Lower Severn.

[cg74]

Does anyone know if Worcesters resident seal has had much effect on the barbel population of the Lower Severn?

 

[belsh]

She's called Keith. That's all I know.

 

[Streamfisher]

The 2007 floods took a heavy toll on the Lower Severn, not sure if anyone fishes it anymore. Give Alan's Fishing Tackle in Worcester a call, they should have a better idea.

Good luck

SF

 

[Judas Priest]

Colin
Keith is still knocking about, or there may be more than one, but there are still fish to be had to those who persevere and put thought into their fishing.
Give it a go mate the rewards are there.

 

[cg74]

Thanks Judas and Streamfisher, hopefully Keith has got a liking for the snotties...

 

[Steve Pope]

Hi Colin,

I haven't fished it yet but I looked in last week and a few barbel had been caught, fish around the seven or eight mark.

I'm hoping to fish it a lot more this season and I'll be writing about it in my diary.

I'm confident there are still plenty of barbel to make the fishing worthwhile.

I may be wrong but I doubt the seal has made great inroads into the barbel population.

All the best.

 

[Ray Wood 1]

10-18 lb. of fish eaten daily, that’s an awful lot of fish chomped since January 2013 who can rightly say how many barbel have been devoured in that time? No one.hno:

 

[Judas Priest]

Didn't the ATr vaunt a plan to capture the seal and have it moved, or was that just another sound bite at the time ?

 

[cg74]

Thanks Steve, it sounds like it is well worth a go at.

 

[Ray Wood 1]

Didn't the ATr vaunt a plan to capture the seal and have it moved, or was that just another sound bite at the time ?

That's right Phil, seems though that they could not catch it. The seal has it's own twitter account and is famous on facebook.

Just read this,

"Residents in Stourport and Bewdley as well as further afield at Worcester have been reporting sightings of the seal since November 2012.

A year later the Angling Trust was granted a licence to catch the seal so she could be returned to the sea.

It proved unsuccessful and the licence expired on December 31. But January 1 signalled the start of the ‘open season’ so until August 31, it is not necessary to have a licence to capture or kill seals in accordance with the Conservation of Seals Act 1970.

Now campaigners, who fear for the seal’s safety have a launched a petition asking the Angling Trust and Natural England to ‘leave Keith alone and to let her live in the River Severn in peace, or return to sea of her own accord if and when she is ready to do so"

Do you think this seal may return to sea seeing as it's been in the river since 2012?

Kind regards
Ray

 

[Judas Priest]

Cheers for that Ray.

Would appear then that the thing (s) is to be left alone to live in peace in an un natural environment for it and ****** the environmental imbalance it causes.

God forbid the thing never attacks a dog, or worse a child, as we'd then see something akin to the scenes from Jaws with boats full of armed idiots roaming the waterway and sod the bunny huggers.

 

[Ray Wood 1]

Morning Phil,
Some want to close their eyes and believe that this seal will not be doing much harm to the barbel population along with other species. Much the same with otters along our waterways. Some believe that they are not much of a problem despite being shown clear evidence that otters kill barbel along with other species.

Take a look at Barbel Fishing Prince of the River on facebook, a guy called Shaun Nurse is asking for observations on predation be it otters, cormorants, or anything that is eating fish. There is an observation page and a group you can join to report anything you might see, the main site is very vibrant.

Hope your season is going well Phil, mine started with a nice brace of fish including a double so I am a happy bunny at present and enjoying my retirement.:w

Regards
Ray

 

[bennygesserit]

i'd always assumed otters would kill the odd barbel if they could catch one but predominantly that wasn't their staple diet , frankly I see no great harm in that - my opinion.

Again my opinion the seal should be removed , simple animal husbandry , because it is probably eating large fish and there are thousands of seals in the British Isles, we got loads of them. If it cant be removed safely it should be shot , that would be a massive PR faux pas but doesn't mean its not the right thing to do.

So otters yes , seals no.

I have a sudden feeling of Dejah vous or maybe there is a disturbance in the matrix.

 

[Judas Priest]

I'd agree on the otter bit, and removal of the seal (s). I would though stop short of actually killing the thing. If they can't capture it then they need to stop behaving like amateurish idiots and employ professionals. There are enough sea life centres around the country who use the services of professionals to capture wild distressed animals.

 

[Titus]

After watching the thing pass through my swim several times on opening day I have my own opinion on how it should be dealt with.
If it was on a prime salmon beat it would never have had a chance to have a facebook page, someones wife would have been sporting a nice new pair of gloves.

 

[Rich Frampton]

If it were a salmon beat it wouldn't have been known about Adrian..... 100%..you are right.
Been off here for a while.... Ray and Phil.... As good a comedy act as ever...
Tight lines all.

 

[Judas Priest]

Welcome back Rich good to see you posting inanely as ever with your little quips. Since Fred left we've not seen many antagonistic posts or posters, I hope this may long continue.

 

[Rich Frampton]

That's because you write them matey.......

 

[miles from stoke]

Lowers rammed with barbel. Some bigguns too, it is however a waiting game at times. I had a record threatening barbel a few years back but the bloke I phoned to authenticate it never turned up.

 

[Dicky (Angling Trust PAC)]

Keith's been up the Teme too...

Scared me sh*tless opening day last season....

Thought the pool I was fishing was full of perch or pike cos the prey fish were going mad for forty minutes or so and then Keith surfaced about 15 yards away, then dived and swam straight at me before heading upstream... Scared the bejesus out of me!!

Phoned a mate at the AT to report sighting as the Teme is an SSSI..

Haven't heard of him in the area since, believe the winter floods have washed him further towards Tewkesbury... but not sure...

No barbel round here... b*gger off