When "one for the pot" takes on a whole new meaning

publication date: Jun 28, 2007

Keith Elliot reports fishing off Southend Pier. Nothing very special in that. But there is. Firstly, Keith catches, without a shadow of a doubt, an Allis Shad. How exciting is that! Apparently it took a small spinner and weighed a full ten ounces. It was, however, checked and rechecked against all the textbooks and it’s passed every test. This capture lines up perfectly with those from the North Norfolk coast reported by my friend Sykes. Many’s the time, he tells me, that he catches Allis Shad up to six or seven pounds in weight in his nets, especially in the autumn. Keith also adds that there is an Allis Shad run up the Tamar where they spawn successfully. Wow! Rest assured we’ll check it out.

But Keith also adds that it was almost impossible to fish from the pier at Southend because of the number of small bass. That, of course, is absolutely excellent and it’s brilliant that these nursery zones seem to be paying dividends. However, there might possibly be a down side: Keith noticed that these basslets were, in actual fact, harrying the young of flat fish in particular but all the other species mercilessly. Suddenly, it appears that there is a glut of small, voracious bass and this might prove to be detrimental to our more workaday species. Comments?

Then Richie Johnston, my great Irish mate is on the blower from Ireland. It seems he’s spent a lot of time sea trout fishing down on Lough Currane with my guru there, Neil O’Shea. The fishing has been hard but, as ever, Richie comments on the tremendously honest, open and helpful attitude that Neil invariable shows. Here is a guide who sets out to do nothing but his best for his clients. Despite the difficulties, Richie has picked up a number of sea trout to two pounds and there was an eleven pounder reported not long back – a monster for Irish waters.

I report to Richie that I’m recently back from Poland and he goes into orbit. Now, there is nothing in the least xenophobic, rightwing or Fascist about Richie who is the easiest guy to live with in the world. But what some Polish immigrants into Ireland are doing to his fish stocks he cannot tolerate. Only the other day, he found a Pole with twenty under-sized trout in a bag. The week before some seventy pounds of roach he saw emptied into black bin liners – away to be made into soup. Tench from local canals are being taken away wholesale. It’s evidently a massive problem, one Richie is not the type to overstate.

Of course, Richie is quick to understand that in Poland so many people actually fish for the pot alone and that sport is frequently an unaffordable luxury. That doesn’t mean, however, Polish traditions can be exported to Ireland where the culture has become so much different. Richie also reports that a ruling is soon to be brought in that only six fish a day can be taken from any water course. Anybody found with more than six dead fish will suffer the consequences. Even if you’re dead baiting for pike. Fine, but the removal of six five pound tench, or six seven pound bream, or six fifteen pound pike, or six four pound sea trout, or six twelve pound salmon all constitutes quite a dent – especially if multiplied thousands of times.

Of course, this problem is not new. English tabloids are always quick to report this type of thing. I believe it’s a problem, also, in Copenhagen. No doubt elsewhere. What Richie really bemoans is the fact that no-one in Ireland seems to take the situation seriously and that no-one seems to stand up and take responsibility. And he stresses for individual anglers to wade in is not the answer. Apparently one or two of his mates have done so and within minutes mobiles are ringing and groups of angry, intimidating Poles are on the scene.

No doubt there are bigger problems as the new, expanded Europe settles down and finds its feet. That does not mean, however, that this one is insignificant and should be ignored.