Unfenced lakes

[nigewoodcock]

Fairport convention! An old work mate was an avid fan! He used to go every year, the old hippy!!! Lol

[nigewoodcock]

From google street view, showing the plaque 

[ianain]

Have a look at this CM, third page, titled The battlefield today

[nigewoodcock]

2 minutes ago, carpmachine said:

Fairport convention, now you are talking, was it Maddy Prior love their stuff.

Alan ‘fluff’ Freeman, my old mate, could tell you every member of the line up by date/period.

[nigewoodcock]

2 minutes ago, ianain said:

Have a look at this CM, third page, titled The battlefield today

Interesting read that ian. 

See steve, we do have more in common than you think!!!! An interest in history! 

Looks like the bridge was rebuilt in the 30’s. Explains the brick and more modern look.

[ianain]

They're a folk band, I used to live in Cropredy (not far from the battle field) for a while, I was never interested enough in listening to 'where on the stair', and 'all around my at' and there were far too many magic puffing dragons for my liking; Status Quo, Alice Cooper, and many others have been there, but I couldn't justify the price for an hour. Where I live now I can hear it when the wind blows in the right direction. I travel hundreds of miles to festivals, and don't go to the one on my door step.

Now though, every man and his dog are trying to have a xstock, my village included; ours is more a beer festival though so I do feel obliged to support the initiative.

[ianain]

8 minutes ago, nigewoodcock said:

See steve, we do have more in common than you think!!!! An interest in history!

 

[ianain]

Here you go gov:

 

 

[ianain]

The present bridge was completed in 1937 

Cropredy Bridge that is.

Think I've mentioned the chub under it before? if not, I have now. Not sure the cricket club let anyone fish there any-more, used to fish it quite a lot with bread and hemp.

[chillfactor]

4 hours ago, ianain said:

As you say, no one knows what had it or a share in it. Just blaming the poor old otters, might not have been one.

I doubt fox involvement as they would drag something so small off with them, it's a busy stretch of canal and there are far too many 'scent trails' going on for foxes to stay around too long - so I supposed it may have been inquisitive hounds? but again they would just rip it apart?

 

Rats normally clean up after the otters & birds,  sometimes Mr fox all depends what finds it first .... normally Rats though . 

Funny this subject came up. Just be on the phone with a good friend  who has decided to pull the plug on his lake lost to many fish this year . Selling what he has left & calling it a day for now . 

It's very short sighted to think just target other species, what do you  think they will eat next ? 

[salokcinnodrog]

7 hours ago, carpmachine said:

Really dont know the answer to this one, i look at the Yanks , yep their venues are full of carp, and also from what i am told are full of Otters, proliferation of Otters in this environment over the years should have wiped out the carp if what you guys are saying is true, it hasnt happened, quite the opposite.

America also has more scavengers as well, so you honestly don't know whether there has been fish taken or not.

Wolves, foxes, crows, eagles, bears, you name it, all will scavenge a carcass to nothing left.

 

The UK has maybe rats, foxes or crows, but I have seen otters actually stop a fox from coming into their territory. I have also seen otters constant movement around an area, and the rats disappear.

 

I'm the same as Kev, if the big fish are lost i'm gone. Brackens lost Digit and Sams fish to oxygen crash and spawnbound, I have fished it once since, that was with a mate, as a social.

If 16.11 went, I would be going elsewhere.

 

Although on the local I fish, they lost those two doubles, quite possibly the biggest in the lake, I have not fished it in 9months. 

[ianain]

I presume otters have no competition? (nothing preys on them)

[chillfactor]

Dogs & Eagles ... can't think of  much else? 

[chillfactor]

Just now, Dannygooner said:

Otters probably have natural predators In the states though. They have none here. Top of the food chain 

No doubt Danny .... watched a program on Tele a few years back can't remember what world river it was but these were giant otters & they were defending there young from crocs & winning on that occaion. 

Think the reintroduction was a good thing  but there needs to be control too . Another point to mention these otters we have now are the European otter & a fair bit bigger than are native otter was .

