What species haven't you caught for a while?

[nicepix]

Haven't had a stickleback for many years. Got my first gudgeon in decades last year along with a ruffe which again was a rarity. I thought I'd had a crucian, the first since I was in my teens, but Greenie identified as a hybrid. I also got some bleak on a local river. Again, haven't had them for a while. In fact last year I caught quite a few species I hadn't seen for a while and some new ones: pumpkinseed and poisson chat.

Can't catch a zander for love nor money though. I've had two or three many years ago by accident while spinning for other species, but try as I might I couldn't get one on lures or deadbait last season.

 

[sam vimes]

I can't think what's filled the gap in small streams as you don't tend to come across the large numbers of minnows either.

If you are actually daft enough to want minnows, come north. The upper reaches of the Yorkshire Ouse system rivers and the Tees (and probably the Wear and Tyne too) are stuffed to the gunnels with them. You'd soon get sick to the back teeth of them. It's always been my understanding, and experience, that minnows and sticklebacks inhabit distinctly different environments. The lack of suitable environment locally is why I never encountered a stickleback until I fished much further south. I suspect that it may be unlikely to see dwindling numbers of either replaced by the other.

 

[itsfishingnotcatching]

Bitterling, never seen one in my life. I don't know of anywhere in my neck of the woods that has ever held any. To the best of my knowledge, I've never knowingly fished a water with them in, even on my travels.

Had to "Google" to check what they are:whmg:

 

[binka]

If you are actually daft enough to want minnows, come north. The upper reaches of the Yorkshire Ouse system rivers and the Tees (and probably the Wear and Tyne too) are stuffed to the gunnels with them. You'd soon get sick to the back teeth of them. It's always been my understanding, and experience, that minnows and sticklebacks inhabit distinctly different environments. The lack of suitable environment locally is why I never encountered a stickleback until I fished much further south. I suspect that it may be unlikely to see dwindling numbers of either replaced by the other.

Without a doubt I'm daft enough Sam but I don't necessarily want 'em from a catch point of view, just a bit puzzled as to where the large number of minnows have gone where they were once abundant in my neck of the woods?

The stream where we fished with nets had very different characteristics to it which would back up your comment on not sharing the same habitat, the minnows would always be found in the flow whereas the sticklebacks would always be in pockets of slack backwater, presumably as this is a better environment for their nests?

I'm now actually wondering if there is an answer in there somewhere in relation to the decline of the stickleback?

 

[greenie62]

.... the minnows would always be found in the flow whereas the sticklebacks would always be in pockets of slack backwater, presumably as this is a better environment for their nests?

I'm now actually wondering if there is an answer in there somewhere in relation to the decline of the stickleback?

Sticklebacks will tolerate a lot more pollution than minnows - and tend to replace minnows in an environments pecking order when the water quality goes down - so lots of stickles is generally a bad sign - but they are generally one of the first species to (re-)establish themselves as a river is cleaning-up!

 

[binka]

Sticklebacks will tolerate a lot more pollution than minnows - and tend to replace minnows in an environments pecking order when the water quality goes down - so lots of stickles is generally a bad sign - but they are generally one of the first species to (re-)establish themselves as a river is cleaning-up!

That fits with their robust image in my mind greenie, I was actually thinking of changing habitat in respect of silting up and canalisation resulting in fewer suitable breeding grounds?

Interesting though, what on the face of it might seem a good thing can also tell a story with a far less positive undertone.

 

[denzinho]

I have done ok in 2014 for species caught. There is a massive shortage of Barbel down here though and I have located some thanks to my club for this summer. I do miss a rainbow trout from my 2014 catch, the colours are nice so I may have to look at that.

 

[S-Kippy]

Its the humble gudgeon I miss most. Bleak and minnows were always bait robbing nuisances but I was always (well nearly always) happy to catch a pongo or two. Not had one for years though 2/3 years back I was wading on the Thames fishing hemp and I had a proper little shoal round my feet feeding on the spilt stuff. I once had 14lb of pongoes in a match and believe me that is an awful lot of gudgeon.

 

[Mark Wintle]

Its the humble gudgeon I miss most. Bleak and minnows were always bait robbing nuisances but I was always (well nearly always) happy to catch a pongo or two. Not had one for years though 2/3 years back I was wading on the Thames fishing hemp and I had a proper little shoal round my feet feeding on the spilt stuff. I once had 14lb of pongoes in a match and believe me that is an awful lot of gudgeon.

