Your plans for Wednesday

[sam vimes]

I went for my weekly shop today. I generally have the car radio tuned to R2, unless Jeremy Vine is on. However, I didn't bother to retune today. I heard an interesting snippet from the resident doctor. She was talking about reported infections that have definitely occurred outdoors. I didn't catch the actual number she gave, but it was ridiculously low.

People are going to have to do whatever they think is right for them, but I think it's rather unfair to castigate anyone for the different choices they may make, provided they are sticking to government guidelines. If the wheels do come off, no doubt lockdown will be reintroduced. However, angling seems to have been allowed right through the lockdowns in Germany, Belgium and Holland, with no ensuing catastrophy. If people are remotely sensible (not necessarily a given), I suspect we'll be OK.

 

[stillwater blue]

I'm going to try to catch a zander on the oxford canal. Only ever caught one before and it was tiny. Really looking forward to it. Between now and then I'm going to look into what lures I might use. I'm thinking something with a good rattle in it might be effective. I'd be interested in any tips on the subject.

Jigging is the easiest way to catch zander on lures. You'll do better if you keep the soft plastics relatively thin so no deep bodies lures. I'm a fan of keitechs easy shinner in 4", I generally do better on natural colours but then in the main I'm fishing clear waters.

 

[Krang]

Jigging is the easiest way to catch zander on lures. You'll do better if you keep the soft plastics relatively thin so no deep bodies lures. I'm a fan of keitechs easy shinner in 4", I generally do better on natural colours but then in the main I'm fishing clear waters.

Thanks. I'll certainly be doing a lot of jigging. Not a method I tend to use very often so it will make a nice change.

 

[108831]

Im dreadfully sorry Peter,but I've endangered my life far more going shopping than i possibly could going fishing over the last eight weeks or so,unless I get hold of a nubile wench at the waterside,then its a case of what a way to go....you are far more likely to catch it sunbathing on Hampstead Heath...

 

[mikench]

Apart from fishing ,the amended and supposedly less stringent rules are worse. I can go to a park ie a public space and stand talking to half a dozen complete strangers at 2 meters apart but my wife and I cannot stand ( as we have hitherto) on our own drive and talk to our daughter.

Where is the sense in that and the logic.?

 

[bullet]

Im dreadfully sorry Peter,but I've endangered my life far more going shopping than i possibly could going fishing over the last eight weeks or so,unless I get hold of a nubile wench at the waterside,then its a case of what a way to go....you are far more likely to catch it sunbathing on Hampstead Heath...

I'm sure you could catch a lot of things on Hampstead Heath if you're not careful...:wh

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Alan, no one is attempting to say that they know better than anyone else.

The fact of the matter is that it is a judgement call on behalf of each angler, and their own conscience, as to whether or not they will risk their own health, (and that of those they live with) in exchange for the pleasure of going fishing.

To my mind, at this point in time, the rate of infection and the number of deaths per day are nowhere near low enough to take that risk.

Last Friday there were 636 people who died from covid-19 . . . that is one person every 2.3 minutes for an entire day.

Notwithstanding, now the government have decreed it (apparently) safe then the decision is yours an yours alone.

 

[no-one in particular]

I'm sure you could catch a lot of things on Hampstead Heath if you're not careful...:wh[/QUOTE

Reminds me of one of my favorite Churchill stories. His aide rushed in and woke him up early one morning and told him two Guardsmen had been caught in a compromising position on Hampstead Heath and he better get ready for the ensuing scandal in the papers. Churchill asked, "wasn't it below zero last night" and the aide replied "yes sir it was", and Churchill replied "makes you proud to be British doesn't it"

 

[Paste paul]

I’m working Wednesday for the first time in 7 weeks.......
May I just say to anyone that’s had to work ( I’ve got one daughter who is a nurse and one who is a key worker) A big fat thank you to you all .........
I work in construction and things are looking very iffy with regards to job security and I’ve been told after Wednesday I’ll be of for at least another month ..... so uncertain times....
But my heart goes out to anyone who has lost loved ones I guess our health is the most important thing at this moment in time.

