Trent Moggies...

[cal_sutt]

The population of them is going to get a lot bigger obviously, they're going to have a severe effect on the stocks of coarse fish - roach, bream, barbel and the rest.

Mick, in addition to your comment on the 2lb bait, I read in the Anglers Mail about cats eating carp up to 20lbs... Therefore, the barbel are in just as much danger as all other coarse fish and they'll soon become more few and far between than ever in rivers like the Trent.

I think in less than 10 years time that Barbel fishing will be all about the small rivers (like my local River Idle) which, personally, is much more pleasing and somewhat easier.

All we can do is wait and in the future the Trent could even end up as the UK's equivalent to the Ebro - wouldn't be too bad!

 

[mick b]

Do you think catfish will establish themselves in any great numbers through our river systems Mick?

I'm thinking a cautious yes as long as the prey species are there to sustain them...

Again maybe a similar situation to when zander first started to spread?

To be completely honest Bink, its quite difficult to spirt away a long slippery Catfish compared to a chunky Zander.
Plus Zander certainly look more appetising and taste superb :wh

As for them establishing themselves, from the posts on here they are present good(ish) numbers already, juveniles are being caught and preferred locations (optimum comfort and easy feeding) have already been established.

The worst thing about Catfish in a river system is they are very difficult to control even by the French longline/circle hook methods.

Historically....
It has been widely thought for many years that some Claydon Catfish entered the Ouse via Claydon brook, though I haven't heard of many captures in the Ouse itself

If I ever catch one from any English river system it will be retained on a stringer to await the EA's attention.


.

 

[cal_sutt]

To be completely honest Bink, its quite difficult to spirt away a long slippery Catfish compared to a chunky Zander.
Plus Zander certainly look more appetising and taste superb :wh

As for them establishing themselves, from the posts on here they are present good(ish) numbers already, juveniles are being caught and preferred locations (optimum comfort and easy feeding) have already been established.

The worst thing about Catfish in a river system is they are very difficult to control even by the French longline/circle hook methods.

Historically....
It has been widely thought for many years that some Claydon Catfish entered the Ouse via Claydon brook, though I haven't heard of many captures in the Ouse itself

If I ever catch one from any English river system it will be retained on a stringer to await the EA's attention.


.

It's okay saying that it could turn out to be the same situation as Zander, but they're a lot less of a pest/trouble that anglers are facing. Zander will go around eating roach at night but this doesnt affect the match anglers at all, fair enough numbers will be lowered but there's that many roach, skimmers and hybrids in the Trent that a population of Zander isnt posing to be much of a threat to the stocks of these fish.

As for the catfish, they are proving to be a pest to barbel, carp and even pike anglers as they are taking these anglers' baits and, due to a lack of specialist tackle, they are all getting snagged up, losing rigs left right and centre and even some damage has been done to people's carp/barbel/pike tackle. As well as this, as said many a time before, they're a threat to barbel and even carp in the rivers.

They're nothing but trouble but at the same time they are wished for. My opinion is mixed.

 

[flightliner]

Crow, sorry friend-- missed your point.

Re the cats,A few reports have been made over the last few years but to the best of my knowledge they have not been verified publicly.
One well known angler related a dour struggle with a big "something" that took a barbel he was playing but the beast was never seen.
A great mate of mine -a guy who has likely had more barbel off the river than anyone else I know had a similar experience. Playing the thing for near on a half hour before it straightened his hook.
I really hope these isolated incidents are just that. Having things like big cats swimming in the Trent would not be in the rivers best interest.

 

[Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC)]

The Ebro in Spain once had a diverse range of fish. I believe that has changed considerably since they were wiped put by the cats.

 

[cal_sutt]

The Ebro in Spain once had a diverse range of fish. I believe that has changed considerably since they were wiped put by the cats.

And I believe that the Trent could become a lot like this but on a smaller scale of course, it's only a matter of time before they do wipe out a great deal of the fish in the river. On the bright side, though, places would do catfishing trips and tours for those of us not willing to fork out £200 for a such thinly spread population of fish. I would certainly give it a go if there was professional assistance and the gear could be rented or something in the "trip".

 

[thecrow]

The Ebro in Spain once had a diverse range of fish. I believe that has changed considerably since they were wiped put by the cats.

As far as I know the Ebro was "seeded" with only a few cats, just shows what can happen in ideal conditions.

 

[cal_sutt]

As far as I know the Ebro was "seeded" with only a few cats, just shows what can happen in ideal conditions.

Is the Ebro the ideal conditions for cats? If so, then the Trent is on the extreme opposite end of the spectrum, the Ebro is far more extreme than the Trent! There are a lot of areas of the Tidal Trent that I know that would be far from ideal for cats so (fingers crossed) they'll stay spread out, but anyway... Who knows!

 

[naxian62]

Are Cats really that much of an effecient predator that they could wipe out another species from a river? Given time of course.

 

[mick b]

It's okay saying that it could turn out to be the same situation as Zander, but they're a lot less of a pest/trouble that anglers are facing. Zander will go around eating roach at night but this doesnt affect the match anglers at all, fair enough numbers will be lowered but there's that many roach, skimmers and hybrids in the Trent that a population of Zander isnt posing to be much of a threat to the stocks of these fish.

