| PROFESSOR BARRIE RICKARDS | |
Professor Barrie Rickards is President of the Specialist Anglers Association (SAA) and President of the Lure Angling Society (LAS), as well as a very experienced and successful specialist angler with a considerable tally of big fish to his credit. He is author of several fishing books, including the classic work ‘Fishing For Big Pike’, co-authored with the late Ray Webb and only recently his first novel, ‘Fishers On The Green Roads’ was published. He has been an angling writer in newspapers and magazines for nigh on four decades. Barrie takes a keen interest in angling politics. Away from angling Barrie is a Professor in Palaeontology at the University of Cambridge, a Fellow of Emmanuel College and a curator of the Sedgwick Museum of Geology. |
Disease through the Movement of FishIN THE RECENT discussions about transport of live fish to Ireland for bait – which I’ll not discuss further – I saw an interesting letter from Dr. Jonathan Anglesea, a fisheries biologist by training, in which he wrote “The risk of transferring disease, parasites or other alien organisms in the fish themselves or the water containing the fish would have been high.” I only want to comment on his inclusion of the word ‘disease’ in this statement. It sounds very reasonable doesn’t it? And it is often made by biologists commenting on the moving of fish for livebaiting (such movements are now illegal, of course). However, back in the 1980s when Vic Bellars and I investigated this matter we could find not a single case of disease having been transferred by anglers moving livebaits around. Nor am I aware of any since then. Movement of diseases by movement of fish has been entirely a result of commercial movement of fish. This should tell us something: that fish in commercial environments of breeding and storage are at much greater risk of disease than wild fish. And livebait movements have always been of wild fish. So the argument used by biologists, whilst reasonable on the face of it, is probably wrong. It’s wrong in practical terms at any rate. In fact even as I write this I learn that White Acres in Cornwall is to breed it’s own fish rather than risk disease by buying them in from commercial sources. I think this supports my case well. Licence Cheats After the licence cheats were discussed again recently – that is, those people who don’t bother with one (most from the NW it seems) I noticed Keith Arthur suggesting, not for the first time, that clubs issuing tickets (day, or club membership) could refuse to issue the same if a licence isn’t produced first. I’ve always been uneasy about this. Why should we do the job that the EA should be funded to do? I can think of one good reason, which Keith doesn’t mention, namely that if I was a club owner I wouldn’t want anglers on my waters if they were not bona fide anglers. But I’d be doing that for me, not the EA. The result is the same perhaps. It would be better if the EA was fully funded so that it could make licence dodging a risky and expensive business. I was interested to read in Angling times recently that they are re-running the Mr. Crabtree series of cartoons. That’s rather nice, although I have to say that Bernard Venables’ angling was very far removed from mine. Dick Walker’s approach was more receptively received by many, and I note that in the AT of May 30 they include one of Dick’s pieces. Ironic though it is, I think this is one of the few areas (special baits) where Dick got it wrong by demoting the value of the bait compared to other captors. Of course, he was trying to persuade anglers to use the right gear, in the right place, and not spook the fish. All this is crucial, but in my own barbel fishing in the early 1960s I soon learnt that the bait was also crucial. Do everything else right, but use the wrong bait, and you were completely stuffed. And I think modern developments have shown that he was wrong too about flavours and essences. I deal with these matters in ‘Dick Walker; biography of an angling legend’ now in press and due out, hopefully, in the late autumn. Lake Nasser and Nile Perch Several anglers have contacted me asking me to say something about Lake Nasser and its Nile perch, because an increasing number of UK anglers are travelling there. As it happens I’m just back from a week’s Nile perch fishing where I had them up to 55 lbs and members of our party had fish over 60 lbs. (and a fly fisher had one of 106 lbs). This water is probably one of the best places you can go, at a reasonable cost, for a 100 lb fish from both bank or boat. But to put it in perspective I’ve had three over 100 lbs, but that’s in 10 visits. I’ve also had a number of 90 lb fish and quite a few of 80 lbs. I’ve had one of 100 lbs+ off the bank and two off the boat. Others, however, have had far more 100 lb fish, partly by being there when the fish were ‘on’ but more likely through better focus. I have to confess that I am so taken with the place that I simply merge into the atmosphere, watch the birds and other wildlife, and enjoy the food (which is of the very best quality). I do a lot of fishing, of course, but I don’t fish hard. I don’t really care whether I catch or not, but I usually do. In fact my average is somewhere between 3 and 7 Nile perch per day, and the actual average weight is more than 20 lbs. I once had 1000 lbs in a week, and quite a few anglers have done a lot better. It is possible to blank in a week of bad weather, but that is unusual (I know of two such cases and I once came close myself).
