Having caught on the Kennet this year the ratio of about 10 fish over 9lb to 1 under 9lb it is apparent that.
1/ There are not many fish coming through or
2/ Older doesn't mean wiser in the fish world
I wonder if Ian G has found the same on the Loddon?????
Yes he has Graham !
To my mind it's blatantly obvious that nowhere near as many Barbel are making it through to catchable weights, i.e when generally speaking they start to get caught by anglers.
Crooky if 3 to 9 lbers are getting too cute for me to catch then i'm going to give up !
You know my opinions that what we are seeing are wild fluctuations in fish populations, and that ultimatly responsibilty for that is mans interferance with the delicate ecology of nature.
Personally, and you know this too, that i think we are on the downward slide from an unnatural peak in the Barbel population between i would say 1995 - 2005, i believe as you know, that the huge numbers the Barbel population at least in the rivers i was fishing reached by the peak of that 10 year period were at least in part due to the crash in the perch population during the period of the disease that hit them, with a top fry predator largely taken out of the equation, it's hardly suprising we saw a rise in the population of Barbel - and other fishes too.
However i can't be sure but by the mid nineties i reckon the disease had past, and the perch population started to recover, and by the early 2000's their population had recovered sufficiently to start having a major impact on fry populations possibly even the eggs before they hatched.
If my theory is correct or at least as i say in part, then as they eat themselves out of house and home, then i would guess their population will start to reduce, and therefore - hopefully - other fish populations will increase, and i would speculate will stabalise around the levels of the pre perch disease era, the problem is that natures attempt to stabalise the population - which may or may not be as it was before - doesn't happen quickly, personally i don't believe unless similar circumstances prevail again, - and they might ! - that we will ever be catching Barbel in the numbers that we saw in that ( my estimate only ) 1995 - 2005 period.
Hopefully things will stabalise sooner rather than later, but i think it will be a few years yet if my theory is correct, but i'd get used to it boys ! i doubt we'll ever again be catching in the numbers that we saw in that time.
Was the perch disease down to human interferance in the ecology, personally i think it probably was, but who knows, and probably impossible to prove one way or the other now.
You make some pretty crass statements though Crooky !
i know some pretty damn good anglers who say their captures of Barbel in numbers - particularly the ones in single figures has dropped dramatically in the past few years.
You know, and i'll say here we've had discussions where i've argreed in part with you on this subject other parts not, but i can't for the life of me see how you cannot notice the drop in population that everyone is talking off, and i don't care what Barbel they've tagged or where, there must be something seriously amiss somewhere, and as Graham says, there must be therefore an awful lot of suddenly very cute Barbel in the 3 - 9lb range out there.
That theory to my mind just doesn't stack up, single figure Barbel are and always will be easy to catch when present, and when in large numbers compete so enthusiastically they just hang themselves, they haven't suddenly become wised up to anglers - they're just not there in the numbers they were, possibly at this time the lowest ever, certainly at pre early 1990's levels - it's as plain as the nose on your face !
A few are still coming through, which is encouraging that they're not completely gone, and i think - i hope anyway - the situation will improve.
Otters i believe are not responsible for the major part of this situation we are seeing, at least not county wide, but anyone who denies the damage done to the populations of the Gt Ouse and Wensum to name two must have their head in the sand !
Thats all i'll say on Otters !
Edit..........
Clarifying what i've said above about discussions with Crooky on the subject, and agreeing with him in part, one major point which to some may appear to support Crookys opinion, at least on a few rivers which still have respectable populations of Barbel in single figures.
This is that there are a few anglers quite litteraly bemoaning that the Barbel are all but dead, whilst others are still having quite respecable catches when they fish.
What these anglers are doing wrong, or at least not doing what those who are still catching are, i can't really say, i would say that it must be their inability somewhere along the line to adapt to changing situations, for sure i think that's the case on one river i can think of where there are still respectable numbers of Barbel, though without doubt not in the prolific numbers that i knew of in the late 90's early 2000's - but still all dead !
It's obvious to me some rivers, and even stretches of them are suffering from varying drops in the population of Barbel, and Chub, where there are still respectable numbers, i've noticed they are those that are still popular, and consequently see a fair amount of bait, which to my mind certainly hold fish in the area, this actually may be to the detriment of other areas which see what Barbel are left migrate to these areas where food easily available for them, possibly giving a false impression of Barbel numbers, particularly if that is happening, where the migrating Barbel are from areas that are not available for fishing, so giving a false impression of the overall population of a river or stretch of it, because one area is doing well. - just a thought !
Whilst i think it's obvious that not all rivers are seeing equal falls in population, some i think are suffering badly, others are not so bad, it is true i think overall there is or has been a dramatic fall in immature Barbel, but it's as silly to say that they are all gone !
.... as it is to say there is no fall in the population of Barbel in our rivers at all, and there are as many now as there ever have been !
Come on !
Ian.
