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Stew, I forgot to answer your comment about me attending a committee meeting. Perhaps you could raise it with the rest of the committee to see if they want to reopen discussions. If they want me to attend to explain my views further, I'm certainly happy to do that. I think my sketch drawing was tabled at a previous meeting. But as I said, John explained they had considered my proposals and they were rejected as too risky.
As for becoming a committee member, maybe, but I'm already on another club committee and spare time is quite precious for fishing.
Posted on April 15, 2017 at 8:39 AM
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Stew well said - I was going to make the point about Bury Hill as well. And despite what has been said, most predator fisherman appreciate that fisheries have to be balanced to be sustainable. I had three bites today and I think they were all from the same fish as they came within 10mins on the same rod and the same kind of hesitant bite. If the problem was that serious my baits would have been picked up eagerly from the moment they went in, by hungry rampaging predators desperate for their next meal. I have also read the same estimates of the weight they eat per year, so don't think this is a 'guess'. And of course within that total weight the pike and zeds also predate each other. which helps keep numbers in check.
Zander can do very well in lakes and there is no reason why Uckinghall couldn't produce some very nice zeds in future, Bury Hall shows how anglers are keen to fish for them and this equates to memberships. There are only two pools which effectively cater for predator fisherman within the BAA, the other being Mythe, which also has zeds and pike. I think stocks in Mythe are probably more or less the same - maybe more pike than Uckinghall.
I have said before. I'd love to see more tench and crucians introduced into Uckinghall. but can also understand the flooding may make this pointless. Maybe a fence around the lake would keep the fish in though - wasn't that done at Mythe?
So anyway, can we put this one to bed now - keep calm and carry on fishing!
Posted on April 14, 2017 at 11:03 PM
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Stew I think your replies were for me not Ken.
Anyway, I fished there today and the water was not blue at all. The lilies are starting to pop up in the usual places so they seem unaffected - time will tell.
I was scanning the surface as the wind died down and there were plenty of small fish topping - probably taking midge pupa which were hatching. So it seems we don't have an ecological melt down and the lilies are growing anyway.
Someone just up from me had a bream about 3 lbs and someone on the opposite bank was also catching but couldn't quite see what - big enough to get the net out.
I was after zander and hooked but lost what looked like a double figure fish about 30ft from the net. Frustrating, as I have put in quite a lot of hours to catch zander - again, I really don't think it is crawling with them - unless I'm crap at catching them.
So despite the concerns on here it seems to be 'situation normal' down at the lake.
Posted on April 14, 2017 at 10:15 PM
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Oh dear, I seem to have stirred up quite a lot of feeling here on Uckinghall, even though the original intent of my posting was just to draw out some info behind the BAA's reasons for using Dyofix.
Anyway, for what its worth, to throw in some points, here are my views on zander, the overflow pipe and silver fish stocks/other fish stocks:
- I am a keen zander angler and, like a few others, have enjoyed fishing for them with some success at Uckinghall, although interestingly on my last trip two weeks ago I landed two pike (no zander) both of which were not skinny but in excellent condition (photos available) - suggesting they are doing fine despite the zander competing for the silver fish.
- the zander came in originally in 2007 in the major floods (not through the pipe - a big zander couldn't get up the pipe anyway as it is only partially open from my investigations.) when the water came way over the banks, and interestingly I have not seen any small zander caught on maggots/worms. This suggests there have not been a major invasion of new zander entering the lake via the sluice and that those that are in there haven't really spawned. Fixing the sluice is mainly about the annoyance of muddy water filling up the lake and making fishing difficult.
- the lilies being there or not is probably more about food for all non-predatory fish but the stocks were fine before the lilies took over - there is plenty of food in there, just less fish than there used to be before 2007. The 15lb carp I caught last year was in excellent condition - again indicating the fish are healthy. I don't think the zander would bother the carp, tench or bream as they simply cannot swallow big fish - nobody seems to be talking about taking the pike out which are probably doing nicely on the odd bream. I have lost a very big pike twice here and I know what a big pike feels like. Every time I fish it in summer with baits intended for tench/carp I only get bream so there must be loads of them in there.
- there has been a major influx of bleak in the last couple of years and they probably came in via the pipe, as we haven't had a major flood in that time. I think the zander have mostly been feeding on them. It could also be that the bleak shoals are eating all of the food which the rudd and roach used to eat, which might explain why there are less rudd/roach, Interestingly in the summer I have seen zander smash through the lilies at the surface fish as they hide right under the lilies - so ironically maybe the lilies are helping them hunt silver fish rather than offering a safe haven for silver fish.
- I have tried some float fishing recently and not had a nibble, but think this is simply that the water is still pretty cold - time will tell, as we'll know more from say mid May when the water warms up properly - it takes more than two days of sun to warm up a lake.
- I am the person mentioned who has been liaising and offering some ideas to the committee on how to sort the sluice. I have discussed this with John Williams and others on a few occasions. I am willing to help the working party fix the problem for minimal cost - no charge from me - I just want to help. I looked at this with some colleagues at work who are civil engineers who build dams etc and they were happy with my proposals. But John and the committee are nervous about the bank collapsing. I have a tremendous respect for the working parties and their views but on this one I disagree - and my colleagues are happy there is no increased risk, because if the bank was going to do that it would happen whenever the river comes up quickly and the pool is still low, but filling gradually. The difference in height can only be about 3m - less than 1/3rd of a bar - nothing really in civil engineering terms. I have made my arguments before but it was stated that their decision was final. But 'Stew83mul' if this really is going to be discussed again at the next committee meeting - and I think it does need to - then I think I should attend and put my points and proposals across again in person. Otherwise this will go round and round on this forum, with various members venting their spleen every time Uckinghall is mentioned.
A couple of last pleas - don't take the zander out, as this would be a real shame, I am not a selfish angler and have a balanced view as I fish for all species - I do think it would be an over-reaction - there really aren't that many zander in there. And those that complain on here able the sluice, why not come to next committee member and put your points across rather than on here.
Posted on April 14, 2017 at 12:47 PM
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I did rake out a swim last summer (it was hard work and noisy) but have to say within a few days the gap had been filled in a again so I can see why the working party would want to try it - the lilies have been taking over the lake and quite a few anglers have been vocal about it on this forum. I just hope it simply keeps them in check, rather than kills them entirely.
At the end of the day it is probably just an experiment and nature will return things to normal after a few months (3 months according to the website). I actually fish Uckinghall in preference to Mythe in the summer as the bottom weed is so deep there by summer. Let's see if it pays off. Not sure how weird it looks though and will be interesting to see how the fish react - allegedly they come into the margins more, but they usually do anyway when it's quiet.
I also know someone with a small 1 acre pond which has had fish dying due to blanket weed choking the water to a black stinking mess - seems this product is more suited to that situation. Don't know why they did it to Stubbs as I don't think it is fished much now anyway for various reasons.
Posted on April 10, 2017 at 4:41 PM
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