[ianain]

6 minutes ago, chillfactor said:

Dogs & Eagles ... can't think of  much else? 

Keep forgetting about eagles, I did consider dogs but changed my mind after Nicks comment about the foxes being chased off. But it does make sense.

2 minutes ago, Dannygooner said:

Can someone tell me why the otter was reintroduced in the 90s? I genuinely don't know and can't work out why?

Now here's an interesting read which incidently answers your question Danny. I must admit, since reading it I'm starting to form new opinions and coming up with new theories (this could get dangerous )

[ianain]

A male otter can have a range of 40Km (25 miles) watercourse, and they set up a few base camps along the way, the females have smaller ranges.

Now I'm thinking this may be why they don't eat much and just move along, something quick and light to keep them going.

Since they control such a large range, there shouldn't be too many otters in an area.

Many of the young die, some from fighting with other otters when moving through their territory.

[ianain]

That's good though isn't it, keeps numbers down since there are only so many Kms of watercourse

[chillfactor]

 

[ianain]

Back to not knowing what to think or make of it Leave it to the 'experts' and start reading more of the posts

[greekskii]

5 hours ago, carpmachine said:

Maybe there is simply an unnatural level of free food around that stops their territorial behaviour.

More likely like any animal, when there is overpopulation they learn to accept others. This is due to their being a good food source. Less need to compete. Reduce their ranges or allow others to also claim it as territory. Already in the valley you have 6/7 otters in a 15-20 mile radius. And do gooders rehabbing them and releasing them back in to the wild does not help. These more tame animals learn to live side by side other otters. Disaster for the future. 

[jh92]

Off out in a minute to one of the lakes that's had a problem with them before. Its got a massive head of carp so hopefully there's a few left 

[Gazlaaar]

Steve

I do share your thoughts to some degree, nature will find an equilibrium, but at the cost of many a fish. You say, maybe fishing will return to the way it was, maybe it will, I'll certainly still be fishing but as Kev suggests, I want a chance of breaking my PB, or at least replicating it. Plus, I don't want to feel imprisoned inside a fenced fishery. Other animals depend on water and fences will stop this. I think the only way forward to to get Fishery Owners, Managers the right to deal with what ever threatens their livelihood. Many don't want to see the word CULL, but let' face it. Simply moving an Otter somewhere else doesn't solve the problem. Maybe the word CONTROL, would be a better phrase. 

I'm not being funny, a fence is only as secure as the anglers who fish, I've seen many an angler leave gates wide open. I've heard of fenced fisheries been wiped out by animal rights cutting holes in fences. The PAG are doing what they can but fighting any governing body takes years and it could well be to late. 

Carp fishing now feels like a battle against time, it's something I really don't like but that's just the way it is. Some of the waters in the Cotswolds will never be fenced because their nature reserves, these waters are some of the best around but for how long?

Edited February 17, 2018 by Gazlaaar

[greekskii]

10 minutes ago, carpmachine said:

Let me ask all you lads a question, would you like to see the U.S. or Australian problem with carp taking over and dominating our water courses and the rapid decline of native speceis, personally, i would not, but i think the E.A have recognised that the breeding and stocking programmes of the carp fraternity lead us down this path, do you really want  to go there.

Not a chance mate. It won't happen naturally and it won't happen unnaturally. Not to the extent it has in these countries. Luckily carp like to eat their own eggs. Hence the lack of recruitment in the estate lake for instance. 

Because carp are mainly stocked in numbers there is control over what goes where and when. The rivers and canals aren't stocked. Just enclosed waterbodies. 

Youll never see hordes of carp destroying a river in this country. 

[greekskii]

28 minutes ago, carpmachine said:

Hope you are right, frankly it scares me, did you fish last night, i am guessing not, the marina was frozen in the week, very unusual.

No mate. Been ill all week after trying to sit it out last weekend. Got a stag do next weekend so don't want to risk the illness returning. Looks ideal today too

[greekskii]

Doesn't help I've only fished for about 3hrs in February and that's it! Be doing nights again though from March and starting to bait. Might get lucky or at least close to the challenge!