nicepix
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And signal crays aren't helping fry stocks.
S-Kippy
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No...but a few cats might help control the signals which can't be a bad thing.
nicepix
Well-known member
Its a well known fact that they only eat barbel. Haven't you been following the thread?
Just had a thought. Perhaps that's why they've started putting barbel in still waters :wh
S-Kippy
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Yes...eventually all rivers will contain nothing but signal crays,giant catfish & zander. The otters will have a field day.
I shall get excited when sturgeon start turning up in matches at Windsor.
I shall get excited when sturgeon start turning up in matches at Windsor.
B
binka
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I thought this was an interesting little read...
Monster cats are prowling in the Trent | Coarse Fishing News | Angling Times | Gofishing UK
Monster cats are prowling in the Trent | Coarse Fishing News | Angling Times | Gofishing UK
Top thread!
Very interesting and topical.
I'm in Exeter and district angling club who have the rights to fish the Exeter ship canal, which of course has cats in it. The club recently had a letter from the EA explaining how Wels Catfish are an invasive species and therefore should take action as to their removal. Helluva task on a waterway choked with weed, 11km long, with an average depth of 3.5m!
Anyway a club official organised a kind of "catfish-in", in an effort to be seen that the club is being pro-active about the matter.
I think there was about 14-15 guys fishing over a long weekend, not one cat was caught. Typical.
Oh, and for anyone that doesn't know the canal and the river Exe are very close, maybe even connected, i'm not sure, and we all know what that means...
Very interesting and topical.
I'm in Exeter and district angling club who have the rights to fish the Exeter ship canal, which of course has cats in it. The club recently had a letter from the EA explaining how Wels Catfish are an invasive species and therefore should take action as to their removal. Helluva task on a waterway choked with weed, 11km long, with an average depth of 3.5m!
Anyway a club official organised a kind of "catfish-in", in an effort to be seen that the club is being pro-active about the matter.
I think there was about 14-15 guys fishing over a long weekend, not one cat was caught. Typical.
Oh, and for anyone that doesn't know the canal and the river Exe are very close, maybe even connected, i'm not sure, and we all know what that means...
smudger172
Well-known member
If a Catfish is captured by an angler anywhere should it be returned or removed????
It is a non-native species after all.
If so would that apply to other non native species like zander and in some waters barbel and carp..........
thecrow
Well-known member
If a Catfish is captured by an angler anywhere should it be returned or removed????
It is a non-native species after all.
That's a whole new can of worms, by none native do you mean to the country its caught in or a particular water, how long do fish have to be in a country/water to be considered native?
If it was me that caught one it would go back no matter where I caught it.
smudger172
Well-known member
If a Catfish is captured by an angler anywhere should it be returned or removed????
It is a non-native species after all.
This needs to de discussed in a thread on its own
cg74
Well-known member
If so would that apply to other non native species like zander and in some waters barbel and carp..........
As it currently stands; barbel being an indigenous species to this country is classified as fine. Carp are classified as native fish because they're so popular, the EA return them when electrofishing.
Zander and catfish are alien (invasive) species, the EA don't return any they capture.
What to do for the best is a real conundrum, especially if you're purposely targeting one of the alien species.
Personally, I'd kill every zander that graces my net. I haven't caught a catfish from a river so am yet to face that decision.
---------- Post added at 10:08 ---------- Previous post was at 10:04 ----------
I think you're right but you brought it too the fore:
If so would that apply to other non native species like zander and in some waters barbel and carp..........
nicepix
Well-known member
If a Catfish is captured by an angler anywhere should it be returned or removed????
It is a non-native species after all.
We are all confused Mick.
Barbel are only indigenous to certain river systems yet have been stocked elsewhere and are now regarded by many as 'native'. There are anglers who will claim to be appalled at the stocking of barbel in still waters yet happily spend the close season fly-fishing for land locked steelhead in reservoirs. Some of those steelheads were introduced to rivers and have found a couple of them to their liking regards breeding. Carp have been in UK still waters for a thousand years but are only recently finding their way into some river systems. They found their way into others many years back. Zander and catfish should have been confined to relatively few still waters, but have been illegally stocked into rivers and other open waterways such as canals.
