Too many fish in Kennet and Avon Canal?

redalert06 · Jan 27, 2009

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/7853070.stm

shame they don't bring some down to the Exeter Canal

Macca_EFC · Jan 28, 2009

Would they like to bring some up to the leeds liverpool stretches near me the only thing churning up the bottom is damn boats!! along with me dragging up various pieces of rubbish, let us have some of those wonderful fish!

Graham Whatmore · Jan 28, 2009

I saw this on local TV news last night and quite honestly it doesn't make sense at all.

To many fish in the canal? They have got to be joking.

Fish stirring up the silt and destroying other water life? They have got to be joking.

What they really mean is they (the boaters) don't really want the banks festooned with anglers and their long poles, shouting abuse at inconsiderate boaters and ruining their occasional sorties to the canal, anglers are a common lot after all aren't they? If there are no fish to catch there will be no anglers to catch them, it makes sense to them but they wouldn't have the guts to say that now would they.

The TV footage showed some prime carp into double figures being removed but what they didn't show was how they captured those fish, I suspect they were electroed but it wouldn't be seemly to show that on primetime tele would it?

Macca_EFC · Jan 28, 2009

I think we should electro boaters! I've only ever encountered one v courteous boater whom slowed right down then turned the engine off to drift past and not disturb the swim i was in, other than that they are the waterway equivalent of caravans. How did nature ever sort itself out before boaters, sorry i mean people started interfering...

Gav Barbus · Jan 28, 2009

What a joke how can fish cause more silt than a boat churning through,I find this very strange can someone put a link up to the article please?I would be infuraited if I was a local angler ,how come we have not had any other fishermen from the area posting with this story or at least replying to the thread?.

Steve Spiller · Jan 28, 2009

I was Gobsmacked when I saw it on my local news last night!

They said the fish were eating the vegetation and the silt was being stirred up as the fish were doing this, thus stopping the vegetation from growing agin.

What a load of cobblers! It's not my local and as you say Gav I'm surprised the locals haven't joined in with this thread? They netted the series of ponds above and below the lock gates. The ponds had to be drained to a level that allowed people to walk in them and net the fish.

A lovely double figure Common Carp was caught with the net, but managed to flip itself over and escape to freedom. So they went after it with the electro and re-captured it, all on film.

They then showed the re-filling of one of the ponds/cuts when they opened the lock gates. The water went brown! The sediment and silt that is supposed to be so dangerous to vegetation was stirred up enormously.

The fish will find their way into the locks again in time and the whole process will be repeated.........what an absolute joke!

Tree huggers protecting vegetation or boaters getting us off their canal???

Disgraceful!!!

Grumpy Git @ · Jan 28, 2009

This section of locks is on Caen Hill in Calne. There are 27 locks in total over a 2 mile stretch Wiki link. An amazing feat of engineering.

The ponds are there to fill the locks as they are used. This last year they have been badly affected by algae with the surface completely covered in the stuff. I believe that they are right in saying that the lack of plant growth is adding to the algal growth. The fact that there are so many locks, one after the other, the fish are almost imprisoned into whichever pond they are born into, hence loads of very small silvers in the nets.

As I understand it, they are being released at the lower end of the locks into the main canal. Might just have to get a day ticket and give it a go /forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif

Edit: Oops, there are 29 locks and there are 15 of the ponds along the flight of locks.

Specihunter · Jan 28, 2009

next thing they will be saying there's not enough fish in that stretch .

Steve Spiller · Jan 28, 2009

I heard they saw a 2lb roach but it evaded capture!

Might just have to get a day ticket and give it a go /forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif

Yeah right! I'll leave the blanking to Grumpy /forum/smilies/hot_smiley.gif

slime monster · Jan 29, 2009

I have fished canals all my life and remember the horse drawn coal barges on the essington branch of the canal at brownhills,in the late fifties if you arrived at the canal at dawn the water was gin clear until the the first barge which fully laden with coal was almost scraping the bottom of the track huge clouds of silt black as coal invaded the water on its passing . now the prop driven lighter pleasure craft use all the cut ploughing through the shelves on either side in such numbers that they pass and force each other into the banks causing serious erosion and introducing more and more silt into the water. so there lies the cause of highly coloured water. in spite of this the canals in general have never fished better.As far as algea is concerned if the cut was gin clear the problem would be far worse.The Exeter canal is an example of this.

Gav Barbus · Jan 29, 2009

Thanks Steve and Grumpy,for a bit more information.Does seem strange .
Who is the controlling club ?Was this done with fishermens agrrement maybe?

Muffin · Jan 30, 2009

Its a really popular place with Anglers, saw loads when I visited a few times last summer.

I would agree with the above points, as this is such a waste of time, money and effort. Do they not think opening and closing 27 lock gates causes some stirring up of sediment?

They can put the fish in the Bristol Avon if they like, thats devoid of fish at present!

The controling club is Devizes or swindon ac.

http://www.devizesaa.org.uk/

Simon

Grumpy Git @ · Jan 31, 2009

There you go then Steve.

15 ponds to choose from, a definite 2lb roach, job sorted for your epic struggle /forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

I might just join you for a good old fashioned blanking session /forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif

Too many fish in Kennet and Avon Canal?

redalert06

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Macca_EFC

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Graham Whatmore

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Macca_EFC

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Gav Barbus

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Steve Spiller

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Grumpy Git @

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Specihunter

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Steve Spiller

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slime monster

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