A Spawny Question

BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester · Jun 13, 2006

Carp and Tench are in full spawning mode at the monment. And it will probably remain so for the rest of the week, weather permitting.

With that in mind, seeing that Carp and Tench do there actual spawning in the margins amongst the reeds, and are best left alone during this time. Is it fair or acceptable to carry on fishing as long as you cast out into the middle of the lake, where it is unlikely to catch a spawn bound fish?

Warren 'Hatrick' (Wol) Gaunt · Jun 13, 2006

I watched them on a Cambridge pit last year spawning out in the middle of the lake, a little weed here and there. These were some mighty fine fish and some real bigguns amoungst em. One bloke was getting some serious liners and i was pleased when one of the guys that runs the syndicate turned up and asked him to move in not so many words.

Geoff Cowen · Jun 13, 2006

It's the same in the North East, I hope the Barbel and Chub are well and truly finished for Friday and ready to feed!

Steve Spiller · Jun 13, 2006

Wol, shake that mans hand for me the next time you see him.

GrahamM · Jun 13, 2006

This takes us back to the thorny question of the closed season. And one reason why I subscribe to the idea that the best closed seasons are those set by the owners, controlling clubs and fishery managers of fisheries, in that each and every year the closed period can be set according to the prevailing conditions regarding both temperature and fish behaviour.

BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester · Jun 13, 2006

Those are fair and honest answers. There really is no way around it is there? But how many of us actually stop fishing when our fish are spawning? Up to now the decision is left to the individual for most of the time.
Maybe this should be the next big thing to happen in the angling communities country wide. One problem is that most if not all fishing clubs etc are run as a business.

Graham Whatmore · Jun 13, 2006

Fish spawning and anglers fishing is always prompting threads and really and truly there is no definitive single answer.

Is it okay to fish a lake that contains silver fish and carp when only the carp are spawning or vice versa? Does it detrimentally affect fish that are caught whilst spawning or is this anglers giving fish credit for human feelings and frailties? Do you close a fishery each time a single species goes into spawning mode?

If we are that concerned for spawning fish and given the period of time the different species spawn would it be better to stop fishing from March till the end of July? I don't think there will be many yes answers to that latter question but if we are that concerned, then it is a relevant question. I don't know many river anglers that stop fishing if the fish havn't spawned by the 16th June do you?

Steve Spiller · Jun 13, 2006

This is a very thorny subject.
Personally, if I am aware that the fish are spawning I will leave them alone.
I am off to a lovely stretch of the Avon on Friday, if the barbel and chub are still spawning I will fish for dace, or roach, or perch. It is down to the river angler to make that decision himself, because it would be almost impossible for the club to say no fishing.
As far as lakes are concerned, the controlling body should know when it's fish are spawning. If it's a mixed fishery, silverfish and carp, a ban could be put on whilst they are spawning and should be.
When the owner becomes aware that the carp are spawning he should stop the fishing for them, vice versa for the silver fish.

At the end of the day, it is down to the controlling body of a fishery to make the decision.

And like it or not, it will come down to money!

Bully · Jun 13, 2006

If I am aware the fish are spawning I dont even bother getting my gear out, for the simpler reason that its usually a useless time to fish.

Anyway, who says its bad to fish when they have not spawned? It may be even worse just after they have spawned?

Ever since I took up fishing again (and as a responsible adult thinking about these things v's being a gung ho teenager) I have said that we must have a close season, and that it should be down to the controlling authority on each water to set times.

The problem with the current system is that it is a Government imposed restriction that, in my view, doesn't actually promote a proper debate about all the issues. At the moment most debate seems to centre on "yes" or "no".

Personally, I would prefer a "yes" and focus on when is best. Of course different spawning times across species complicates things!!

GrahamM · Jun 13, 2006

Wol wrote, "........one of the guys that runs the syndicate turned up and asked him to move."