The tackle can be provided, saving you the business of carting a big rod case. However, I usually take my own so that I’m fishing with familiar gear. Bank rods can be three-pound test curve pike rods, which do handle 100 lb fish quite well. Boat rods are usually shorter and stiffer. You can troll with 3 lb TC pike rods, at least when on a slow troll (which I prefer). Reels can be either fixed spool, or multiplier, whichever suits you best. I use both. Lines need to be serious. I used 50 lb braid off the bank, and 50-80 lb braid on the boat. To this I tie a 50-100 lb monofil trace (without a swivel). People use sophisticated knots to do this join, but I simply tie two half blood knots, back to back. On the end of the monofil you need a big, strong, link swivel. Some anglers use a Rapala knot to attach the lures and this has the advantage that if caught on a very short line by a leaping fish there is no swivel to be destroyed. And, mark my words, swivels you would consider way over the top for pike are easily straightened, as though they were fuse wire, by Nile perch upwards of 30 lbs. You can’t use swivels as a link between trace and reel line by the way, because tiger fish hit the swivels and their teeth will sever 100 lb line as though it were cotton. There are no hidden costs in these safaris, the only additional charges being for the bar. Everything else, boats, fuel, guides, time, food, etc, etc, is included. I usually take pen pounds sterling for tips, should that arise, and one hundred pounds Egyptian in case I get to a bazaar. On the way to the lake you spend one night in a four star hotel either in Aswan or in Luxor, and the same on the way back. The rest of the time you sleep on your ‘small’ boat, in some comfort I hasten to add. All meals are on the supply boat, on the top deck. At the moment the safaris run Tuesday to Tuesday, so you are fishing Wednesday to Monday, at whatever hours you fancy. Quite a number of anglers fish through the night for catfish. I’ve left the subject of lures until last. These can also be hired from Tim Bailey but it seems sensible to take a range of your own; SuperShadraps Depth Raiders, Ernies and so on. And, if you are fly fishermen, fly gear. At the moment casting flies is certainly productive, and distance casting isn’t needed. Nor is it needed when bank fishing plugs because many of the big fish are very, very close to the bank – often within three feet of the bank. My best fish on baits – because they also work well – is 70 lbs, and that fish took a tilapia fished no more than three feet from rocks. The next ‘cast’ produced a fish of similar weight, but that one came adrift. I have really only scratched the surface of what is always a most enjoyable adventure. If anyone needs more information they can try their website www.african-angler.co.uk or write or ring me via Graham who will supply you with my contact details. I’ll be glad to help. The ACA Spring Update Finally, in this piece, the ACA – I have just received, like many of you, the Spring Update 2006. It’s an informative document with odd little puzzles. In the legal report section it lists some of the submitted cases being dealt with by the legal teams and then ends the paragraph by saying “.. to name but a few.” Well, why not name them all? I’m sure anglers and clubs would like to see their case listed; and it would make more impressive reading for those who are fortunate not to have a case at the present time. A chance missed I think. There’s also a picture on the fourth page (pages are not numbered!) of a man I take to be Mark Lloyd who is running the show. But it doesn’t say so. I never knew the ins and outs of the problems last year concerning Bob James, and I don’t think I want to, or need to. But it is obvious that since he left the press profile of the ACA has declined. The loss of Chris Tarrant didn’t improve matters either. A lot of people work hard for the ACA and I guess most of us have done our bit over the years, but they do need publicity. One thing Mark Lloyd could do is go fish the waters that the ACA has rescued, and be pictured with a catch from it. That’s it this time. I can feel a whinge coming on so I ought to stop. |
