What's happened to the River Dane?

Me and my fishing partner have been regular visitors to various stretches of the River Dane over the last 10 years. Now, is it just us, or does the fishing seem to have undergone a major decline?

We first started fishing the Dane on Congleton AS length at Swettenham village many years agoand every trip we would undoubtedly have something to trouble the scales. You could always guarantee catching at least 2 or 3 decent Chub apiece and often on different pegs. There was also an abundance of good quality Dace and Roach to be had as well. In addition to this I remenber spending many an afternoon walking along the Radnor bank stretch and seeing anglers getting Chub a chuck on the stick and maggot.

Knowadays we ply our trade on the Warrington AS length at Holmes Chapel and the Congleton/Biddulph length at Somerford Park farm. Now I can hand on heart say that both of us are no mugs when it comes to the Dane, but all we seem to do is blank knowadays. Granted when we do catch its normally good quality Chub (or Grayling if we spend a day on stick and maggot) but where are the smaller fish? We fish it regularly but its been years and years since we've seen any Dace or Roach or even multiple bags of Chub.

Can anyone else relate to this?

I haven't fished it as much the last 12 months mate, but the times I have been I have caughtchub. Amate of mine who posts here had a multiple bag not long back with lots of fish to about 4lb(14 fish in total think)taken from 6 or so different swims.

I reckon they might be a bit more spread out now, and possibly more wary, hence the lack of big bags of fish taken on the float.

Don't forget the river has been up and downmany manytimes the last year or so which may have had an effect on survival rate. It can often be the case that some year classes of fish 'go missing' due to this, and other effects.

You used to see & catch loads of Gudgeon and small chub in past but not now. There is less float anglers fishing as was in 70's & 80's. So maybe the mink & cormarants have taken their toll of them.

I used to fish the stretch of water at Somerford a lot all be it about 4 or 5 years ago, i never float fished i only ever ledgered.

I used to catch a lot of Chub on Raw Stewing steak, hair rigged.

Give it a go, it worked for me. /forum/smilies/devil_smiley.gif

I have noticed a big decline in the smaller speices ,there was alot morequality dace and gudgeon 10 years ago ,but the big chub are still there its a case of finding them as they arent always in the old favourite pegs as the shape and conditions of the river change so much every year .take byley for instance its different every time i go down after flooding

Those barbel have got a lot to answer for .........

They aren't spread that far up Ed, not in any serious numbers anyway, I think mate!

The only thing that we've come up with is the affect that Mink have had on the river. They're that widespread now I've even seen them in Congleton Park. Also, over the last 2 or 3 years there seems to have been a lot more Herons knocking about, especially as the Dane is so shallow in places.

I was walking the Holmes Chapel stretch of the Dane last week and two cormorants were working half a mile of it. Cormorants, mink, (and barbel in some stretches) have taken their toll on the smaller fish, and not just the Dane.

The RSPB have made it difficult for us to sort out the cormorants and the animal rights mob have killed more fish by releasing mink than any coarse angler has ever killed.

Off to the Dane tomorrow - I'll look out for the twin evils of MInk and Cormorant. Certainly been a bit patchy since I've returned from the deep south - but I've put that down to the weather.

Fished lower Dane today and there was loads flying overhead. A Cormerant type bird (white like a seagull) appeared upstream of me.../forum/smilies/angry_smiley.gif.

It's not only the Dane.......some of the small rivers i know are a shadow of what they used to be.

<blockquote class=quoteheader>Graham Marsden (ACA) wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class=quote>

The RSPB have made it difficult for us to sort out the cormorants and the animal rights mob have killed more fish by releasing mink than any coarse angler has ever killed.</blockquote>


Graham. In your opinion. The way that things are going down south. Is angling in the future doomed, I:E fishery,s being bought by none angling organization,s the wild life which has now in-crest, so now there tacking more fish.

As it would be sad if it was to go this way for the anglers of the future(If theres going to be any)

Hi Jim.

By saying down South, do you mean the river Dane? Yes we are South of where you come from mate. But we class ourselves as Northerners.

I have seen mink on the Dane for a good number of years now. Some people think they are otters, but they are not. There have also been a few illegal polution dumpings over the past couple of years. It makes me wonder how a small river like this has survived it at all.

Hi Baz I was just wondering, as to what has being said on quite a lot of threads lately.

And it seems to me that England is having more than enough of its fair share (if I can put it that way) Its sad to see what a lot of the members are saying now and said in the past.

Here you go Jim. Have a look at this DANE MINK.

Then have a look at this HANDSOME DANE ANGLER

Thanks for that Baz. I think someone should start a new thread.

IS ANGLING DOOMED !. There you go Baz I nominate you.

<blockquote class="quoteheader">JIMMY ( P A A S ) wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class="quote"><blockquote class="quoteheader">Graham Marsden (ACA) wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class="quote">

The RSPB have made it difficult for us to sort out the cormorants and the animal rights mob have killed more fish by releasing mink than any coarse angler has ever killed.</blockquote>


Graham. In your opinion. The way that things are going down south. Is angling in the future doomed, I:E fishery,s being bought by none angling organization,s the wild life which has now in-crest, so now there tacking more fish.

As it would be sad if it was to go this way for the anglers of the future(If theres going to be any)</blockquote>


YesJimmy, it is my opinion, but I don't understand what you're getting at. Do you mean you disagree with that? I'm not saying there aren't worse things happening in some areas.

By the way, the photograph of the mink in the article that Baz linked to was taken by me on the weirpool at Holmes Chapel. Two of them were working the pool, and the one pictured sat eating a fish no more than three yards from me.

Well, it did, until a rock sailed past it's head. Pity it missed.

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Mink are one of the scourges of the countryside and purely on the basis that they are not indigenous and have been illegally introduced they should be exterminated but in a humane way. What is not needed is for some stupid government 'know nothing' introducing a poisoning campaign which will only serve to destroy other more desirable species. Perhaps a price per head for those that are shot would be a more suitable method or a live trapping followed by humane killing controlled by the authorites. Anything that rids us of these pests forever is desirable and a price per head would carry no overheads other than the £1 or whatever per headbut I suspect that the authorities will never make a move on them because it carries no votes and therefore a pointless exercise from their point of view..

Cormorants are a different proposition but again shooting is the only control other than nest destroying (does that happen do you think?) but the reason they are here in the first place is mainly down to us overfishing the sea and taking away their only source of food. The RSPB in its misguided wisdom would object to that of course and the government in its wisdom would listen to them rather than a bunch of anglers whose only concern (in their eyes) is their pleasure.

It matters not a toss that between the two of them they are destroying the ecology of our rivers (extraction plays its part too)and that is why rivers like the Dane have their natural fish stocks reduced to a level that is unnatural and the only people who are concerned are anglers BUT take away any one link in a food chain and eventually somewhere down the line it will affect humans and then, and only then, someone will act.

Graham. What I was asking is do you think that angling down south is doomed due to whats all happening. The sea is going to reclaim a lot off the land back. The so called RSPB ( lying b------s) Buying good fishery. More wild life now than before taking there share.