That's the kind of thing I mean, not specific periods when you can't fish. Strategic notices saying 'No fishing in this area', and such similar actions taken by fishery managers based on what's happening on specific waters.

It's never going to be perfect but I'd suggest that the latter is about as close as we can get to being right.

Graham Whatmore · Jun 13, 2006

"if the barbel and chub are still spawning I will fish for dace, or roach, or perch"

Steve mate, with all due respect how will you know:-

A. If they have, are, or going to spawn on that part of the river either side of where you are fishing?

B. How do you target a single species on the river? I have fished rivers for over 50 years and I'm sure I couldn't. I've had roach on 14mm pellets gudgeon on big chunks of luncheon meat and chub and barbel on a single grain of hemp.

Do you see what I'm getting at? I personally think spawning fish don't get caught that often anyway but I agree that obvious signs of spawning such as when carp spawn should automatically stop you targetting them.

Steve Spiller · Jun 13, 2006

Graham,
A-It would have to be a visual sighting of fish spawning or catching a fish full of spawn.

B-I've never caught a dace on a hair rigged boilie and I'm not gonna catch a barbel on maggots at 18 inches in six feet of water.

I think I'm just an old traditionalist who believes in a closed season, but we all know it's not that cut and dry.

Joskin · Jun 13, 2006

The only reason I wont fish for Tench or any other fish while they are spawning is because they are near impossible to catch when in spawning mode.
I dont see any other reason not to fish for spawn bound fish..
Please educate me as to why I should not do so otherwise I will carry on.

D.B what are your reasons for not fishing for spawning fish?

alan · Jun 13, 2006

Surely if the fish are spawning they need all their energy for it?

and is interupting them a good idea, what happens if after being caught they dont start breeding again?

BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester · Jun 13, 2006

I don't understand that Ste. You say it is the river anglers choice if he fishes or not. But clubs should close stillwaters. What's the difference?

Joskin · Jun 13, 2006

There are allot of what ifs but can anyone offer any evidence?

What if you catch them after they have
used all their energy spawning would that cause even more harm.

I do know that my local club has 4 very good still waters and since the abolition of the closed season none of the waters or fish seem to have suffered any ill effect.

I was opposed to the removal of the closed season when it first came about but since then have changed my mind as I have neither seen or heard of anny ill effects suffered by the fish ony these "what if's"

BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester · Jun 13, 2006

Joss.
Do we need to put it to the test? Would you like to be responsible for stressing them out and killing them while they are full of spawn?

How about jumping in for a swim amongst spawning fish as somebody did recently?

Joskin · Jun 13, 2006

No Baz I wouldn't want to kill them but I don't believe that catching a fish full of spawn would kill it. I am more than willing to look at any evidence that anyone has against catching fish during their spawning time but it would have to be evidence and not "what ifs" and theory's.

After all it must be around ten years since the abolition of the closed season and I have never come across a fish that has died because it was caught during the spawning season.

Has there ever been any evidence for or against published. I have always assumed that the E.A would have looked at all the evidence before deciding to do away with the closed season on still waters.

Wolfman Woody · Jun 13, 2006

Fishing around this time of year is a delicate matter anyway. I'm with Bully and to answer Joskin above -

"What if you catch them after they have used all their energy spawning would that cause even more harm."

Not sure if catching them causes more harm, but I did catch a kippered tench once in JULY. The lack of fight she put up was dreadful and all I wanted to do was pack up and go home. I'm sure that the period after spawning is just as important if not more so than before spawning.

Truth is, apart from obvious spawning activity, you don't know until you catch one that has just spawned. Just don't judge too harshly if an angler catches one kipper amongst 30 other fit fish.

BAZ (Angel of the North) aka Fester · Jun 13, 2006

Surely its theory in saying that catching spawning fish does no harm. Where is the proof for that Jos?

I am sure that if you owned your own lake full of specimen Carp and Tench, that you wouldn't want people fishing for them at this time, or would you?

A Spawny Question

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