ATTACK OF THE OTTERS

The Otter was re- introduced into Great Britain in the 1970's and ever since they have made a massive impact on our fisheries, destroying a large number of not only our fish species but also lots of our other land going creatures to.
  Although they may appear to be nothing more than cute fury creatures they are actually a devastating predator which prey on many small animal species such as land nesting birds, our indigenous snake species and many fish species.
  I first came across this problem holiday on the river Bure in the Norfolk broads, although I had heard about the damage caused by the Otters in the Norfolk area it was usually on the upper reaches of rivers which were out of the way of more populated areas.
 On this trip we set out pike fishing as usual but after 2-3 days we was still without a single run. I had spoken to the local workmen in the area and they explained that in the past year or so the otters had moved further down stream and had caused a huge amount of damage to there fish stocks including the big Pike which the river is famous for, this was hard to take in as exactly 12 months earlier we had enjoyed an incredible weeks fishing catching 3-4 Pike per day and had caught them to over 24 lb.
  I went for a short walk with my granddad and came across five large pike up to about the 15 lb mark laying on the bank with huge great holes in them we the Otters had killed them and dragged them onto the bank and simply left them there.
  The Otter population has now started to spread and has continued to decimate carp fisheries and rivers allover the country causing fishery owners thousands of pounds worth of damage.
  If anything i do believe that the Environment Agency should take control of the situation and try to put a stop to this shocking situation, giving fishery owners the permission they need to control the species, It was the Environment Agency that helped re- introduce the species in the first place and its now time they take responsibility for there actions.

FISHING FOR THE DISABLED ANGLER

My introduction and experiences whilst fishing with the disabled.

I guess disabled angling has been a huge part of my fishing from a very young age, I have an older step brother 'Andrew' who is blind and has attended the regular family fishing trips since before I was born.
  As many of my family members are keen fishermen and women our fishing trips were never the usual and usually consisted of the whole family! We would  arrive on the banks of the river Trent on a weekend and set out for a relaxing days fishing. As I grew older and I turned into a more competent angler I would always pair up with Andrew on fishing trips to take the weight off my dads and my granddads shoulders who for years had spent there time on the bank teaching others rather than having a relaxing days fishing to themselves.
 From there on I developed a huge love for helping out my step brother Andrew with his fishing and this more than anything started off my obsession with the sport. As using the usual float tackle was simply impossible for him we invested in bite alarms and this made his fishing much more independent, being able to hook and play the fish independently and the more he learnt the happier and more confident he became.
  From there I went on to help show him how to bait up his feeders and after a couple of years I taught him how to pole fish, the pole fishing was a good change as there were no casting involved and he could ship out the pole and land fish on his own, one thing that always amazed me was how he would feel bites through vibrations in the rod or pole sometimes before there had been any visual indications what so ever. In my view this shows an amazing connection between angler and nature that you cant get from any other sport in the world.

Angling facilities for disabled anglers

  I believe that disabled access is now a key in the modern fishing world especially as many more disabled individuals are now taking up the sport.

I must say i do believe there is a huge lack of appropriate facilities for disabled anglers and it has to be said that much more could be done by fishery owners and the EA to make our fisheries much safer.

  The majority the fishing I did when fishing with my blind step-brother was on commercial waters, not because of the fishing but because the banks seem to be much better and easier for disabled people to access especially those who require pegs suitable for wheel chairs. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the fisheries in the UK who do cater the needs of disabled anglers like my brother Andrew and would like to give a huge thank you to Aston park fisheries which have been great to not only my step brother but also to many other disabled anglers and i would recommend there fishery to anyone looking for a fantastic days fishing!

COMMERCIAL FISHING

MY INTRODUCTION TO COMMERCIAL FISHERIES

In modern fishing, match fishing in-particular commercials have defiantly taken over! giving people the opportunity to bag up with silvers and carp even when the conditions are against them. even the most un-skilled anglers can catch plenty of fish on these venues therefore they are the choice of many youngsters coming into angling as they can often visit venue for there first time fishing and pull out a 10lb carp.

   when fishing the few matches that i have fished I've had that opportunity to fish the best venues in Yorkshire such as Portland waters and Lindholme lakes and i have enjoyed the fishing greatly, however i will admit that the commercials don't seem to offer the passion of the more natural rivers and lakes and they are built more to catch the angler. most commercial lakes are small and massively overstocked with fish to make the anglers job easier, however i think sometimes this goes too far and the fishing can be just too easy and do not require much skill at all, the other bad point about commercial fishing is that most of the time there is a board telling you exactly what species are in the lake and what size they grow to, this to me takes some of the art out of the sport as you know every species and size of fish you're lightly to catch.

  In conclusion i do have to admit that commercial fisheries are a great place to enjoy a days fishing especially with the good quality pegs and banks which are perfect for the disabled or elderly who may struggle on other venues were banks are un-even.