What next - muskies?
As already mentioned, carp are not an indigenous species, but as they have been here so long (stocked by monks?) that they are now pretty well settled in and taken as indigenous. No Doubt will be the same for zander given time.
Don't have a problem fishing for either, and if they are not causing a problem to the ecology of the water they are in then I cant see there being any issues. its not ideal, but its what we are presented with so have to accept it.
What does matter to me is fishing for any stock fish (indigenous or not) within the confines of a still water, meaning that they are likely to be familiar with life in a keep net and being fed man made baits etc, these fish to me are almost domesticated.
However, to catch a fish from a river that is not confined like a pool or lake is more appeasing, even if they originate from escapees breeding or stock fish breeding. its unlikely that they have been caught before or will be caught again. Plus they really do put up a good fight and generally look healthier. To me a river caught fish, no matter what the species, wins hands down to any still water zoo fish
Don't have a problem fishing for either, and if they are not causing a problem to the ecology of the water they are in then I cant see there being any issues. its not ideal, but its what we are presented with so have to accept it.
What does matter to me is fishing for any stock fish (indigenous or not) within the confines of a still water, meaning that they are likely to be familiar with life in a keep net and being fed man made baits etc, these fish to me are almost domesticated.
However, to catch a fish from a river that is not confined like a pool or lake is more appeasing, even if they originate from escapees breeding or stock fish breeding. its unlikely that they have been caught before or will be caught again. Plus they really do put up a good fight and generally look healthier. To me a river caught fish, no matter what the species, wins hands down to any still water zoo fish
Oh I do love that...............zoo fish
Dons tin hat and heads for the bunker......
mg:.
sam vimes
Well-known member
Surely that rather depends on the waters in question? I know of stillwaters that are like banging your head against a brick wall. There are big fish in them, but they so rarely see the bank. Too much water and too much natural food. Not a great deal of angling pressure or huge amounts of bait. The fish in them could easily be considered just as wild as any river fish.
Conversely, there are plenty of rivers, or parts of rivers, where you could end up fishing for fish that have been given names, or very distictive known fish, that see the bank very regularly. It isn't just the exceptional fish either. I fished a relatively short stretch of my local river very intensively over the last winter. I had the same daft brown trout at least five times, twice in one day being the extreme. I've had a very distinctive grayling three times. I'm sure there will be less distinctive fish that I've caught multiple times too.
Just going on my own experiences on the Trent, it just seems more wild and natural than still water fishing. Don't get me wrong, I love fishing old established reservoirs, but they are a far cry from the man made pools, commercials fisheries etc which I don't have the time for (literally, I only get to fish once a week)
I figure if I found a pool/lake that had a natural ecosystem I would fish it, I'm not saying rivers are 100% natural but they are much wilder and for me much more enjoyable to fish
I figure if I found a pool/lake that had a natural ecosystem I would fish it, I'm not saying rivers are 100% natural but they are much wilder and for me much more enjoyable to fish
cg74
Well-known member
A nice illustration of how some comment on things they clearly know nothing about.
Most club waters and specimen orientated commercial fisheries do not allow the retention of fish.
As for fish reliance on anglers baits as a food source; I wonder how many adult barbel or chub have never been caught or fed on anglers baits?
Here's a typical scenario played out on many rivers I fish; a 3 mile stretch of impounded river, with an average width of 12 yards - equates to about 13 acres. Many of the lakes I fish are that size or considerably bigger and IMO rivers (especially smaller ones) are far easier to read, so fish location is easier.
Not all lakes are 2 acres and doughnut shaped!
Oh I do love that...............zoo fish
Dons tin hat and heads for the bunker......
.
hmm see what you mean... will ride out the storm and brace myself for this potential problem I have brought upon myself.
Anyway, sidetracking aside and in a hope to correct shabby still water fishing comments....what about these indigenous, I mean invasive, catfish. How far would they be able to migrate until they came across a weir or manmade feature. I'm unsure of the layout in the lower and middle stretches
nicepix
Well-known member
I'll invite sbc_1974 to come and try for some 'zoo fish' at Lac du Mas Chaban. All 220 hectares of it and 95% unfished :wh