In 1981 I can remember drawing what I regarded as my favourite pleasure fishing peg at Medley and quickly finding it was gudgeon and yet more gudgeon, narrowly winning the section with 8-3, 300 gudgeon, next section up won with 8-2 of gudgeon. Why they fed so well that day I don't know as i never had that many again.

Haven't a barbel for several years now.

 

[steve4849]

I haven't had a tench for a while. I could pop down to a commercial and get one i'm sure but i prefer to catch them out of the canal on light tackle so we can have a real good scrap! Unfortunatly crayfish are a big problem in my local stretch of the kennet and avon canal and they really freak me out!

When i catch one of those things i have to cut the hook off and let it go as i cant bring my self to batter it with a bank stick. Just because its ugly and inconvenient to me doesnt mean that i should have any less respect for it. Its annoying tho so i have left the canal tench alone for a while.

Next season i am going to try stalking them in order to avoid the crays.

 

[john step]

I always think that although minnows and gudgeon can be a pain they are an important piece of the food chain. Perch have made a dramatic comeback in recent years. I wonder if that coincides with the minnow/gudgeon decline. I wonder what the perch eat when the minnows decline. Perhaps it is the cycle of things and the perch will decline again and up will pop the mini species?

 

[no-one in particular]

Its the humble gudgeon I miss most. Bleak and minnows were always bait robbing nuisances but I was always (well nearly always) happy to catch a pongo or two. Not had one for years though 2/3 years back I was wading on the Thames fishing hemp and I had a proper little shoal round my feet feeding on the spilt stuff. I once had 14lb of pongoes in a match and believe me that is an awful lot of gudgeon.

First mention of Bleak Skippy, I used to see huge shoals of these as a youngster in the Thames. I have not seen a bleak anywhere for years. Do they still exist?

 

[tincatim]

There's plenty of gudgeon in the South Yorkshire Navigation Canal, you're almost always guaranteed to catch them when it's warmer on red maggot.

Beautiful little fish with eyes bigger than their bellies!

Here's one I caught earlier..

 

[S-Kippy]

First mention of Bleak Skippy, I used to see huge shoals of these as a youngster in the Thames. I have not seen a bleak anywhere for years. Do they still exist?

Still plenty in the Thames, Mark though not to the plague proportion levels of yesteryear. When I was a kid in 6 foot of water there was 5 foot of bleak !

---------- Post added at 15:09 ---------- Previous post was at 15:07 ----------

There's plenty of gudgeon in the South Yorkshire Navigation Canal, you're almost always guaranteed to catch them when it's warmer on red maggot.

Beautiful little fish with eyes bigger than their bellies!

Here's one I caught earlier..

What a magnificent fish ! A Bull Gudgeon in all its glory.

---------- Post added at 15:12 ---------- Previous post was at 15:09 ----------

I wonder what the perch eat when the minnows decline.

Crayfish...who I suspect may have something to do with the decline of the mini species. That and water quality.

 

[caelan]

the thing is it do not really matter as long as you are out on the water
catching something ohhhh yer I have not caught a barbell of any size
yet but hope to next season l o l martin/caelan

 

[The bad one]

Anyone seen any Bitterling?

I know a water not that far from you at Altcar that did have them in Oh and anybody wanting ruff, fish a small worm just as it starts to go dark never fails when I'm perch fishing The buggers are night creepers or googlie eyes!
Haven't had a double figure bream in a while but that's because I've not been fishing for them over the last 2-3 years. Might put that right this summer duno we'll see?

 

[caelan]

well close yer eyes and stamp on them why cut yer line

 

[Richard Jamieson 2]

I haven't caught a coot in some time. This example took a damsel nymph fair and square in the chops while I was trying out one of our new (at the time) Switch rods.

A vicious customer that raked my arms and body with it's fearsome talons

 

[tincatim]

I haven't caught a coot in some time. This example took a damsel nymph fair and square in the chops while I was trying out one of our new (at the time) Switch rods.

A vicious customer that raked my arms and body with it's fearsome talons

That's a mighty fine beast you've got there, you're right about the talons, I've still got painful memories of their razor sharp scratches when I landed one on double sweetcorn many years ago.

 

[flightliner]

That's got my attention...

and mine---- not the tiny crucians but the perch!.