Rivers in General

[MaNick]

I was reading in a "ANGLING" magazine, dated 1959 i think, an article about the state of the rivers. The writer suggested that fish populations most definately come in cycles...

I think the age of communication has really had a massive impact on the percieved condition of the rivers, people are keeping, and sharing records on their angling more and more.

Anglers are DEMANDING information from the likes of the EA, and fishery owners....


Thing is.... how much of it can we do something about.... and how much is just natures "cycle"?.... The abundence of small fish being stocked for exhample.. is that a good thing?.. does it restrict the overall growth of other species?... etc etc

 

[Nigel Moors 2]

The Thames is now in cracking form, went twice this week stick float with hemp after decent roach. Good afternoons on both occasions with varying size roach, dace, chublets and 5-6oz roach/skimmer hybrids.

Sadly didn't get among the bigger chub which usually tend to come on after a couple of hours hemp feed but the amount of boats probably affecteted that a little.

What I did get among again though was several bloody crayfish, on the float too. That was hemp, wheat, tare, caster and bread so no escaping them. The river is rife with them but to counter all the arguments about how they eat fish eggs and reduce the amount of small fish I can sya that the Thames is currently chock-a-block with small fish from 1 - 2 oz up to 10 oz. The future looks good at the moment...

 

[Hutch]

While on the Ribble last week, the margins appeared alive with fry. After netting a Barbel, i found what i'm convinced was a barbel fry in the landing net, it definatley wasn't a Gudgeon or minnow etc, i have never seen a barbel fry before. In my limited experience of fishing the Ribble there does seem to be a lot more small fish topping at dusk.

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

Would have to agree Hutch last time i was on te Ribble the water was erupting in the margins every time my head lamp hit the water.

 

[GrahamM]

Me and a few mates are catching some smaller barbel on the Dove than we have before, so that's looking good for the future as well.

 

[Phil Hackett 2]

One good protracted winter flooding session should sort em? out. 3 weeks of over the bank conditions should do it nicely!

Looking at the weather it might just be this year!

As the Bay City Rollers wrote by-by baby, baby by-by??..

God I?m getting more and more like the profit of doom every day!