Where did all the dace go?

[Mark Wintle]

Since New Year's day I've had ten river sessions mostly on the float and always using bread, maggots or casters as bait. Despite plenty of chub, roach, grayling, even a slab bream I've only had a total of four dace. 30 years ago I would average 50 dace a session this timeof year, and spent years trying to discover ways to catch the roach whilst avoiding the dace.

Have the cormorants polished most of them off, or is it a general decline? I know there are some left in places that I haven't been near lately but yesterday on the upper Stour I would have expected a few from the swims I fished unless they are all spawning somewhere?

I had a few back in the summer but it has mostly been devoid of them.

 

[Morespiders]

I fished the Ribble yesterday , had about 30-40 smallchubb, trotting maggots on a 16s not one dace.

 

[Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)]

Great post.

I can't remember when I last caught a dace! When I grew up fishing the Medway they were a regular catch. There were some fine specimens taken between the Teston Locks and Teston bridge -often by the Maidstone Victory bailiff (Cyril?) who wielded an old Apollo Taperflash with an ABU 503 with such delicacy - running floats alongside the nearside reedbeds for the roach and dace. he knew they were there, he got them!

I was discussing this with some anglers down in Canterbury end of last year. 25 years ago I used to fish the Kent Stour when visiting my dad's pub in Canterbury. The free stretch behind the old football stand and speedway track was always an absolute banker for chunky big dace. A couple of the older guys said that the dace population had fallen significantly but couldn't offer any reasons why.

 

[Iceman]

Dace used to be common on the river Witham but must be 10 years since I last caught one but then again were did the bleak go and then the gudgeon off the trent , eels are very rare on the Witham too , once upon a time there were thousands in the summer

 

[Morespiders]

Must add, i had a netfull in October, from 2 miles upriver. Ohh an Appolo Taperflash, thats what dreams were made of, still got the butt section of one for a maggot throwing stick.

 

[Peter Jacobs (ACA, SAA, CA)]

Mark,

The Hale section stil has some lovely Dace (I remember you taking quite a few a season or two back) and also the Downton Club stretch has some very nice Dace.

Otherwise, I'd agree that on most of the Avon they are few and far between.

 

[coelacanth]

Been catching barely anything else on the Ribble recently, including some real chunks. For me they're outnumbering the Chub 4 or 5:1, in superb condition as well. Best places have been aroundChurch Deeps (Southport & District AA stretch). I'm going to be around that areamyself in a couple of hours with a friend from the Hungarian Fisheries Institute, no doubt there'll be more Dace on the way.

 

[Ian Cloke]

Some cracking dace were to be had on the River Rother, John Ledger used to love the place, but I haven't caught many since last years floods. If you fished near the bridge at Catcliffe, you would expect a good net of dace, weighing upto a pound!

 

[Lark]

Since the summer floods therehas been a completechange in the way that fish seem to be distributed on our stretch of the Thames and it's backwaters - it's almost like they're shoaling so tightly together thatmost of the other stretches seem to be totallydevoid of all fish.

These days, fishing asession inanarea where I know I will catch good dace and roach tends to start off with a couple of hours of absolutely no activity whatsoever - no bitesand nothing topping. Then all of a sudden it switches on and you're into a 'normal' session.

It alwayskicks off with 'clonking' great dace then, soon after,begins the tactical chopping and changing to get through to the quality roach.

It's beenvery strange - I hope normality returns soon.

 

[Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA)]

Lots of good dace to be caught in the Trent at the moment. A friend of mine had several to 13 oz the other day amongst a catch of roach.

Yes I'm back.

Whoo Hooo!!!

 

[Lark]

Welcome back Ron - hope you're practising what you preach soon!

 

[Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)]

Ron, it is an honour to welcome you back to FM.The old place just has not been the same without you!

Lets hope you are back out on the banks soon.

 

[Peter Jacobs (ACA, SAA, CA)]

Ron,

Welcome back you daft old beggar.

Next time you get "banged-up" please make sure that their damn phone can receive incoming calls from Europe!

Good to see you back though.

 

[j k1]

i live in the north devon area so coarse rivers are hard to by. HOWEVER to my delight last sunday i fished a very small river which shall remane nameless and caught 30+ quality dace plus a few brownies all in 1 1/2 hours of long trotting! It was such a great session so much fun. The best dace fishing i have ever had and out of a seemingly lifeless river. Maybe they've all moved to there?

 

[Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)]

where?

 

[j k1]

Nige I am not sure i can say? It is the sort of place i would only fish once twice a year in order to live the little beauties alone. I don't think they have ever seen a hook before they were all silver prestine condition. I could take you there but would have to blindfold you on the way there and back?

 

[Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)]

Only joking JK.We all need our piece of heaven on earth.It sounds perfect and long may it cointinue being so.

 

[Peter Rothman]

Hi Mark

I live in your neck of the woods. Just thinking about the Frome on the DDAS ticket. This winter I've had only one dace during my grayling sessions and that was back in early November. I really miss them as they have brightened up many days in the past seasons.