The Complete Fisher Forum

[Fryfishing]

Hello All.
I am just back from another great break in cornwall.
I do not do much fishing when I am down there but while in St Ives town standing by the harbour with the tide in it suddenly struck me how few fish could be seen in the water. So I then had a good walk around the harbour and along the jetty and to my surprise there was a complete lack of fish to be seen at all apart from a small shoal of some sort of fry. If this was a harbour in Spain, Portugal or Greece the waters would have had a good stock of mature mullet and silver fish of some description.
I then found myself walking a local beach with a nice estuary (Hayle) and again there was little to no sign of fish being present.
Not being a sea fisherman, what is the problem? Is it the wrong time of year or has all the commercial fishing finally taken its ultimate toll on inshore fish stocks?
P
_________________
Floating Lines, buzzers, nymphs, stick floats, maggots and throwing lures at bitey things.

[BristolFlyer]

I've seen some big mullet in St Ives harbour but maybe the smaller fish keep away from the ravenous gulls?

There are huge numbers of mackerel, school bass and smelt offshore at the moment. The average size of the mackerel is impressive too. I had another over two pounds on Sunday on a 4/0 bass lure!

I saw something very large (about five feet long) smashing bait fish off Fowey on Sunday too. I thought it might be a dolphin but didn't see the dorsal fin, so maybe a tuna.

[Fryfishing]

it is interesting the fish are further out to sea and do not seem to follow the tide into the harbour which would no doubt have plenty of food for them after being dry at low tide.
Not sure about the gulls they seem to have their eye on Pastes, ice cream and chips available form dumb tourists on dry land I read in a St Ives news letter that the gulls are a protected species????? If they nested on my roof they would be evicted.

P
_________________
Floating Lines, buzzers, nymphs, stick floats, maggots and throwing lures at bitey things.

[trout]

When I was very young (probably wouldn't be allowed now!)I used to fish off the pier every day over a week of Easter when we had a family holiday there. I did it for years and every time each year I met an older cockney bloke called Miles who drank cripple cock cider from a bottle and was funny as hell. He had never caught a fish in all the years he had been going to St ives that time every week for some judo event.

The one and last year I didnt see him, I actualy caught two plaice, or a plaice and a flounder, I'm not sure. I've also had launce on spinners but that's it.

Lots of Cornwall is getting rinsed by netters at the moment. Check out Henry gilbeys latest few blog posts on his website.

[JCP]

Is a cryng shame Trout and why the inshore stocks are so depleted in some areas.Spanish set Mono nets wiped out the Eddystone Bass population years ago.See good numbers are back now hopefully under some kind of protection.Dorset's Bournemouth bay had fantastic fishing for flatties/bream/mullet/channel whiting/some pollack and bass until the mono nets took their inevitable toll.Followed by the sandeelers for bait cleared the natural stocks.Now all we have is ''Harry Rednapp'' and some tanks left over from D-Day practice sessions.

JP

[Fryfishing]

There was an article in FFFT re estuary netting last month I think.
It is very frustrating that all the nature watchers and twitchers never give fish a thought or think about the fish and the part they play in the environment.
I am going back to Cornwall for some fishing at the beginning of October.
P
_________________
Floating Lines, buzzers, nymphs, stick floats, maggots and throwing lures at bitey things.

[Allrounder]

Not St. Ives but this explains much the problem. Sadly the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (CIFCA) talk the talk but do little to enforce legislation aimed at preserving stocks, in this case Bass. Here is an example of how they allow the commercial fishing sector to drive a coach and horses through conservation legislation through not monitoring fish landings. Cornish Fish Managers asleep at the wheel

Mullet, which are fast becoming a sporting target for fly fishers are also coming under increasing pressure from monofilament netters despite have a low market value.

Alan
_________________
Member of ...
The Angling Trust
BRFFA
B.A.S.S.
Pike Fly Fishing Association

If you see me on the bank, say hello... from a safe distance!

[tenet]

Here you go Peter - opposite Porthkidney (lellant) on the estuary.

https://www.north-quay.co.uk/?&gclid=CjwKCAjwgdX4BRB_EiwAg8O8HbyKY7untSVfwSvs1zSGnYmjzCX0K8JuKdpKmXwp2JpW0HKTGnnAXRoCE2gQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Fryfishing]

Doug, That looks awful.
They are building on every square inch of land down there in and near St Ives in a few years it will be like Benidorm

My fishing holiday will probably be trout fishing with some sea fishing.
P
_________________
Floating Lines, buzzers, nymphs, stick floats, maggots and throwing lures at bitey things.

[BristolFlyer]

"SET WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF HAYLE CONSERVATION AREA AND A WORLD HERITAGE SITE"

Well what is the point of conservation areas if they can build monstrosities like that in them!?

[tenet]

But you would get PHILPS PASTIES on the doorstep.

(for those not in the know Philps are probably the best pasties in the whole world)