Location - Location - Location

[nightline]

I would like to address something that is tailor made for this web site.

I am from the floppy hat side of the sport, a specialist river angler fishing for perhaps six different species as conditions dictate.
T
he point I would like to get over to some of the younger specialist anglers is what an untapped mine of information there is within the match angling fraternity. I am lucky enough to have many pals who are match anglers of ability and experience, who have been fishing our rivers in some cases for forty years and collectively they know every peg.

Think about it - on any given match every individual learns what has been caught and where from and comes away knowing about all the pegs on the venue, this is multiplied down the years to become a massive database of information.

Match anglers by and large are not at all secretive and will happily pass on their knowledge. I speak from experience.

Finally for all the debates about tackle and methods and baits the most important aspect of specialist fishing success is still location, in my opinion it is at least 60% maybe70% of the job.

As I said earlier this is the perfect forum to develop the subject further.

[stanfish]

hi nightline, a point i have made many times,fish go to where suits if its a barble peg 100 years ago,it still is now,providing there has been no big change to the river,summer and winter pegs are the same now as when bazley fished them.and the matchmen do know,allyou have to do is ask..stan..

[frim]

dont want to throw a spanner BUT.. lower ure upper ouse; morgans drain- the stump at dunnie- sandersons- fence at alwark-rushes at hunters, all has been brill whisker pegs. Still barble above swale mouth-still loads below linton lock. The river between these points still similar to 20 years ago-cormorants cant eat em and there aint no seals. Anyone else on this planet that thinks there is SOMETHING UP ?

[nightline]

Are you saying they are still there or not Frim? When did you last fish these pegs in good conditions EG not in a winter league. The big fish are there in my opinion but silver fish shoals? - now that is a different a matter, which I am not knowledgeable enough to talk about, but it is what we should all be discussing.

Gus referred earlier on another forum on the web site to that oft quoted classic statement "What are THEY going to do about it" used by many anglers when complaining about what ever is the current problem, fish stocks, access to pegs, cost of a year book, pollution etc etc.

Well we all know that the only time anything gets done is when you do it yourself and you know what I think of the EA, I don't know what they do and they couldnt run a bath when they do it any way, which is why we have to look to ourselves to understand the nature of the changes that have happened to our rivers over the decades.

Collectively we are the only people who do have knowledge of why things have changed. If in fact they have?

There is always a number of contributing factors but we really could have a stab at understanding the current state of health of our local rivers, if we got it together and analysed the historical data that exists in the minds of generations of anglers.

There is such a wealth of knowledge within angling. I do mean a proper scientific assessment, it is not beyond our capabilities and lets face it no one else is going to do it.

In fact over a ten year period I got sick of asking the Agency and its predecessor the NRA what exactly was the problem on the upper Aire. (Keighley upwards) For years the status quo having been one of isolated small shoals of big fish , Bream, Chub or an odd Pike here and there.

I never had anything close to an answer, they only insight I was offered, was that the upper Aire catchment sustained three to four times the amount of sheep that this grassland area would normally cope with and so all the run off of chemicals used to sustain such farming would create a greater problem to water ecology than normal levels agriculture.

I suppose it was a start but it is not good enough for me . ----- They don't know, It may be naive of me but they should know, maybe it is policy not to tell is what they do know?

Cynically they deliberately don't keep historical data which avoids them having to analyse and combat ills that would show up on any historical relationship of change. What is there purpose?

This speaks volumes about the agencies hidden policies and commitment to our rivers.

Any way thats my starter for ten. Any Takers ??

[frim]

I disagree, if they were present there would be odd fish caught or at least lost between the two stated points and there are n't, a 5oz barble was caught near the bungalows the other week this was a talkin point after the match and created a buzz, yet martin high's near 10 pounder and the other dozen caught or lost from below the weir hardly got a mention. Totally agree on comments about E.A though

[ricky]

I agree with Nightline concerning the Aire above Keighley,not a great population of fish,but as far as chub are concerned,quality fish ie 4lb-to near 6lb.Two years ago or more ,EA all but destroyed the fish habitat by tree lopping and general "river management" as they call it.Swims between Steeton bridge and Kkildwick bridge were almost barren of fish,good lies under willows gone,because of what locals and visitors called decimation of natural habitat.I havent been for 18 months,but thinking of giving it another go,any info would be most welcome.cheers.

[mrmick]

I used to fish the aire at connonly and they used to be a massive head of chub from 2lb upwards. The bigest I had out was just over 5.5lb but bigger were in the river. As I have just joined this club I do not as yet know the areas that the club has on the upper aire. But with the flood times we have I would expect some of those fish to be in lower areas of the river and probably are now nearer to Keighley.