Burbot

[John Aston]

There was a fascinating article in the Wild Trout Trust magazine about burbot. The area featured was a small beck which runs through James Dyson's farming estate at Dunston in Lincolnshire . Through aerial surveys the original course of the beck was identified and obviously, like the entire Witham system , it had changed massively after the industrialisation of farming and extensive drainage works and because burbot have very precise , and unusual spawning habitat needs , they slowly died off.

One of their last strongholds was , apparently, the Yorkshire Ouse system , especially the Derwent (the only main river in the system which rises in the East , and not in the Pennines ) . It is a river more like the Hants Avon than the wild , spatey and peaty rivers of the Dales . Every time I fish it, or the lower Rye (its tributary ) , as often as not miles from anywhere I can't help wondering when a burbot last swam in my swim . Last century, the one before or .......last week ?

The chances of a burbot anywhere are tiny , and in a river flowing into the Irish sea they are tinier still - and in a canal flowing into such a river ? Come on ..it was a little catfish . Or a mutant monster stone loach ..And if they were so curious that they looked it up afterwards why in God's name was there no photo? If the angler was a keen one , being the age he is, he might even remember the Angling Times prize for catching one .

Must dash , I'm off coelacanth fishing down on t'cut

 

[theartist]

Whilst there can be no confirmation of this being a burbot with no photo, and everybody is right to be sceptical the one thing that I can assure you all in regards to canals is never ever underestimate them for throwing up absolutely anything that swims. There are many reasons why it may not be a burbot but a canal isn't one of them.

 

[chrisjpainter]

Whilst there can be no confirmation of this being a burbot with no photo, and everybody is right to be sceptical the one thing that I can assure you all in regards to canals is never ever underestimate them for throwing up absolutely anything that swims. There are many reasons why it may not be a burbot but a canal isn't one of them.

Except that canal water's often untreated and so is often more polluted than the river networks

 

[Ray Roberts]

Whilst there can be no confirmation of this being a burbot with no photo, and everybody is right to be sceptical the one thing that I can assure you all in regards to canals is never ever underestimate them for throwing up absolutely anything that swims. There are many reasons why it may not be a burbot but a canal isn't one of them.

As one hasn’t been caught since 1969 it would have had to have been introduced. The idea that a sustainable population has existed without anybody catching one or noticing is stretching it a bit. Some fish are elusive, but not 53 years elusive. I’ve caught some weird and wonderful’s over the years. Including virtually every type of ornamental goldfish, pumpkinseeds, a lumpsucker and even a terrapin. I still doubt it was a burbot though.


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[fishface1]

They like cool lowland rivers. Not sure we have any of those left now.

 

[theartist]

Except that canal water's often untreated and so is often more polluted than the river networks

Not true, whilst canals are often pretty dirty many of them sadly are far cleaner than river networks in regards pollution.

 

[theartist]

As one hasn’t been caught since 1969 it would have had to have been introduced. The idea that a sustainable population has existed without anybody catching one or noticing is stretching it a bit. Some fish are elusive, but not 53 years elusive. I’ve caught some weird and wonderful’s over the years. Including virtually every type of ornamental goldfish, pumpkinseeds, a lumpsucker and even a terrapin. I still doubt it was a burbot though.


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Yeah don't get me wrong I think it's unlikely to be a Burbot or at least none of us will be convinced to the contrary without a photo to back it up but anything is possible, an escapee pond catfish is the most likely culprit, but it doesn't have to be part of a surviving burbot population that has evaded capture for many years rather could be a discreet stocking of burbot in a nearby river? It's not a scenario that is out of this world.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Back in the early 90's i caught one in Norway when ice fishng with a group of friends. In both Norway and Sweden they are caught, on occasion, but not too often but there is a poulation of them in some rivers and lakes.

To my mind it stands to reason that "if" they existed in English waters then they would be caught . . . even if not too often.
As there have been no recorded catches in the uk since 1969 I am very sceptical that this was indeed a Burbot.

 

[chrisjpainter]

Not true, whilst canals are often pretty dirty many of them sadly are far cleaner than river networks in regards pollution.

But at least the rivers are treated. The pollution of waters from untreated water is due to overflow and leaks. Canals aren't treated at all.

 

[sam vimes]

I have no idea what it might have been. However, the most frequent suggestion I've seen elsewhere is that it's very likely to be a snakehead that got too big for its tank. Apparently, this is purported to be a relatively common feature of urban/suburban canals, but only in summer. Once it starts to get colder, they are supposed to die off.

 

[john step]

I have no doubt its true that the burbot is no longer with us. However one can hope that in some remote stretch of a largely unfished place such as Ten Mile Bank etc a small population survives.
Such venues are mainly pike fished and the big matches stopped years ago which stood a chance of one turning up however remote.
Added that I think they were nocturnal? Just wishful thinking I know.

 

[chrisjpainter]

I have no doubt its true that the burbot is no longer with us. However one can hope that in some remote stretch of a largely unfished place such as Ten Mile Bank etc a small population survives.
Such venues are mainly pike fished and the big matches stopped years ago which stood a chance of one turning up however remote.
Added that I think they were nocturnal? Just wishful thinking I know.

I think the pike would have gobbled them up, in fairness! This is one of my best lures...

 

[theartist]

But at least the rivers are treated. The pollution of waters from untreated water is due to overflow and leaks. Canals aren't treated at all.

Treated? Good luck with that argument, these overflows are discharges which are legalized pollutions(some are illegal but the water companies get round that) and they are too frequent. Throw in the huge problem of large scale agricultural run off of pesticides and fertilizer and you will find the water quality in our rivers is not worth championing even in comparison to a dirty looking canal. Sad but true.

 

[chrisjpainter]

They are treated. That's irrefutable. the trouble is overflow - but the clue's in the name it's when it flows over the limits of what can be treated. They would be a heck of a lot worse if they weren't treated. Have a look at the Thames' water quality now compared to its past. In fact in 2019 it was nominated as one of the world's cleanest rivers but in 1957 it was called 'biologically dead' by the Natural History Museum

Thames River: Once was The Cause of Cholera Outbreak and Filled with Sewage, Now Nominated as One of The World’s Cleanest River - Waste4Change

Thames river in London was once declared as "biologically dead", but now it's considered as one of the cleanest river in the world

waste4change.com

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Surely it is "untreated" product that causes the most problems.

The main chemicals used in the treatment process come from the EU and the water companies are telling us that those are in very short supply. Hence more "untreated" effluent being pumped into our rivers and around our coastlines.

 

[theartist]

The whole concept of 'treated' has to be applied 24/7 365days a year in my book, I can say my house is locked and then leave all the doors open ten times a year, can I claim it to be secure? Can I offer a service to customers that makes lots of money but screws them whenever there's bad weather or I need to get rid of a bit of excess stock. It's akin to us fly tipping every time our bins are a bit full.

I could apply thousands of analogies comparable to water companies treatment of water not being fit for purpose but it would be easier to re read any pollution thread on any fishing forum. There should be NO discharges of waste in any of our waterways and no excuses for it. Our rivers are dirty and the only thing treatment does is maintain the status quo at best, they don't make the river cleaner they just process our crap literally.......until it all goes wrong then the river deals with it - badly.

I've got to the age where I've lost count of the rivers that have suffered fish kills below treatment works.