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Shame About Some Of The Old Fishing Hotspots.


MikyO

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Well its my 10th year on the Broads mostly on the North side and this year was no different. Just got home from an October week away on Summer Horizon with my father. We went to most of our old fishing haunts but found some of them were really disappointing. Horning and Paddy's Lane in particular where year after year so good for slabs but failed to bag any. Potter Higham was reasonable for skimmers as usal as was Sutton, only places we had a good bag. We had a night or two in the sticks but also found that disappointing. Off to the South side next year, am not really familiar with that part of the Broads.

 

We had a great week anyway with problem free boating and would like to say Richardsons staff and Crew were great, as was our boat. We were just a little disappointed with the fishing.

 

See you guys next year.20191011_103705.jpeg20191010_143529.jpeg

 

Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

 

 

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I don't use a keepnet myself, my choice, but in moderation, as in MikyO's picture, it is just about, almost acceptable. Where I do see red is when people retain fish overnight, several days even, in order to fill their net for the ultimate trophy shot. As for towing fish in a keepnet behind a boat, arghh!

MikyO, hot spots do get hammered and ill judged keepnet use does take it's toll on fish stocks, of that I am convinced. 

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41 minutes ago, VetChugger said:

Hope you leave the keep net at home next year!

Yes, I may well be a miserable parentless offspring but I just don't see the need to chuck all those fish into such a small environment at all!!

 

6 minutes ago, Jbx5 said:

My thoughts exactly why do it !!

John

I`ve never used a keep net and never will, i put them back straight away. Having said that, why be so critical to a friendly post?. I had the same when i posted a pic of me proudly holding my record catch at Loddon last July, it made me feel like i`d done something wrong and did`nt want to post anymore on that thread. My old favourite comes to mind - "let he (or she) who is without sin cast the first stone". We all have our likes and dislikes, and i wonder how many of us have done something in all innocence, or because that`s what we always do, yet would get critisism from others?, probably all of us in different ways?.

As for the poor fishing, a lot will disagree, but probably the main reason is the out of control otter population. They are now so out of control, fish stocks etc all over the country are being decimated because of mans intervention by self effacing do gooders who don`t know as much about wildlife as they want you to believe, yet in the process have seriously interfered with the the balance of nature. 

It`s also one of the reasons why so much of the bird population on the broads has disappeared, because otters are scavaging the reeds and taking hatchlings from the nests. There was also a film clip posted on youtube where an otter was swimming beside a boat with its mouth around a goose`s neck, then took it away and killed it. 

I wish do gooders would learn a thing or two about what they`re preaching before they celebrate believing they have won a worthy cause, only to claim other outside issue have caused problems that have occured as a direct result

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Sorry to be a do gooder  agree it was a friendly post and  it was nice reading MikyOs story with his Dad but don’t understand what Otters have to do with the subject of a net packed with fish  unnecessarily.

 

John  

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I didn't manage to do much fishing in my week there two weeks ago. The little I did I had hardly any bites, nothing to encourage me persevering.

Up at Neatishead a couple of locals from Coltishall set up their rods just as I was mooring so I was limited to off the boat in the staithe itself. It was rubbish, not even a bite in the two hours I tried. Speaking to the two locals they said it was currently poor everywhere.

I was parked up in Brinkcrafts marina for most of the week. The people in the holiday homes opposite appeared to be having as much joy as me. Just one of those weeks I suppose.

 

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43 minutes ago, Jbx5 said:

Sorry to be a do gooder  agree it was a friendly post and  it was nice reading MikyOs story with his Dad but don’t understand what Otters have to do with the subject of a net packed with fish  unnecessarily.

 

John  

Please tell me where in my post i say you`re a do gooder because of your stance on keep nets, it`s the same as mine?.

My comments about do gooders was aimed at those who have brought about the protected spieces status of otters, they being nothing more than vicious vermin and are decimating waterside wildlife. That is why i answered his post about the apparent drastic cut in the amount of quality fish caught AFTER my comments on other peoples critisizm of keep nets.

41 minutes ago, marshman said:

Well thats at least solved the problem of a shortage of fish  - oh and of the birds as well!!

In good form tonight again marshman :default_icon_clap:

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Since we are on the subject of dwindling fish stocks, the shortage of fish in the North Sea might be the reason that there have been several fish guzzling seals sighted on the Broads this year. Six feet of bull seal must do far more damage than ever do otters, we mustn't forget those pesky cormorants either

2 hours ago, marshman said:

Well thats at least solved the problem of a shortage of fish  - oh and of the birds as well!!

It certainly has!! 

