Birmingham Anglers Association

Re: Unhooking Mats & Handling of Fish

Another thinly disguised threat...not fit to bailiff.

Re: Unhooking Mats & Handling of Fish

Give it a rest Neil you’ve already ruined another thread.

Re: Unhooking Mats & Handling of Fish

Simple question Neil If you have such a problem with the way the BAA runs its self ? Then why do you continue to be a member ?

Nothing is going to change so why stick around . It seems that all you do is cause mayhem and upset people . You even accused me of being some one who I am not and caused all sorts of trouble on BFW ? Perhaps with all the trouble you cause perhaps you should be banned from this forum just like Jeff Collins was from BFW

Re: Unhooking Mats & Handling of Fish

To suggest that anglers that put Barbel in keepnets are in minority is laughable and just shows how deluded you really are.Have you any idea how many people fish open matches every week and mid week up and down the Severn and add the club matches on top of that,Think you need to do a bit more research old pal.

Re: Unhooking Mats & Handling of Fish

Sorry but I don’t know where you could possibly get the percentages you have quoted?Ok let’s just give the middle Severn as an example as this probably still is the area with the biggest head of Barbel.You have the Bridgnorth open every week,you have the kdaa open matches twice a week to name just two with say 20-30 anglers on each match,add to that all the club matches and you are telling me that there are more pleasure anglers than that who never use keepnets?This is just one section of one river in the country.I may be wrong but in my opinion your percentages are impossible to get accurately.How would that information be obtained?Has every pleasure angler in those areas been questioned?
Regardless of what figures are what,in my opinion there is nothing wrong with Barbel being kept in keepnets if necessary and the correct net is used in the correct way.

Re: Unhooking Mats & Handling of Fish

Yes even on match days there are far more non users than users of nets. The figures are a result of seeing who's got a net out and who hasn't and I wouldn't dream of asking if a barbel has been put in each one as each to their own and that would be rude. So the figures are based on who's using a net and who isn't so the percentages would probably be even be greater than originally stated as some keepnets may be for silvers with the barbel returned

The middle Severn is a good example and i'll often do a roving session taking in the two bridges (Arley and Colliery) working both banks, bit of a walk but I spend all day doing it. The Severn has a good match scene as you have pointed out, much more so than many other rivers so there will be matches on and the numbers you have mentioned sound right but the matches aren't on all day So you got just as many early morning pleasure anglers on before any match boys turn up and of course many more after the match has finished, throw in the pleasure anglers fishing between these matches and the figure is huge. Even when the matches are on if you walk a good few miles either way the sight of a keepnet will be a minority one when tallied up.

Then add the non match days which are more frequent plus those naughties who turn up just before dark and there was plenty of them to be seen during the low water period when I was heading back to my car unfortunately.

Now add the waters away from the match areas in other parts of the country that have a no barbel in keepnets rule which is commonplace amongst clubs, consortiums and syndicates. You'll rarely see Barbel anglers using keepnets on the Thames, Ivel, Lea Ouse and Avon to name but a few. If even 1 in 10 barbel anglers on average were using keepnets i'd be shocked and 1 in 15 would be more accurate maybe even 1 in 20 if we surveyed the nation as a whole.

Re: Unhooking Mats & Handling of Fish

Fair point,see what you’re saying,but my view and many others views about keepnets are backed up by the fact that it’s a regular occurrence and there is no harm done to the Barbel.What’s better,between a fish unhooked in the landing net without being touched then transferred to correctly set out out keepnet to rest where if it did get into trouble you can act on it as unlikely as this is to happen.It can rest there until being weighed and returned.Modern keepnets mean fin damage is a thing of the past too.Or in some cases the fish is took out of the net,then onto the mat,then held up at 5 different angles to get the perfect shot,then transferred to a weigh sling and then finally returned after all that.I know which one I’d pick.I’m not saying every Barbel angler does all this but it’s a process that if your figure are correct will happen a lot more than being retained in a keepnet!

Re: Unhooking Mats & Handling of Fish

Yeah no worries Stew at the end of the day Barbel in keepnets in the Severn has been going on since the AT stocked them and Keepnets have improved bigtime. When they are misused though they can be deadly but so can a lot of things in the wrong hands as you say the pleasure angler will also do things others see as wrong.

I'll sometimes spend ten mins resting a barbel I've caught when after roach even if it seems too long. Barbel on different rivers have different recovery times too which some folk don't realise too, the Severn I've found they take a little while to 'burp' (releasing the air bubbles) and to kick strongly and it's worth holding the first couple of kicks if they still look wobbly. I think the best advice we could all offer is to spend as long as possible resting the fish whether it's in a landing net, keep net or in your hands standing in the water, I know I do, you're there all day after all.

Re: Unhooking Mats & Handling of Fish

I think any experienced angler wether you match fish or pleasure fish have the welfare of the fish as a priority,why wouldn’t they?I think the most damage is caused by part time/holiday anglers using crude gear incorrectly

Re: Unhooking Mats & Handling of Fish

There will always be a difference of opinion between different disciplines of fishing. I mean some anglers still think it's ok to kill a pike in the belief it will help them catch roach.

For me, barbel and keepnets are a no. Certainly the number of fish in the net on the home page pic makes me uncomfortable. I am also not at ease with 'Spud' standing up for a photo with a decent fish. One flip and that fish is falling 4-5ft and that's not going to end well. Simply crouching down eliminates the risk.

Mats - I carry one and I will use it for all species as it was suggested that some people only use them for barbel. Soft grass I can live with but that is not always available and I have seen fish beached on gravel, which is not right.

Finally, I am not sure all the pike pics on the home page should have the venue added. The river name yes, but as the following states from a pike Facebook page:

No naming waters. This rule is to protect the fish and venue. Pike thrive on neglect and passing on information to others may either lead to death through poor handling or pressure. Also be aware that not everyone practices catch and release!