Danger to fish with Chum Mixer?

GrahamM

GrahamM

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Reg Lewis of Glamorgan Anglers sent me this very interesting email. Do we have anyone using this forum with any scientific knowledge of this subject?

Dear Graham
Our Head Bailiff noticed an increase in anglers surface fishing this season corresponding to higher than normal carp deaths. I e-mailed the makers of Chum Mixers and below is their reply. Is this a cause for concern?

Reg Lewis

Dear Mr Lewis
I apologise for the delay in replying to you. I wanted to ensure that I provide you with the best information.

The Pedigree Mixer foods are specifically designed for dogs, and are nutritionally balanced for the animal they are intended to feed. One of the main ingredients in our dog diets including the mixer biscuits is meat, and the food will therefore contain meat fats.
Mammalian fats, if saturated, can solidify in the intestines of cold water fish, and could cause fatty liver degeneration, so ideally should be avoided.

I hope that this helps you.
Regards
Emma Downing VN
Technical Helpline Advisor
 
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Keith Miller

Guest
If that be the case, then do we have a similar situation with the fats in luncheon meat?
 
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John Walker

Guest
the only problem i have in using them is me dog keeps bitin me leg when i nick em off im
 
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Dave O'L

Guest
Maybe try Paul Garner. Trouble is I've forgotten which firm he's moved to. But I agree big cause for concern as there will have to be loads of floaters after a weekend session (No I don't mean that type Rodney!).
 
J

John Walker

Guest
the amount of years we have been using mixers for now, surely if it was harming fish it would have shown it long before now??
 
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Rob Brownfield

Guest
Would it not be the case that if everyone is on mixers, and pounds of them are going in everyday of the week, then yes, maybe there would be a problem....as there was with pounds of glugged fishmeals a few years back...but on the same note,,,luncheon meat would surely cause the same problem...and catfood thats used by pole anglers etc etc.
 
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Stuart Bullard

Guest
My local club is filled with mixers year after year, and we have had no carp deaths of note.
 
B

Birds Nest

Guest
I've been fishing a lake where they are thinking of banning them as loads go in and they are decomposing on the bottom... the quantity going in is the problem i think, this is where it differs to meat as the ammount going in is less...

S
 
R

Rob Brownfield

Guest
Mixer on the bottom?..How?

The ducks seem to get the ones left
 
S

Stewart Branfield

Guest
Paul Garner now writes for Angling Times, but there is also Stuart Clough who writes for Anglers' Mail and he is also a doctor related to fish welfare.
 
B

Birds Nest

Guest
Perhaps thats the problem we need more ducks on this lake...
 
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Rodney Wrestt

Guest
Dave O'L Said "there will have to be loads of floaters after a weekend session (No I don't mean that type Rodney!)." Awwww but Dave, they are just so obvious. L.O.L.
 
C

Cakey

Guest
You only get this problem if you dont prepare the mixer properly.
all mixer should be scalded in a polythane bag and shaken and flavour can be added at this stage.
also most mixer is used in the summer and the water is warm enough not to cause problems.

CAKEY
 
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Rodney Wrestt

Guest
Good point Cakey, But I think a lot of people keep a bag of mixers in the car 'just in case' so they are not soaking them before firing them out, I've seen this in angling features and perhapse it should be pointed out this small amount of preperation is advisable it also makes baiting the hair or hook easier.
 
R

Ray Bewick

Guest
Interested in this thread, I have to ask if the Vetinary Nurse (VN I assume) may not be asking the 'right' questions from her clinical advisors.

She statesb "Mammalian fats, if saturated, can solidify in the intestines of cold water fish, and could cause fatty liver degeneration, so ideally should be avoided."

If these mammalian fats "solidify" (like cold lard, in a tube / drain?), how are these fats going to be absorbed via the gut lining and cause the liver problems, long term perhaps but surely the fish would be blocked solid by then!.

I feel that given the length of time & frequency that 'mixers' have been used there seems to be little hard evidence of harm. I might be more concerned short term about hard feeding on un-soaked mixers causing problems due to swelling in the gut of the crushed biscuit?.

As with other matters including us mammals over feeding / over indugence may be the issue.
 
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Ian Whittaker

Guest
Surely soaking the mixer doesnt change its actual content?
 
R

Rodney Wrestt

Guest
Ian,
I think that the problem with dry mixers is when the fish eats it's fill of them and then the dry mixers start to swell up in the body cavity when soaking in water well you can see the problem,
However, the comments regarding the ingredients "Mammalian fats, can solidify in the intestines of cold water fish" I think are a little misleading as the description "coldwater fish" gives an inaccurate description.
What temperature would the water have to be for the fats to be separated from the other ingredients? As floaters are mainly a summer bait the enzymes which inhabit the fishes body cavity are at their optimum level and are quickly digesting the contents along with the increased amount of roughage available to the fish through live prey such as water snails, daphnia, blood worm, joker and a whole host of insect life. Fish know when they need to eat certain foods to help with digestion, they also know not to eat when feeling bloated, at least the fish in my tank know and by watching their behaviour I can tell if one is feeling poorly.
 
C

Cakey

Guest
John Wilson dont often use a unhooking mat,so nothing to go by.
 
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