Eels Disappearing.

[Andrewcook]

Why has the  Eels population's on the Norfolk Broads are disappearing ? I know they are a pest being caught but is it due to something in the water or it is a Disease killing them ? As it has not effect any other fishes in the  Broads.

[PaulN]

Could it be the Otters? I have copied and pasted this from the Norfolk Wildlife Trust website

"Otters will mainly feed on fish (40-90% of their diet)and will take a variety of species depending on the time of year, species such as carp, stickleback and eels." 

[grendel]

how do we know that eels are disappearing?

[grendel]

all i can find is eels disappearing on the thames when i search?

[rightsaidfred]

Eels suffered a decline many years ago it is thought from a disease, in recent years they have started to make a recovery.

Fred

[ChrisB]

Overfishing of the European Eel was being talked about in the 1800s. It is not many years ago when in season they were taking something like 5 tonnes per week out of Lough Neagh. Add to that no end of pollution, everthing from sewage to various farm run off and containment of rivers (eels can only wriggle not jump like Salmon) and you see why glass eels have declined ~90% sinc the 1970s.

Temperature in the Sargasso sea has gone up due to climate change, drainage of fens and wetlands, flood defence works, the list goes on and on, the poor European Eel seems not to have a friend in the World.

[RumPunch]

The old boy who used to be the last remaining licenced eel catcher on the Northen Broads told me two or three  years ago he blamed the cleaner water these days

I believe hehas now sadly passsed on ( if not true apologies )

[JennyMorgan]

1 hour ago, grendel said:

how do we know that eels are disappearing?

Because 'experts' say they are!

Apart from that I rarely catch one now, not like the good old days when I caught more eels than anything else.

[ranworthbreeze]

Chris fishing at Oulton Broad Yacht Station on the outer pontoon last year was dismayed to catch an eel about three foot in length, he was not happy, after being a fishing widow for most of the week, I could not see what the fuss was.

 

 

[Liberty]

Garlic butter, crusty buttered bread....

 

[SteveO]

Smoked eel with a dab of horseradish sauce on the side. Braised eel, Japanese style. Two of the finest foods I know.  Don't hold with trapping and eating elvers though. The eel's life-cycle is complex enough without humans eating baby eels by the million. 

[Bighoon]

In the 70’s and 80’s as a kid I used to catch eels all night, we would then take a few back to the chalet we were staying in and cook them up.

When I moved to Norfolk in the late 1990’s it was quite difficult and you had to go to places like Ludham out of the way and fish bloodworm until dark.

it’s dreadful now and very sad they are not about, I think we took home every 4th eel of size so left plenty of stock, a real shame!

[Chelsea14Ian]

Eels have  long declined over many years not only in Norfolk and Suffolk. Right across the country.Thats why eels were  so popular in the many pie and mash shops in London.Like eels,many shops have gone.There are measures to increase  and protect eel populations.There has been increases in illegal catches of young eels,mainly  going overseas Hopefully the good work done by agency's across the country  will improve the population. 

[Smoggy]

What's really needed is a cockney cull, come on chris packham get a petition going.

[Chelsea14Ian]

Not easy there's to many of us,however I for one am a Londoner, not a cockney.

[ChrisB]

In the last 40 to 50 years it has been Holland that has had the appetite for UK eels, having devoured all their own. I remember in the 80's, when we were moored at Ridge Wharf, two large tankers full of live eels left the Poole Harbour fishery.

It appears that in my previous post I under estimated the tonnage caught in Northern Ireland.

 

[BroadAmbition]

What's really needed is a cockney cull, come on chris packham get a petition going.

I'd be more supportive of a cull on Chris Packham 

Griff

[ScrumpyCheddar]

Best come down here to sunny Somerset plenty of Elvers in the River Parrett...

Perhaps I should bring a couple of bucket loads up in a weeks time 🤣🤣🤣 jellied Elvers as a classier sound to it 🤣🤣🤣

[Wonderwall]

Has anyone ever managed to remove a hook from an eel and return him back into the water? I only ever seem to catch them on Oulton broad, and for that reason never fish the bottom when there.

[Timbo]

The eel is one fish I absolutely hate catching, can't stand the things, but occasionally I do catch them and I do unhook and release them.

Over the years I've changed the pattern of hook that I use from a 'J' hook to a circle hook. This will help in avoiding deep hooking. If I know there will be eels about I will of course avoid bait which is meat or fish based as well as maggot and worms. I also employ a 'T-bar' in my rig if eels are around. I will also employ a more sensitive bite indicator (eels engulf food quickly) and fish to a tight line (eels will drop food when they feel resistance).

[ranworthbreeze]

2 hours ago, Timbo said:

The eel is one fish I absolutely hate catching, can't stand the things, but occasionally I do catch them and I do unhook and release them.

Over the years I've changed the pattern of hook that I use from a 'J' hook to a circle hook. This will help in avoiding deep hooking. If I know there will be eels about I will of course avoid bait which is meat or fish based as well as maggot and worms. I also employ a 'T-bar' in my rig if eels are around. I will also employ a more sensitive bite indicator (eels engulf food quickly) and fish to a tight line (eels will drop food when they feel resistance).

Hi Tim,

My mate Chris hates getting an eel on his line, he had one about 18 inches long when we were moored at Oulton Broad last year lucky for him it fell off the line before he could deal with it.

[750XL]

We were (almost) first time anglers during our Broads trip and didn't catch a single fish for days at the start! Eventually got a bit better as the week progressed.

On the last night somewhere between Waveny River Centre and Beccles whilst packing away everything on the boat I cast the line into the centre of the river with a heavy weight. Reeled it in and to my surprise there was an eel stuck on the end....

Tried our best (with limited fishing skills) to remove the hook but to no avail so had to cut the line as close to the hook as we could