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We had 3 weeks on the (North) Broads this Summer. I fished everyday from 4am until leaving our mooring, as frequently as I could during the day, and until it was too dark to see. I had a wonderful time. Caught fish at every venue, some glorious Roach and Rudd, decent skimmers and Bream, and the biggest Perch I have ever caught in 60 years. I even caught lots of Tommy Ruffe and Gudgeon, which I took to be testament to the quality of the water these days. I saw several people using keep nets (not in fishing matches) and I did remark to Lyn on my complete inability to see the point of their use. But also I did not seek to remonstrate with the individuals as the regulations do permit the use of knotless, soft weave, keepnets and until the Broads Authority or Environment Agency outlaw the use of keep nets except under match fishing conditions, Anglers are free to do so.

We are making plans to return in 2021 (it will take us that long to save for the flights and the boat!) for another 3 weeks and I intend to fish every hour I can as there is no decent coarse fishing here in New Zealand. But I won't be using a keep net. 

Take care of the place for us until we get back.

Cheers

Chris

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1 hour ago, JennyMorgan said:

Since we are on the subject of dwindling fish stocks, the shortage of fish in the North Sea might be the reason that there have been several fish guzzling seals sighted on the Broads this year. Six feet of bull seal must do far more damage than ever do otters, we mustn't forget those pesky cormorants either

Yes, in the main streams, but the otters are decimating the birds in the reed nests, plus a lot of the fish in the margins where the seals are less likely to be. 

I must admit though, i had`nt thought to mention seals.

I thought someone might have put up a post saying otters are doing no damage at all, and so lovely and cute and cuddly, and it`s a man made thing, but then classifying the little b.....ds as a protected spieces COULD be classified as man made i suppose?.

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Not to mention that there are approx 100 nesting Marsh Harriers and over 100 over wintering Marsh Harriers in Norfolk.

Young Waterfowl are very much on their menu.

Furthermore the American Mink has a strong foothold along most Norfolk Waterways. It is a very elusive predator, just because you do not see it does not mean it is not there. It causes huge damage to wildlife, game birds and fish stocks. In my opinion, in unkeepered areas not enough is done to control it.

And then as Peter has said there is the Cormorant which was never inland in the numbers we see today. Not long before I sold my boat I watched an epic struggle between a large eel and a very determined Cormorant between Thurne Mouth and Womack.

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30 minutes ago, ChrisB said:

Not to mention that there are approx 100 nesting Marsh Harriers and over 100 over wintering Marsh Harriers in Norfolk.

Young Waterfowl are very much on their menu.

Furthermore the American Mink has a strong foothold along most Norfolk Waterways. It is a very elusive predator, just because you do not see it does not mean it is not there. It causes huge damage to wildlife, game birds and fish stocks. In my opinion, in unkeepered areas not enough is done to control it.

And then as Peter has said there is the Cormorant which was never inland in the numbers we see today. Not long before I sold my boat I watched an epic struggle between a large eel and a very determined Cormorant between Thurne Mouth and Womack.

I totally agree. I think there is a big change in the balance of nature on the Broads compared to the post - War years, when I was growing up on the rivers. I am a veteran of the coypu campaign, so I believe we must consider very carefully before introducing (and then protecting) animals which have no natural enemies here.

And what about those lovely little Peregrine Falcon chicks that we can all watch growing up on live TV on Norwich Cathedral? What do we suppose they are feeding off? Costa muffins on Gentleman's Walk?

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"And what about those lovely little Peregrine Falcon chicks that we can all watch growing up on live TV on Norwich Cathedral? What do we suppose they are feeding off? Costa muffins on Gentleman's Walk?"

Hopefully feral pigeons


Sent from the Norfolk Broads Network mobile app

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Re Marsh Harriers, whenever I see them, they are a little way inland, so I didn't consider them.  Cormorants, yes another predator, but I thought they only take from the river, and do not take nesting birds or others from the land. As for the American Mink, obviously another example of man's interference in matters of nature. 

I'm sure somebody told me that Catfish are also on the Broads, is that true, and are they a natural UK spices or invasive?. 

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Only ever saw cormorants on Breydon Water in the 60's. Now they're the bird I predominately see EVERYWHERE! Why? Because we bottom drag-trawled their traditional feeding grounds. Man is the major cause of nature imbalance. If man disappeared, nature would find it's own balance. It wouldn't necessarily be the one humans would like or appreciate, but it would be a long-term overall balance of predator and prey.

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It is a wonder to me that the Zander has never reached The Broads given the close proximity to the drains it which it was originally let go. As a species it seems to have spread all over the country but not to the next river system in the county of it's release.

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What is "natural" is a subject that can be debated until the cows come home but its worth remembering this:

 

Otters re-colonised the British Isles after the last Ice Age, and they were widespread across the whole landmass during much of the intervening 10,000 years. More recently, otters were present throughout Great Britain in the early 1950s, but from the mid-1950s to late 1970s there was a dramatic decline. This mirrored what was happening across much of Europe. The decline occurred across Scotland, England and Wales, but it was most dramatic in England. By the late 1970s the only healthy populations were in parts of Scotland, although small populations remained in Wales and northern and south- western England.

From The Angling Trust website

If Otters could speak I think they might say, "We were here first and were doing just fine until you poisoned us."

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