to think.”
One angler who can vouch for the Trent’s current red-hot form is Nottingham lad Tom Noton, who angled his way into fourth place in the RiverFest final with an overall weight of 39lb 12oz.
He said:
“I’ve match fished the Trent for the past eight years and it’s been absolutely solid. The fish tend to shoal up in certain areas, but if you find them you’re in for a real red-letter day.
“Slightly milder winters over recent years have encouraged silverfish to thrive, which could be another reason why the sport has been so electric.”
Tom Norton’s 20lb 9oz bag of roach, dace and perch on day two
67-year-old runs over 26 miles to fund fishing in schools
WORLD-renowned fly fisherman Charles Jardine has raised £4,500 for his Fishing for Schools initiative (FFS) after running 26.4 miles around Rutland Water.
It took the 67-year-old more than six hours to complete the circuit in driving rain, but Charles said the struggle was ‘more than worth it’ to help bring fishing to struggling kids during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He told us:
“There’s never been a more vital time to help children and their mental health through fishing, and the money raised from this run will enable our licensed coaches to reach out to more schools.
“We don’t want to lose momentum now that Covid is here, and every penny we can raise will continue to make a difference to a young person’s life.”
This the fourth time Charles has run a marathon to generate funds for the project, but he believes this will be his last.
“I struggled with injuries leading up to this run, and with me being 67 years old, the wear and tear is now taking its toll,” he added.
“I’ve had a lot of fun along the way, though.”
Charles Jardine enjoying a cuppa outside the Rutland fishing lodge following his marathon
How fish communicate
The fundamental ability to communicate is something we take for granted and is a skill that is common throughout higher animals. But what about fish?
Are they able to pass on information, such as the location of food supplies, warnings of imminent danger and the desire to mate? With the transmission of such information being so important for survival, it is hard to imagine that they cannot react to one another in some form or other.
Fish such as these barbel will react off other shoal members behaviour
Warning signs
Perhaps one of the most common forms of communication is body language and this is something that we see in many fish species.
If you have ever watched a shoal of roach or minnows moving almost as one as they turn in unison, then you will be well aware that fish do exhibit body language and react to each other. For this to occur, and for shoals to form at all, must mean that fish recognise other individuals of the same species. It is thought that this ‘imprinting’ takes place soon after hatching, with fish associating with those that hatch around them.
Body language in shoaling fish can also indicate the presence of danger, such as the approach of a predator. With an arched body and fins held erect, fish can signal danger very effectively. It only takes one individual to alert a huge shoal of fish to a threat, because the signal quickly passes from fish to fish.
This same form of body language could signal the presence of a rig or bait that some have been caught on before to others seeing it for the first time. It is unlikely that the naive fish know what is putting their shoal-mates on edge, but they are sure to react to it by being guarded.
Chub are a species known for being crafty and, in a bid to stop the fish relaying warning signals to any shoal mates in the vicinity, many specimen anglers go out of their way to retain any fish caught in a keepnet, or put them back well upstream of where they have just been caught (as most chub bolt upstream once returned).
Chub are known to bolt once returned, often spooking other shoal members
Show of strength
Most coarse fish do not have complex mating rituals or show off to their potential mates or ward off rivals. Other fish are much more showy. African cichlids use body language to perform complex mating rituals and to discourage competing males. The same fish also build large pits from which to display during their spawning courtship, the size of the excavation being linked to the size and fitness of the male.
Many species of animal, including fish, use displays to signal their strength to rivals. Even bream are thought to hold a territory and defend it from other males, primarily with a show of strength.
These non-conflict behaviours make a lot of sense, especially among species which have more serious armaments. Large sharks, for example, may swim parallel to other individuals in a show of strength that keeps them at a distance from their competitors’ razor-sharp teeth. They roll their eyes and arch their bodies to indicate their size and willingness to attack.
Pike can be very territorial and use signals to ward off rivals
Sound and vision
Some fish species are able to communicate by sending out sound waves. Fish have quite complex hearing organs buried in their heads that can pick up sound waves, in the form of vibrations, travelling through the water. Cod are able to communicate with their shoal-mates by producing a sound through their swim bladders. This low-pitched drumming can travel several hundred metres, alerting other fish of their presence.
Other fish species may make sounds as they crunch up tough foods, such as mollusc shells. This could alert and attract other individuals to potentially rich feeding grounds.
Rolling and especially jumping, often seen in carp and several other coarse species, could also be partially a response to finding good feeding areas and wanting to signal this discovery to other fish. The sound will certainly travel a good distance in water, much further than in air, so this remains one of several possible reasons for this behaviour.
Pheromones, chemicals produced by animals and plants specifically for the purpose of communication, are widely known and for many years were investigated in fish. While there still remains some evidence that fish can respond to certain chemicals in the water, especially around spawning time, much of the evidence suggesting that fish release pheromones when attacked or damaged by predators has now been debunked.
