Trent Moggies...

[binka]

I'm well aware that this is a subject that seems to crop up every now and again, I've just been reading an old thread from 2008 and thought it might be worthwhile revisiting the subject.

I had a discussion with a certain fella on the bank the other week who I believe is a close associate of Ricky Bishop who recently landed the 38lb Trent carp that was widely featured in the angling press and I inevitably steered the conversation around to that of Trent catfish.

His reply quite surprised me in that he/they (?) were fed up of getting smashed up by them around the Colwick area in particular... I asked what kind of size he thought they might be considering the size of carp they were landing on the same gear and his reply was forty pounds plus.

I'd actually heard rumours that some people were now actively targeting 'em around the Nottingham area and have seen an image of a 22lb fish from lower down the river along with a report of a 31lb fish very recently from a very credible source.

Makes me wonder after one or two Trent "carp" that I've found unstoppable myself over the years along with a similar incident which I witnessed in the last few weeks with my regular fishing mate.

It kind of reminds me of the early days of the Trent zander reports and the speculation back then as to if they were really there... I don't doubt it in the case of catfish but are their numbers now making them a viable target?

Anyone any experience or heard any rumours... pm if you prefer but an open discussion would be good even if edited for locations etc?

 

[nicepix]

Binka, The Scunny lads have been catching them for well over a decade on the tidal stretch near to where it goes under the motorway. The biggest I heard about was double your larger estimate.

 

[binka]

Binka, The Scunny lads have been catching them for well over a decade on the tidal stretch near to where it goes under the motorway. The biggest I heard about was double your larger estimate.

Thanks Clive, much appreciated.

That is one heck of a fish if true and I've no reason to doubt it, the first reports I heard some years ago were from the tidal and it now appears that they've spread well up the middle reaches of the river at least.

 

[sam vimes]

I've seen one on the tidal a couple of years back. On a hot summer's day, it floated down the river through my trotting swim looking for all the world like a log. Only when it decided to hold station and then swim upstream did I look more closely.

I also suspect that I hooked one once, though it might just have been a big carp. It was simply unstoppable on relatively heavy gear that was perfectly capable of stopping double figure barbel in their tracks. Initially I thought I was snagged, then it slowly but steadily moved off. Only when it had got the best part of fifty yards did it suddenly decide to have a day trip to the Humber. At around one hundred yards I was running out of room and a bend in the river was looming. I had no choice but to clamp up solid and hope for the best. It just kept on going.

Cats have also turned up in the Yorkshire Ouse and, a bit more surprisingly, in the Humber itself. One was caught in a sea fishing match a few years back. If, as it seems, they can tolerate some level of saltwater, then they could be present in all the Yorkshire rivers that flow into the Humber.

 

[nicepix]

I have fished saline tidal stretches of waters in Humberside and over here on the west coast. I regularly catch roach and bream along with the usual suspects; mullet and flounder. I've seen pike in there too. But last month at Marans I also had silver bream, crucian carp and two very small wels catfish of around 4" in a tidal saline drain. All healthy fish too.

 

[cal_sutt]

I know for a fact that they're in the tidal Trent up in my local area, a good (carping tw*t) friend of mine targets them regularly further on in the season and they come out around Dunham and Cottam at up to 70 or even 80lbs. To be honest, around this end they can be actively targeted but to the extent that you need to fish a few days for one cat. I have (I think) hooked into one in the past and a 2.75lb carp rod couldn't even get any line against it, it just held and held but when it pulled line it felt like I was hooked into a barge. Somewhat fortunately, after half an hour, it snagged me up and the line had to be cut. However there was one fatality - at least 200 yards of line! There is known to be some massive cats in the Trent, not in ridiculous numbers but they're there and they're certainly a bit of a terror for us carp and barbel anglers. Guess I best get the spod rods out next time...

 

[thecrow]

PM Binka, cant put it on here club has a publicity ban and friend still fishes their.

 

[binka]

Thanks for all the replies and pm's so far fellas.

Cal... Yeah I can well imagine 2.75lb tc rods not being that much use against a big moggie, I've been having a casual glance around this afternoon and many of the dedicated cat rods appear to be around a 5lb tc.

I can't see that doubling up for the stick float

Might have a wander into Walkers of Trowell tomorrow as they have a cat section and I see they have a Free Spirit cat rod on their website, I reckon the way to go with this would be a suitable set up on a very heavy sleeper rod with a bait big enough to keep everything else away.

I reckon it will be a long haul but very rewarding if I could bank one of those unstoppable "carp".

 

[flightliner]

Binka, first cat I ever saw on the Trent was in 1990, you can imagine they are somewhat bigger since then.

 

[cal_sutt]

Binka, first cat I ever saw on the Trent was in 1990, you can imagine they are somewhat bigger since then.

"Somewhat" ....

I think I'd manage some of the smaller ones on a 3lb test curve but then there's the chance of a massive one. Another guy I know has had one near on 50lb on a 3.5lb pike rod with a roach deadbait, just took a while...

 

[guest61]

This thread is awesome, if I had access to river cats I would be straight on them. Would make a change from the usual pike/carp/barbell fanfare. I can catch stocked cats if I chose to, cant see why I would want to. These sound like the real deal though, pushing the limits of uk freshwater fishing.

 

[john step]

In a few years from now will we be seeing Catmaster Tours to sunny Scunny???

 

[bigfish74]

the collingham.bailif himself.told me.there were big cats but stay up near the wier

Andy

 

[dangermouse]

This thread is awesome, if I had access to river cats I would be straight on them. Would make a change from the usual pike/carp/barbell fanfare. I can catch stocked cats if I chose to, cant see why I would want to. These sound like the real deal though, pushing the limits of uk freshwater fishing.

Funny innit...

If someone introduces 25lbs of cute and furry native apex predator into a river system then half the angling community goes ballistic.

Introduce something much larger and alien, that surely must eat far more fish on a daily basis, but that can be caught on rod and line and most anglers seem pretty happy about it...

Just sayin`...

 

[thecrow]

I think the Trent cats are probably escapees, same as the beaver escapees in Devon , I know of a Stillwater that has a few in it that travelled up the
M1 from Rackley Hills.

 

[flightliner]

Definately not escapees crow.

 

[thecrow]

Definately not escapees crow.

My post was tongue in cheek flight hence my mentioning the beavers in Devon.

 

[cal_sutt]

Amateur question here, how did they actually get over here in the first place? Were they "put" here? And has it been the same with other invasive species, e.g. Zander and Sturgeon?

 

[mick b]

Amateur question here, how did they actually get over here in the first place? Were they "put" here? And has it been the same with other invasive species, e.g. Zander and Sturgeon?

The original introductions were curtesy of the old Duke of Bedford, he also did the same with Grey Squirrels and Muntjac Deer to name a few more mg:
Where all these 'new' ones come from I don't know?

A 50+ my friend caught in Germany took a 2lb Tench livebait without any problem at all, so can you imagine what they will do to the Barbel populations once they really become established.

 

[binka]

imagine what they will do to the Barbel populations once they really become established.

Do you think catfish will establish themselves in any great numbers through our river systems Mick?

I'm thinking a cautious yes as long as the prey species are there to sustain them...

Again maybe a similar situation to when zander first started to spread?