Whoaa cal,
I hope you didn't think I implied Zander were a problem?
I was only saying that they taste pretty good.
BTW when pleasure fishing a Zander water you know when the Zander are in your swim when all the bites stop, yes they do feed in the d aytime.

On my only experience of have Catfish available to eat I was too young to make a choice (when Leighton Buzzard Angling Club netted the Lakes in Woburn Park and the keepers shot all the Catfish).

The Ebro is a simply fantastic river, not the section where the Catfish Circus operates but the upper reaches, its truly a river anglers heaven.
The Catfish were introduced by a Kraut who thought it a good idea and the fish exploded in size and numbers, and from all accounts the Spanish Authorities now want them out.

How Catfish got into the Trent is anyones guess, but the Ringwood Lake that was intentionally stocked by an unknown someone has cost the club a great deal money and probably destroyed one of the best, if not the best, Tench fisheries in the UK. (Remember my previous post, Catfish & Tench livebait, someone knew what they were doing)!

If they were intentionally stocked into the Trent the culprits should bear the full weight of the Law, if they can be identified.

 

[andreagrispi]

I hooked on just above collingham weir - it must have been of unbelievable size. Just very slowly swam upstream, in the end I almost pointed my rod at the fish, but it didn't change it's speed or direction. I felt like I was hooked onto a boat.

 

[nicepix]

They are in most of the French rivers and haven't decimated the fish populations. Same in the lakes I fish. Nature usually has a way of balancing things out.

 

[symonh2000]

Are there Cats in any of the other major rivers such as the Thames, Severn etc?

There is a lake complex near me that has them stocked. I don't think it would take much for them to escape into the Thames tributaries given a certain amount of flooding.

I know some of the other lakes near where they are stocked have lost other fish into the rivers due to floods.

 

[mick b]

They are in most of the French rivers and haven't decimated the fish populations. Same in the lakes I fish. Nature usually has a way of balancing things out.

Hi np,
Hows things in sunny France, 29C in Hampshire at 09.30 today


Catfish....oh yes,

Catfish may be present in most French rivers but that doesn't mean we should compare UK rivers to those in France.
To my knowledge there are thriving commercial fisheries for Catfish throughout France.
I have seen them (French TV) caught by the boatload (8-12 fish in the 10-15kg range) on circle hook longlines set overnight, which would clearly indicate a regular cropping of the population and something that would be unlikely to happen here.

Nature sure has a way of balancing things out I agree, its usually the biggest and strongest that multiply and survive and the small and least aggressive that die (get eaten) or get driven out.

It will be interesting to see how the resident Barbel populations on the Trent react to a non-native (unknown) mega predator swimming amongst them?
A 'going' swim dieing, will be the first indicator I presume.

If the Trent was my river I would make it a habit of fishing a sleeper rod down the side, 120lb braid on a 4/0 sea reel, a beefy 6oz uptider and commercial circle hooked megga bait should do it, plus a rod belt.
To the uninitiated, prior to fishing I would advise hooking up to something solid e.g.; car or telegraph post, then really putting a bend in the rod and setting the drag to only just give line, this way you know what a loaded rod feels like and how much pressure you can apply before you begin to suffer.

 

[dangermouse]

Are Cats really that much of an effecient predator that they could wipe out another species from a river? Given time of course.

They are in most of the French rivers and haven't decimated the fish populations. Same in the lakes I fish. Nature usually has a way of balancing things out.

Everyone`s quick research friend Wiki says that Wels have pretty much wiped out a species of barbel from the Ebro.

Are there Cats in any of the other major rivers such as the Thames, Severn etc?

Terror in the Thames! | Articles | Features | Fortean Times UK

 

[nicepix]

The thing is; if catfish have wiped out their prey species then what do they live on? There has to be some predation to balance stocks and this far south pike are scarce and zander aren't capable of culling large carp and barbel.

Many of the French rivers and lakes have huge catfish present and in good numbers too yet they also teem with fish such as barbel in the rivers and carp everywhere. I've never seen or heard of commercial long lining for catfish in my area and in the stretches of rivers that I fish there is little angling pressure on them.

 

[smudger172]

Are there Cats in any of the other major rivers such as the Thames, Severn etc?


They have been caught on the thames as far up as wallingford.

 

[symonh2000]

Are there Cats in any of the other major rivers such as the Thames, Severn etc?


They have been caught on the thames as far up as wallingford.

That sounds promising.

I am a bit futher up than Wallingford, the Ticket I have covers me to fish Northmoor.

 

[thecrow]

According to what I have read some are in Trent tributaries such as the Soar.

 

[cg74]

That sounds promising.

I am a bit futher up than Wallingford, the Ticket I have covers me to fish Northmoor.

A bit further upstream, Northmoor must be 25-30 miles upstream of Wallingford!

Cats have been caught from Sandford lock.

Everyone`s quick research friend Wiki says that Wels have pretty much wiped out a species of barbel from the Ebro.



Terror in the Thames! | Articles | Features | Fortean Times UK

It's a lot more complex than the cats have simply wiped out all the prey species, comprising mainly of Cyprinids. The river has three invasive species of fish all contributing to the decimation of the indigenous fish stocks.
Zander, carp and wels being the three culprits.

IMO the Thames will go the same way if water temps increase further!