1998-2008 The Golden Age of Coarse Fishing

Mark Wintle · May 17, 2010

Although Ron wants to ascribe such a label to the late Victorian/Edwardian and 1947-97 eras, I think that the last ten years ending 2008 were truly the golden age. Just before otter damage kicked in big time the chub, barbel, perch, carp, crucian and tench catches collectively surpass all that went before. It's time to take off the rose-tinted specs and look at what really happened.

Fish that would have been the fish of the decade in most of the previous eras were reported on a weekly basis. A recent example was that one of my local RDAA pits, a water where a few little skimmers and roach were par for the course 30 years ago, has just produced a new carp best at 47lbs 3oz, yet that is barely within 20lbs of the record!

It's easy to forget the problems of the past but pollution, netting, abstraction and dredging were catastrophic 1850-1980 compared to the last decade. The taking of fish for the table only stopped post WW2 and that in itself curtailed top weights but climate change, the maturation of many gravel pits and eutrophication have also collectively altered things.

Some forms of coarse fishing are truly in the past. Great dace fishing is rare even if there are the odd pocket of big ones. River roach fishing is hard to find.
Match fishing has been declining since 1950 - the term 'open to all England' pretty much a joke now that entries are typically 20 compared to 2000 60 years ago.

Graham Marsden · May 17, 2010

Mark Wintle said:
Although Ron wants to ascribe such a label to the late Victorian/Edwardian and 1947-97 eras, I think that the last ten years ending 2008 were truly the golden age. Just before otter damage kicked in big time the chub, barbel, perch, carp, crucian and tench catches collectively surpass all that went before.

Can't argue much with most of what Mark says, but as far as the above is concerned surely it's all relative regarding the size of specimen fish.

For instance, although Walker's 44lb record is a lot smaller than the current record, it is surely a much more significant fish. The current record is far from being a landmark in specimen fish terms, but Walker's fish truly was and always will be. Clarissa was genuinely a historic capture, whilst recent record carp are much, much less so.

The Scarlet Maggot · May 17, 2010

1998-2008 Coarse angling is venturing up its own arse hole… 2010 it can’t get back! It’s becoming increasingly homogenized and weird… In general the mystery, innocence and human element is being eroded. The magic has been exchanged for accessories.

Crayfish!!!!

/TRM

Sean Meeghan · May 17, 2010

Nah! 1970's:

Carp fishing was really getting going, specimen hunting was widely understood and practised, the foundations of modern match fishing were being laid, post-Walker writers were now being published and read.

And I was in my teens so anything was possible!

slime monster · May 17, 2010

Red Maggot echoed my thoughts ....

Mark Wintle · May 17, 2010

I think angling has always been homogeneous or do you believe that those train loads of Sheffielders 60 years ago all adopted different methods? The great mass of anglers tend to follow the crowd; only a tiny minority do things differently, experimenting, developing new methods and pioneering. A single shot crowquill method of old becomes the multi-rod bolt rig of the present.

Jeff Woodhouse · May 17, 2010

Graham Marsden said:
Can't argue much with most of what Mark says, but as far as the above is concerned surely it's all relative regarding the size of specimen fish.

Without wanting to sound sycophantic, he's right. Back in the sixties we slavishly went around Cheshire trying to find these meres that a Graham Marsden had been catching 10+lbs bream from and had fun doing it even though we never did find them.

Then, a 10lbs fish was really something to treasure, a wonder even, but tell me where I can catch a 10lbs fish now and ..... well, I might try if I have nothing better to do. And it's not the size, for even if I knew of a place where 20lbs fish swam around, I might still not be that interested. It seemed so much of a challenge then, poor rods, lousy reels, pitiful banksticks, brown crumb groundbait only and maggots, bread or cheesepaste. Now, you tailor your tackle precisely to the specific fish, it's not that much of a challenge anymore.

Neil Maidment · May 17, 2010

Certainly the Golden Age of River Coarse Fishing seems to be long gone. I have tended to follow the thinking about "cycles" but I now fear "my" rivers are just beyond redemption.

