EMAP Publications & Barbel- I'm Confused

The second edition of the new 'improved' Improve Your Course Fishing opens and closes rather curiously this month.

Kevin Green (and therefore presumably ed-in-chief Richard Lee?)appears in his editorial, to nail his colours in no uncertain terms to the mast on a recent 'Bertie' debate that we have all shared passionately on FishingMagic.

In his opening piece, Kevin promises that in the next issue "Matt Hayes is back with advice to get you more bites, we'll detail an explosive groundbait and arm you with tips to catch stillwater barbel on the surface!" (Page 5)

Maybe significantly the issue ends with Chris Yates talking us through a thrilling session float fishing for barbel on a cane rod and centrepin.

Can editors really be allowed to ignore/ straddle so blatantly the chasm of opinion that exists on barbel husbandry? If in the eighties the AT or AM had simultaneously run articles on how to kill/ safely return pike pike there would have been an outrage!.

Surface feeding barbel? How many has Chris Yates caught off the top?

It's a toughie for an editor, ****y. The whole existence of your publication may depend on being populist! The usual modus operandi would be to see which way opinion swings and follow that lead. Few would make their personal view that of the magazine, for the simple reason that your employer owns the magazine, not you.
Sillwater barbel? No more moral than American hunting lodges where the deer are penned in for you to shoot. No more ethical than animal circus acts.

I take your point Mark. I have no wish to reopen the well worn 'stillwater' debate again on these pages, but editors surely have a resposibility to treat such issues in a serious manner in their publications.

The need to appeal to a mass readership should not be used an excuse to insult those same reader's intelligence. Should we not be afforded a reasoned and open debate in the pages of the angling press on the rights and wrongs of issues such as stillwater barbel before luminaries such as Matt Hayes step in with killer tactics to catch them?

Low oxygen levels in rivers has been a prime cause of concern in the angling press recently. They have reported the closure of several stretches of river (RMC i think). If at this time of year running water cannot provide sufficient levels of oxygen for barbel to be safely angled for, how can stillwaters? Most do not have expensive pumps. what then are we to make of barbel gasping/ feeding on the surface of lakes? Just catch them at all costs? isn't it this kind of laissez-faire attitude that leads to such tragic incidents as those highlighted in Bob Roberts' recent piece where a bunch of moronic individuals crammed keepnets to the brim with barbel causing untold distress and death to their catch? If they hadn't been fishing illegally they could quite legitimately claim that there are no guidelines/ rules for the amount of fish that can be safely retained in a keepnet? They will have read article after article about mega-ton hauls of fish from all over the country with not one line (or at least very few lines in comparison)about the 'safe' retention of fish.

I would like to see editors be a bit more forthright in their approch to such issues in angling. I do not expect them to vindicate my own opinions, if i am wrong i would like to read informed debate and find out why. We will all benefit as anglers by confronting these issues, not by sticking our heads in the sand and hoping it will all go away.

I would like to see a well rounded press debate on the issue.

Maybe the 'pro stillwater' camp could present some evidence other than the usual 'well there's no proof it's bad for them' statement.

I concur that it would seem both obvious and reason enough in itself that a still water is not as rich in oxygen as a river.
The last barbel I caught came after a period of heavy rain, the river was up and firing through with gusto across the gravel bars. A more oxygenated stretch of water you would be hard pressed to find.

After landing, unhooking and taking a quick snap I had Boris back in the water within a minute. It took just over one whole hour of sitting supporting him in the current to bring his strength back up to a safe release level.

One hour in a highly oxygenated environment, stillwaters my ar*e.

Oops, is that opening the debate again?

I also agree Mark that Editors and publications in general have to appeal across the board to be succesful and survive. However an article encouraging what is essentially a fashion, a fad, at the Barbels expense is surely wrong.

Unless Monsieur Hayes is also encouraging you to then release them in a suitable barbel holding river? with full E.A consent of course!

:0)

It's difficult Paul isn't it?

No, No and No to reopening the debate on this site...! ;-)

I have a lot of respect for the likes of Matt Hayes and the editors/ contributors to fishing publications (even Keith) and I believe it would be in the interests of the sport if they would at least grace us with a cogent debate. If the trend of recent editorials have much to do with it, it will take an illegal immigrant stuffing breakfast into keepnets to spark them into re/action.

sorry that should have read

"If the trend of recent editorials have much to do with it, it will take an illegal immigrant stuffing barbel breakfast into keepnets on an oxygen-starved stillwater to spark them into re/action"