A BAD JANUARY IN THE NORTH WEST
Due a combination of hard frosts, ‘flu, high winds and snow I have not been fishing for a month. It’s with a feeling of some regret that I report this for I prefer winter fishing to summer fishing and rainbow trout give good sport during the colder months.
‘Stockie Bashing’?
I read with some interest an observation in a fishing journal that most trout anglers are ‘Stockie Bashers’, a point of view that has held some currency for many years. The writer backed his claim with interesting facts from his own club and these would seem to support the belief about ‘Stockie Bashing.’
Many fisheries artificially stock their waters with specially reared fish and create an environment where it is possible to catch and return fish with some ease. If this did not happen there would be very little trout fishing available to the fishing public. I have no problem with this and it is a state of affairs that is under threat from the “militant minority” who have hunting and fishing in their sights. The FISHINGmagic site contains items about the activities of the anti-fishing groups and I feel we should all heed the early warning signs and work together to protect our fishing heritage and rights.
The ‘Stockie Bashing’ tag referred to above is based upon returns for the period April – December 2002 from an angling club that has a selection of still water fisheries and river fishing. The overwhelming majority of club members chose to fish the still waters rather than the rivers thus provoking the comment in the club magazine.
Stillwater or river fishing
I looked at my own records for this period and found that I also fished on far more occasions at stillwater venues than I visited the river bank. I do not know if this is a national trend but I examined my own reasons for choosing to fish at stillwater venues rather than river banks:
- In my area there are more still water fisheries than fishable trout rivers
- Still waters are more accessible and have much better and safer car parking
- Stillwaters generally have better facilities, e.g. toilets
- Rivers are more dangerous, e.g. rapid rises in water levels after a rainstorm miles upstream
- River fishing is often difficult to actually locate and get access to
- Much river fishing is difficult when you compare the bank side vegetation and trees, steep or unsafe banks to still waters
- A lot of river fishing for me requires a planned expedition whereas I have easy access to stillwater fishing that needs little more than a few minutes planning and a short car journey
Reviewing these personal points, I can see that many of them are personal, the results of increasing age, damaged joints and a certain loss of a sense of adventure, plus an increasing liking for ease and comfort. I know that years ago I would go to any lengths to get to a good fishing site; nowadays this is confined to good summer weather and whilst on holiday. Another thought is that perhaps the majority of trout fishermen are middle-aged and elderly and that is why well-appointed and easily accessed stillwater fisheries are more popular than river banks.
A changing picture
The picture is changing slowly but surely and in the Lancashire-Cheshire area the Mersey Basin has had millions of pounds spent on cleaning the rivers from the ravages of generations of industrial abuse and restoring the quality of the water. The results have been really pleasing and salmon are re-entering the Mersey and its tributaries; they have been seen, caught and tagged. Many of the tributaries now support good populations of coarse fish and growing colonies of brown trout which are consolidating and producing fish to three pounds-plus in some areas.
Now that trout are back in the rivers the next step is for the EA and the clubs to make the river banks more accessible and friendly to trout fishermen (and women) especially the older members of the fraternity. I think river fishing is most enjoyable and at least the equal to lake or reservoir fishing and that if access were easier more and more trout fishers would make the switch and visit the rivers more often.
P.S.
And guess what the very understanding and loving Mrs C gave me for Christmas? One of those super little seven and a half foot Reddington rods for small river fishing. So I am looking forward to the new river season in March.
Tight Lines!
Eddie Caldwell