The Middle/Lower Dorset Stour is generally a very poor reflection of it's former glory. Gone are the numerous big chub and barbel, replaced by the occassional specimen. Should be easily seen this time of year but now complete stretches would appear to be almost barren. Walking the banks of Throop (with a Game Ticket) is quite depressing. Casting a fly for trout but in reality just enjoying the scenery, but where are the huge shoals of chub? Down the throats of Cormorants and Otters, dead from polutants and swept away by mindless river improvements over many years.

I'm just grateful I was around to see some of that glorious history, it's way past any hope of returning.

Pass the whisky please!

Steve Spiller · May 18, 2010

Neil I feel the same and hope 'cycles' will come true, but in all honesty I fear the worste.

The match angling days on the rivers are gone, all we see now are small club matches, 10-20 anglers tops. On my local, the chairman of the club has said that rivers are finished!

If that's the attitude what chance have we got? I'm not joining it this year because of that.

It really is sad, in the days when 200+ peggers were the norm the clubs would organise work parties, swim clearing, a bit of gardening, but now it's gone. One example of this is Chequers, just down the road from me, it used to hold nationals, but now my club has given it up. The farmer/land owner has allowed the boat people to moor up in their barges and take over the land. They have small gardens on the banks, the fishing swims are full of barges, so the club have let it go!

We haven't had any bad floods for a while! When we do, their gardens will be gone!

As for the fish, due to the problems they face, I can only cross my fingers and hope the cycle turns full circle.......

Paul H · May 18, 2010

The angling clubs round Derby really promote their river stretches on their websites. In fact most of them have far more river to aim at than stillwaters.

With regard to the 'golden age' I have not been involved long enough to have a reasoned opinion but I would say that round these parts the rivers are a long way from being abandoned.

Move up to Derby Steve, Trent, Derwent and Dove all within easy reach, mostly non-navigable, and very reasonably priced too.

Graham Whatmore · May 18, 2010

I must agree with most of what has been said and anglers like me that much prefer rivers feel it more keenly than those that fish for big fish on still waters. There are still small pockets of decent river fishing to be had on certain rivers and by asking questions of people like me who, unlike some, is always willing to to pass those venues on then interested anglers can try it for themselves.

The biggest user of rivers in the past was unquestionably the match angler but those very same anglers now content themselves in fishing match lakes having written the rivers off, for good in most cases. Ken Giles has told me than once that he would never dream of planning a day on the river and this from a man who once devoted his angling life to them and he isn't alone.

They say nothing stands still in life and its very true but I wish river fishing could return to something like its former glory if only for you younger anglers to enjoy it as much as I and many others once did.

jcp01 · May 18, 2010

Whenever people talk about the death of river fishing they always seem to be talking about the death of their own personal stretches and spots.

My experience of river fishing starts pretty much in late 2008, before that I lived in Essex , grew up fishing stillwaters and then spent an entire decade from 1997 fishing for bass off the Essex coast ~ I had some cracking sport before press fueled bass boom took off but now that the fashion for bass fishing is fading fast , everyone is complaining how terrible it all is! Perhaps I had the best of it...

So be it.

My experience of rivers may be short but wherever I go, I seem to catch lots and lots of fish, so I haven't a clue what you are all talking about...!

Perhaps I am so very naive that it is an advantage to me?

I will fish any peg in any trickle of water just out of curiosity, I'd suggest you do the same and you might discover something you never knew was there all along. Lower your sights; aim for one pound roach out of the insignificant streams you drive over and ignore on the way to the Avon and the Stour and their two pounders, because I think they rate as highly.

For what its worth I think the death of our river roach is down to the introduction of barbel, a piggish fish who seem to upset the biomass balance. On the Wark's Avon you'll catch roach pretty much wherever the barbel ain't, it seems.

jlstretton · May 18, 2010

Well as someone who want to get into fishing, this really has made me wonder if its worth it, very depressing.

dezza · May 18, 2010

My guess is that with the exception of the two Grahams, and even Mr. Whatmore who was involved mainly in coarse match fishing, the rest of the anglers commenting on this sight are too young to appreciate just what happened in the 50s and 60s.

I was there and so was GM. We were not just involved in coarse fish specimen hunting either. I became intensely involve in fly fishing by 1966. I remember the capture of Clarissa quite well, being 10 years old at the time.

