| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Matt Prior |
Posted - 29 Mar 2012 : 14:19:24
On 28th March we stocked 20 Pike into Farmoor I ranging from 3lb 7oz to 19lb 5oz. We intend to run more pike trials on Farmoor I in the future and we also hope that the pike will clear up casualties resulting from poor catch and release and natural mortality. There is no intention to put any Pike into Farmoor II. |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Angler |
Posted - 31 Mar 2012 : 18:16:13
Steve,
Without getting personal but you do appear to have laid yourself open to the charge made by fishface of being narrow minded by seeming to have the view that the only fish deserving to exist in reservoirs are trout. You may not have intended this, but having read your posts several times I must admit that this is the impression I, and probably many others, get. You use the word "vermin" in association with squirrels etc as an analogy to pike in trout fisheries and this is certainly a well out of date attitude. There is more than enough scientific data around, should you wish to look for it, that will tell you that pike are very inefficient predators that prefer to idle their time away rather than chase prey, and prefer shoal fish as a larger target rather than individuals.
The amount of harm pike are going to do in either of the Farmoors is negligible and certainly will not interfere with anyone's trout fishing.
Like you, I have been fishing for 60 years, and experience has taught me that there is enough room for all our fishy friends in our fisheries. I, for one, would rather see 20 pike under the surface than 20 cormorants on top of it, but we have to manage that problem as best we can. |
| stevejball |
Posted - 31 Mar 2012 : 08:40:10
Why does fish face need to get personal. Does he believe a counter view to his makes one "narrow minded"
As for referring to me as a so called angler, he is obviously not aware that I have been fishing for over 60 years, game, coarse & sea.I think I qualify as an angler.
Let us all be able to post on this wonderful web facility without being subject to snide comments
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| Angler |
Posted - 31 Mar 2012 : 07:49:31
Fair point fishface. Bristol Water make lots of money out of their dedicated pike sessions. Enough, I believe, to pay one of the Rangers' salary.
The basic fact is that the pike are there anyway. You can't stop them getting in and the addition of a tiny number is going to make sod all difference to the overall population.
I tend to agree with the point regarding the rather narrow minded attitude as shown by some. It reminds me of what was written by some Victorian explorer of his travels in darkest Africa. "This animal is dangerous; it defends itself when attacked." |
| fishface10 |
Posted - 30 Mar 2012 : 22:31:43
blah blah blah it never seems to amaze me as to how narrow minded some (so called ) anglers are . If TW want to stock pike or large mouth bass or even dolphins , surely its up to them so be it . anyone with a little knowledge of c/r waters will know that the mortality rate's are always higher as the fish are put back so there fore live longer . also if TW want to increase profits with pike fishing during winter months who can blame them ? after all nobody else is there !! |
| stevejball |
Posted - 30 Mar 2012 : 19:25:52
rainbows no not natural to uk but... not wanting to prolong this, but if you have vermin in the garden ( rats, grey squirrels foxes ) the last thing you want to do is to introduce more of the same especially when the food supply is endless.
No perch is going to threaten trout stocks so this is a red herring ..... oops mixing species here
Is the introduction of pike simply so TW can "sell " pike fishing to anglers prepared to pay a premium to fish ?
Hopefully, this policy will not extended to Walthamstow rersvrs where stocking is less frequen but makes catching trout a challenge |
| Angler |
Posted - 30 Mar 2012 : 17:26:49
Steve,
I don't work for Thames Water, and I didn't stock the pike. I based my comments on 40 years of experience in fisheries management. I am an angler, like you, and I will continue to fish both Farmoors confident in the knowledge that I'm not going to have pike clambering over each other in order to take any of my flies, or any trout that I happen to have in play.
I fished Chew for many years and in all that time I caught two pike. one was about 7lb and the other was an 18lb fish, fairly hooked inside the mouth on a size 10 Claret buzzer. Both fish were returned. The larger fish is my personal best pike, and is a fish I am rather proud of as it was boated in no more than five minutes on a 5 weight rod. Incidentally, my personal best perch - another predator - also came from Chew, a fish of 3lb 12oz and I'm still trying to beat it on conventional coarse fishing tackle.
Farmoor pumps its water in from the Thames. The Thames is full of coarse fish. Therefore it is impossible to prevent coarse fish of anyspecies from getting into the reservoirs. What keeps the numbers of, particularly, pike in check is the lack of suitable spawning sites and the lack of food for very juvenile fish. Therefore, most of those pumped in will die of starvation and those few that survive may grow into big fish, but will not be able to spawn successfully. Chew, for example, has extensive reed beds. Ideal pike spawning territory and cover and food for juveniles. Hence Chew has a bit of an issue with pike.
I am not concerned with the presence of a few pike in F1 anymore than I am with the presence of pike in Chew, Grafham, Rutland, Bewl or any other reservoir. Pike, at least, are native fish and are indigenous to the country. Are rainbows? |
| stevejball |
Posted - 30 Mar 2012 : 16:23:30
so you sre saying you dont know how many pike are in there. so on what basis did you stock these pike. On a question of spawning, one ting is CERTAIN....if there are NO pike in the water, they wont breed.
I used to fish stocks resvr on a regular basis, catch and release allowed and they never stocked pike. |
| Angler |
Posted - 30 Mar 2012 : 14:27:23
Actually because of the concrete banks and lack of suitable spawning sites natural recruitment of pike is going to be extremely unlikely. I, personally, would not like to be any of the smaller pike stocked - not with a near 20 on the hunt for a meal when she gets hungry!
Pike are idle sods and if there's an easy meal in the shape of a dead or moribund trout they'll pick that in preference to chasing an active and fit one. 20 pike into 120 acres is not a great deal. I expect there are quite a few more than that already present having been pumped in from the Thames as fry which is the route by which the coarse fish enter both reservoirs. |
| stevejball |
Posted - 29 Mar 2012 : 14:46:27
Unbelievable I read this 3 times...I thought the idea was to remove pike from trout waters where possible not increase the stock .No doubt in a few years ,assuming male & female pike are stocked, the place will be thick with them. Fished Bewl Water last week and caught two pike.. they just happen to have got in there but as far as I am aware they, like Grafham & Rutland do not actively encourage their presence.
Dont suppose you stocked any trout for us trout anglers! |
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Pike Stocking into Farmoor 1