Although they don’t have the same communication strategies seen in other types of fish, exactly how coarse fish signal to each other remains a fascinating subject.
Rolling carp could be indicating to other fish that a good feeding area has been located
Casting a Fishing Rod Key in Paralysis Recovery
A MAN who feared he’d never walk again after a cycling accident has made a remarkable recovery – with a little help from a fishing rod.
The intricacies involved in assembling a rod as well as the casting motion have helped to exercise Robbie’s dexterity
Robbie Bell, a keen angler from the Isle of Lewis in Scotland, was left with Incomplete Tetraplegia resulting in partial paralysis and loss of sensation in his limbs and torso after a serious bicycle accident.
Now, with the help of a unique rehabilitation programme involving casting a fly rod at Glasgow’s National Spinal Injuries Unit, he’s hoping to be back on the bank soon.
“It’s fantastic to see how quickly he’s progressed,”
said occupational therapist Amanda Howat.
“The intricacies involved in assembling a rod as well as the casting motion have helped to exercise Robbie’s dexterity, and given him motivation.”
Of course, practising his casting was just one part of Robbie’s programme, but he’s now able to move with a walking frame.
“There were points when I thought I’d never walk again,” he said.
“By making gradual improvements I can now look forward to the fishing season.”
Thanks to a unique rehabilitation programme involving casting a fly rod at Glasgow’s National Spinal Injuries Unit, he’s hoping to be back on the bank soon
Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing commissioned for fourth series
ANGLERS and non-anglers alike will this week be celebrating the news that the incredibly popular Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing has been commissioned for a fourth series by the BBC.
With an impressive average audience of 1.8 million during the most recent run of programmes, which ended last Sunday, it’s little surprise that the pair have been given the green light to film another set of six episodes covering their fishing adventures around the British Isles. It’s hoped to air in autumn 2021.
The format will remain unchanged, and the show will follow the two lifelong friends as they endeavour to catch new species of fish from a host of stunning new venues.
A delighted Bob told Angling Times:
“I love doing this show and am over the moon to get the chance to go fishing with Paul again. I am already working on heart healthy recipes to cook and new ways to irritate him.”
Paul added:
“The fish of the UK needn’t worry too much as Bob and I return for another series. I love Bob and he needs me more than ever, so we’re back on the bank for more high jinks and another series basking in the timeless wonder of the glorious British countryside.”
“The fish of the UK needn’t worry too much as Bob and I return for another series,” says Paul Whitehouse
Collingham is the best venue ever! - Reader Letter
Is there another barbel venue quite like the River Trent’s Collingham Weir? I reckon it has to be the best venue for the species ever.
I know that lots of people will point to Adam’s Mill, which dominated for a few years, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the Trent in my book. Adam’s Mill didn’t inspire you like The Trent does.
While the Mill was exclusive and only open to the few, anyone can fish the Trent for the price of a day ticket. What more can you ask for?
Collingham has certainly been in hot form this season but do you agree with Richie Deavin? Let us know by commenting below!
Collingham Weir the home of giant barbel!
UK coastal waters a big game paradise!
Britain’s growing reputation for big-game fishing has been further enhanced by the capture of an incredibly rare 300lb-plus thresher shark.
Skipper Andrew Alsop brought the 12ft-long specimen alongside his boat to cap off what he said was his best-ever summer season out of Milford Haven, West Wales.
Andrew was taking Alex and Rhia Hawkins out on his boat White Water and was handed the rod shortly after it took a whole sardine.
He said:
“I saw the line rising through the water and thought the fish was going to jump so, knowing how important it could be, Alex passed me the rod and we saw this thresher clear the water.
“I knew we were dealing with a very big fish and after about 45 minutes we got it alongside the boat. It was definitely over 300lb, maybe nearer the 350lb mark.
“Threshers are very rare in UK waters, and this is the first one to my boat in my 20-year career,” he added.
Threshers are very rare in UK waters
Andrew’s charter business has now caught the ‘big five’ out of Milford Haven – mako, thresher, blue and porbeagle sharks, plus bluefin tuna.
“It’s been my best season ever. We’ve had blue sharks to 256lb, tuna over 600lb, porbeagle over 300lb and now this thresher, which has been the final piece in the jigsaw.”
Andrew Alsop and a porbeagle shark
A happy customer with another big shark
Andrew said big-game fishing in UK waters is booming, with many experienced sea anglers realising they don’t have to travel the world for top sport.
He said:
“Milford is the jewel in the crown for shark fishing in the British Isles and it’s getting better as we know our ground better.
“And even though you’re not allowed to target them, even with catch-and-release, we’re getting some of the biggest tuna in the world – perhaps only behind Canada.
“There are now so many of them in these waters that I reckon it won’t be long before we are allowed to go for them as a catch-and-release species, like you can in Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Portugal and Spain.”
Andrew Alsop and a 520lb tuna from UK waters