In the early 60s I was involved in founding the big fish movement in the North of England. By the late 60s I was heavily involved in carp fishing.

But in those days we had it made. The sizes of fish caught by us in those days were enormous, compared with what had gone before. But what was most imprtant was that we were catching big fish regularly and consistantly. Those who think that there was some sort of golden age of angling in the 21st century, just cannot grasp what went before. And I was there, in the thick of it.

But this story will continue when I get my book published.

Paul H · May 18, 2010

jlstretton said:
Well as someone who want to get into fishing, this really has made me wonder if its worth it, very depressing.

Don't feel disheartened mate, river fishing is totally worth it, and is my preference.

What saddens me is to see other river anglers seemingly giving up because others have. It will become a self perpetuating decline if we're not careful.

If you love fishing rivers and want to continue doing so then support a club that offers that opportunity. And check to see if that club is a member of the Angling Trust too.

Ray Daywalker Clarke · May 18, 2010

Bloody hell. talk about gloom and doom.

I have had great days fishing in the late 60's, in the 70's and 80's, but it doesn't stop there.

In those days it was a fish a chuck on most rivers, not today we know, but the rivers are far from being finished. I don't catch as much today, but in general the fish are bigger, and there is still the odd days when i have a very good day.

Looking back I used to go walk about most days, as I found the fishing at time's boring, as it was easy to catch. I get more from my fishing now as I have to work harder to catch, and therefore I get more out of it.

Speciman fish are far bigger today, in nearly all specie's, now is the golden age of speciman fish, we had our day way back in history, when we thought specimans were big, and no one had any idea that fish would get to the weights they are today.

Steve Spiller · May 18, 2010

Are rivers too clean nowadays?

I can remember sitting on sewage outflows as a kid and catching loads of roach, dace, skimmers and chub, they don't flow anymore...... Where have the gudgeon and eels gone? Again as a kid I can remember lying down and scooping out hand fulls of elvers in the margins, now they are gone? Are the barbel and carp feasting on them?

It's not all bad news though, if pike thrive on neglect then we should be in for a few suprises :wh

Newfie's Drool · May 19, 2010

Hi
Its been a long long time since I last posted and thought I would try to keep in touch when I can.
Perhaps 3 years ago I would moan about the rivers and how they fished but now I would say each trip is golden.
Rivers do change but they still hold a challenge and for many just the flow of the water is enough to enjoy a day out.
I don't get much time now for fishing but last Saturday I meet up with Jeff and had a golden day out.
For me it was special not just for catching but to see a friend and just to relax and enjoy the day out.
Angling is all about what you make it and the golden age started when you first cast out onto the water and continues to this day. Long may it last.

Graham Whatmore · May 19, 2010

The problem with fishing a river these days is that the bites can be very sparce, some days maybe even none at all. Whilst this doesn't bother the dyed in the wool river angler it doesn't appeal at all to the new angler who thinks fishing is catching fish after fish all day everyday as he can on a commercial pool. There is no solution to this other than to have productive rivers once again which would only happen if the rivers were heavily restocked, the black death were all shot and the rivers not used as a dustbin for industry and farmers.

Mark Wintle · May 19, 2010

This thread isn't about the decline in rivers!

It's about the fact that the decade mentioned produced big fish, from rivers and stillwaters, of a size and in a quantity, of the species mentioned plus some others to a lesser degree, that is unsurpassed in angling history.

Much of the reason for this is circumstantial. Gravel pits dug post WW2 take decades to mature and produce their best. Carp are far more widespread than at any time in the past and the types of carp stocked are better varieties i.e. able to grow much bigger. Perch have recovered well from perch disease and with more suitable water have also done incredibly well. The warm winters of the late 90s and early 00s boosted fish weights. Chub have got back their true condition but do seem to have peaked generally but I know of single anglers who caught more truly big chub in a couple of seasons than the entire angling population managed in a decade such as the 50s or 60s when a 6lb chub would be the best of the season. For the river species it does look like we are past the peak though perch continue to thrive. On stillwaters the best may be yet to come - Yesterday's AT has a 72hr carp catch of 3 40s, 3 30s plus 2 20s which is astonishing.

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