COMMERCIAL FISHERY

[Weazle]

Hi all
I have been a member for couple of months now and feel there is a bit of a divide on your opinions about commercial fisheries.So lets get it out in the open.
Do you think they are the spawn of satan or do you love them with all your heart.
Come on boys and girls don't be shy (i know you won't be)
Let's hear it all!!!!!!

DING DING ROUND ONE!!!

It depends on the Commercial fishery.

Many are absolutely hidous looking places with water the colour of strong tea and overstocked with thousands of F1 carp. In addition they have pegs every 8 yards or so and look like moon craters filled with water. No trees, rushes or lilies either.

There are some which do look very nice however, stocked with a variety of species that suit the water and properly landscaped.

I think it depends on the owner. Some only see money and "bums on pegs". Others look at the overall aesthetics of the place.

Let's face it, England has never had many natural lakes, other than those in the Lake district, Hornsea Mere in Yorkshire and the Cheshire Meres. The rest, including gravel pits, reservoirs and estate lakes, were mainly created by man.

[Blunderer]

In my experience, some commercial fisheries are simply cruel. The fish are dependant on anglers bait and are caught countless times per week and badly handled by ignorant anglers.

Also, they often represent everything I dislike about the sport. Crowds, noise and a lack of natural beauty.

Not for me.

[GrahamM]

I love the good ones. Great for teaching youngsters and getting a few fish under your belt when the confidence has been sapped by a run of blanks.

And great for fish-ins/matches.

The bad ones are like any bad fishery, commercial or otherwise - we'd be better off without them.

[tesco value]

I enjoy them.

Especially the landscaped ones, with varity of species. Although my preference is usually for river fishing, i do enjoy commercial waters, especially having fun getting bites in summer.

S'what it's about, enjoying yourself.

[Scott Whatmore]

There are good ones and bad ones, and some where the owner ought to be prosecuted for cruelty to fish for over stocking.

The good ones are ideal places for teaching the young and new to our sport.

I do wish more of them were better landscaped though, but that takes time and money.

I agree with Ron, that some have too many pegs. More pegs = more people fishing = more money!

Commercials with a variety of species in are ideal for me. I'm not keen on these F1 carp lakes.

[Paul H]

I agree with all the above.

I prefer rivers as a rule and rarely go to commercials but I have no problem with well run venues.

Graham's dead right. The good ones are great, the bad ones are terrible. I went to a commercial with my club yesterday - well established, mature trees all around it, not massively densely stocked, clean, not too many pegs, a friendly owner who was happy to chat/advise. It was a thoroughly pleasant place to spend a day. We all caught a few and had a good time with plenty of banter and a pint afterwards.

Here is my ideal commercial fishery, but no-one takes any notice.

A 50 acre gravel pit at least, stocked with tench, bream, perch, pike and roach or true rudd. Either roach or rudd, not both, to prevent hybridisation.

Definitely no carp.

The fishery would be stocked in accordance with how much it could sustain on advice from a top fishery expert.

Both day and season tickets would be offered, but no more than say 30 anglers would be allowed at once. Night fishing and long stay angling would be allowed but no more than 72 hours in one spot. Toilets would be provided at various places around the lake

A number of self catering chalets would be allowed so that people could spend a few days there. Boats or punts would also be available for hire. There would also be an on-site bar and shop.

The whole place would be exquisitely landscaped as per Capability Brown.

In a few years I would expect the lake to produce large tench, bream, pike, perch and rudd/roach, grown on naturally.

Would you fish it?

[Scott Whatmore]

Nice idea Ron and not too dissimilar to what most would want in a fishery, if only it could be viable!


Where is the Roman Abramovic of fishing?