R
Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA-Life Member)
Guest
In the last issue of Coarse Fisherman, Graham Marsden, in his regular column - "Marsden's Musings", penned a few of the best words I have ever read describing the terrible state of many commercial fisheries.
Let me quote a few passages from this article:
"Although I very rarely fish commercial fisheries, it is usually when I am teaching a youngster the mechanics of fishing, rather than the hunting/spiritual aspect. I do recognise the obscenity of them for an angler who appreciates delving into the mysteries of fish behavior."
And it is fish behavior in the wild that Graham is writing about of course, not fish - F1 carp in particular, that are so heavily stocked into waters that could never support such populations if it was not for anglers baits.
Des Taylor hit the nail on the head recently when he stated that in some commercial fisheries, the carp eat their own faeces!
Graham goes on:
"The overstocking concept serves two purposes; providing more than enough fish per angler, and ensuring that the fish are always hungry which in turn leads anglers enjoying an abundance of bites and fish captures that would not often be possible in a fishery left to nature, or managed in a more natural way."
The italics are mine.
Might I add at this stage that after over half a century of angling, my own true enjoyment in fishing is outwitting a wild creature in its natural element. I wouldn't expect to be succesful at ever visit, and if I did I would get bored very quickly indeed.
But yet there seem to be many thousands of anglers who sit in demented fashion by un-natural pools, pulling out thousand of tonnes of carp species that are not even wild, nor natural.
Graham continues:
"It's amusing to read articles describing fish that are feeding off bottom, on the bottom, on the drop etc, when in a commercial you can make them free feed in whatever area you want them to feed, and to accept whatever bait you want them to have."
And finally:
"Long may the mysteries of fishing continue, and long may the debates between thinking anglers stay passionate and deep and sincere."
Well written Graham. One of the best articles I have read about the way that angling is degenerating, or seems to be.
Are most commercial fisheries obscene?
I think they are.
Do you?
Let me quote a few passages from this article:
"Although I very rarely fish commercial fisheries, it is usually when I am teaching a youngster the mechanics of fishing, rather than the hunting/spiritual aspect. I do recognise the obscenity of them for an angler who appreciates delving into the mysteries of fish behavior."
And it is fish behavior in the wild that Graham is writing about of course, not fish - F1 carp in particular, that are so heavily stocked into waters that could never support such populations if it was not for anglers baits.
Des Taylor hit the nail on the head recently when he stated that in some commercial fisheries, the carp eat their own faeces!
Graham goes on:
"The overstocking concept serves two purposes; providing more than enough fish per angler, and ensuring that the fish are always hungry which in turn leads anglers enjoying an abundance of bites and fish captures that would not often be possible in a fishery left to nature, or managed in a more natural way."
The italics are mine.
Might I add at this stage that after over half a century of angling, my own true enjoyment in fishing is outwitting a wild creature in its natural element. I wouldn't expect to be succesful at ever visit, and if I did I would get bored very quickly indeed.
But yet there seem to be many thousands of anglers who sit in demented fashion by un-natural pools, pulling out thousand of tonnes of carp species that are not even wild, nor natural.
Graham continues:
"It's amusing to read articles describing fish that are feeding off bottom, on the bottom, on the drop etc, when in a commercial you can make them free feed in whatever area you want them to feed, and to accept whatever bait you want them to have."
And finally:
"Long may the mysteries of fishing continue, and long may the debates between thinking anglers stay passionate and deep and sincere."
Well written Graham. One of the best articles I have read about the way that angling is degenerating, or seems to be.
Are most commercial fisheries obscene?
I think they are.
Do you?