 

[steve2]

Just heard that you drive any where but you can't stay away overnight. So that must mean you can't stay in a bivvy overnight.

 

[S-Kippy]

Just heard that you drive any where but you can't stay away overnight. So that must mean you can't stay in a bivvy overnight.

That makes sense....unlike most of the rest of Boris' latest nonsense. This is not the time to be winging it.

My plans for Wed is more decorating.

 

[Krang]

That makes sense....unlike most of the rest of Boris' latest nonsense. This is not the time to be winging it.

My plans for Wed is more decorating.

Have you tried posting about it on a decorating forum?

 

[sam vimes]

Just heard that you drive any where but you can't stay away overnight. So that must mean you can't stay in a bivvy overnight.

You can certainly interpret Johnson's words that way. However, I very much doubt that he had anglers in mind when saying it. As I understand it, the ATr are seeking clarification.

There's also a discrepancy in the online ATr presentation. They suggest that "LOCAL FISHING ONLY
Only travel based on what is allowed under current Government guidelines." Yet the government guidelines are now that you can travel as far as you like (within England).

 

[S-Kippy]

Have you tried posting about it on a decorating forum?

Why dont you just stay under the bridge?

 

[Keith M]

Health isn't only physical, it’s also to do with the mind we are told. We are also being told that being shut up indoors for months on end can be very detrimental to some people’s mental health.

We are also being regularly advised by scientists that the Conovirus is a lot less likely to spread in the open air.
So surely if we can fish in a safe and remote place and keep away from others who could be carrying the virus then surely that’s a good thing. Isn’t it?

Especially if you are lucky enough (like some of us are) to have access to more remote waters which the public doesn’t have any access to.

However; it’s all of the other anglers who will be lining the banks on waters that are more public that I’m a bit worried about, so Im still going to refrain from Angling for a while, (I’m not getting too stir crazy yet) and I’m quite happy to wait till the rivers open in June.

Keith

 

[Windy]

If you catch any zander,sling them up the bank, vermin and invasive species

Terrible waste. Zander is delicious, knock on the head and take it home with a good conscience ! Garnish with crayfish tails...

though before eating them the Crays need to be kept in a bucket of water with potato peelings for two to three days before eating to kill a distinctly unpleasant bacteria which some of them can carry and to avoid stomach upsets.

 

[Krang]

They really should change the law on zander. Sure they reduce the population of silver fish, but so do pike. Silver fish are boring as hell. If they won't change the law then they should at least be consistent and also require the non native carp to be killed. More predators would be awesome for UK fishing. Look how good it is in the US. Pike, perch, walleye, small mouth bass, large mouth bass, rainbow trout, brook trout, muskie. And no tossers.

 

[Keith M]

they should at least be consistent and also require the non native carp to be killed.

I know this is going off topic but how long does a fish have to live in a countries river and lake system before it becomes a native species?
100 yrs? 500 years? a thousand years? Two thousand years? or never?.

I think 1000 years should easily be long enough and I read that the Carp has been here since the Romans landed that’s nearer 2000 years, and even if it were the monks who introduced them over 500 years ago I think they should be considered as native by now shouldn’t they?

Keith

 

[markcw]

They really should change the law on zander. Sure they reduce the population of silver fish, but so do pike. Silver fish are boring as hell. If they won't change the law then they should at least be consistent and also require the non native carp to be killed. More predators would be awesome for UK fishing. Look how good it is in the US. Pike, perch, walleye, small mouth bass, large mouth bass, rainbow trout, brook trout, muskie. And no tossers.

Well fook off to the US, give us all a break on here.

 

[markcw]

Terrible waste. Zander is delicious, knock on the head and take it home with a good conscience ! Garnish with crayfish tails...

though before eating them the Crays need to be kept in a bucket of water with potato peelings for two to three days before eating to kill a distinctly unpleasant bacteria which some of them can carry and to avoid stomach upsets.

Any I get are getting knocked on the head and up the bank,. A club in Oxford is removing pike from their stretch of the canal and leaving zander in.
As for crayfish, I have fished a water that was full of them , if we caught any they got crunched underfoot. They were even taking sweetcorn.