Swanage - now we know the answer!

Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 4:51 pm

Having tried to get advice on tips, tactics etc. for Swanage without much success, I can now report that I was one of the approx. 40 anglers who fished the annual Barclays Bank Inter-district match at Swanage Beach on 30th November. We use a catch and release scoring system in which only fish over NSFA size limits can be recorded on scorecards. In a 6 1/2 hour match we recorded FOUR such fish (a Ballan Wrasse of 3 pounds 13 ounces, a 1 pound 10 ounce Bass, a 1 pound 4 ounce Sole and a Plaice - weight unknown). Various undersized species were caught - several CD case sized Turbot, tiny Wrasse and a Blenny amongst others, but this is really an appalling return from a UK beach at this time of year.

Swanage does have the capacity to be a good venue but for that to happen someone will have to do something about Gill-netters. One of these nets was laid right across the stretch we fished a few hours before we started and there was evidence of others. Together these would have almost cut off the whole of Swanage Bay and, of course, the vibrations of caught fish dying in these nets would drive others away.

I'd like to know if anything gets done but I doubt that our match will be returning to Swanage in the foreseeable future!

Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 5:06 pm

Did you report the nets to the appropriate authorities?

Guest

Has no one told you Little Alfie? We're RSAs. We're not allowed any fish! angry

We had a similar problem at Orford on the Beach clean weekend in September. It was almost as if we'd advertised that we were going and someone deliberately decided to gill net it. Fortunately, the site of Rocket's poorly foot scared them off and the net was gone by the time we started fishing.

Oh, hang on, we did advertise-how stupid of us to think that a nice little event of benefit to everyone would be left alone! silly

Apparently, if the vessel is under 15m the rules about distance from shore etc don't apply

Member Joined: Nov 10, 2007 Posts: 35 Location: Dorset

It's their job,it's how they make their weekly wage,you/we are doing it for pleasure/sport,yes it's frustrating if you want to fish where they've shot nets but it is their living.

Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 8:32 pm

chesilmuff wrote:

It's their job,it's how they make their weekly wage,you/we are doing it for pleasure/sport,yes it's frustrating if you want to fish where they've shot nets but it is their living.

if the boat they were netting from was registered,ie had a number on the front then they are legitimate netsmen,if not they are cowboys probably supplementing there dole cheques,or to put it another way SCUM, angry

registered netsmen abide by the rules mesh size etc,cowboys dont,
i had dealings with some a few years back in pompey harbour,at the time i had a 17ft 6 dory with 2 x 50hp lumps on the back.i was running one engine up fareham creek when she started to labour,i had run into a gill net which was set accross a creek,(creek penning is totally illeagal)so i hid among the yachts and waited,sure enuff 2 blokes came to haul what was left of there nets,i followed them back to there mooring, a few days later me and a mate were playing catch with a bottle of brake fluid,my mate is a lousy catch and it went into a boat very similar to the one we had followed earlier in the week,clumsy git,i explained to the harbour master what ahd happened and that i would like to compensate the owners,the mooring wasnt registered and neither was the boat,surprise surprise,so i put the £50 that i was going to compensate them with towards the £200 bill for my new prop and sacfrificial anode which got smashed by the gill net, winking

regards bob

Member Joined: Nov 10, 2007 Posts: 35 Location: Dorset

BOBFLY wrote:

chesilmuff wrote:

It's their job,it's how they make their weekly wage,you/we are doing it for pleasure/sport,yes it's frustrating if you want to fish where they've shot nets but it is their living.

if the boat they were netting from was registered,ie had a number on the front then they are legitimate netsmen,if not they are cowboys probably supplementing there dole cheques,or to put it another way SCUM, angry

registered netsmen abide by the rules mesh size etc,cowboys dont,
i had dealings with some a few years back in pompey harbour,at the time i had a 17ft 6 dory with 2 x 50hp lumps on the back.i was running one engine up fareham creek when she started to labour,i had run into a gill net which was set accross a creek,(creek penning is totally illeagal)so i hid among the yachts and waited,sure enuff 2 blokes came to haul what was left of there nets,i followed them back to there mooring, a few days later me and a mate were playing catch with a bottle of brake fluid,my mate is a lousy catch and it went into a boat very similar to the one we had followed earlier in the week,clumsy git,i explained to the harbour master what ahd happened and that i would like to compensate the owners,the mooring wasnt registered and neither was the boat,surprise surprise,so i put the £50 that i was going to compensate them with towards the £200 bill for my new prop and sacfrificial anode which got smashed by the gill net, winking

regards bob

Tar and brush come to mind.

Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2007 9:08 pm

chesilmuff wrote:

BOBFLY wrote:

chesilmuff wrote:

It's their job,it's how they make their weekly wage,you/we are doing it for pleasure/sport,yes it's frustrating if you want to fish where they've shot nets but it is their living.

if the boat they were netting from was registered,ie had a number on the front then they are legitimate netsmen,if not they are cowboys probably supplementing there dole cheques,or to put it another way SCUM, angry

registered netsmen abide by the rules mesh size etc,cowboys dont,
i had dealings with some a few years back in pompey harbour,at the time i had a 17ft 6 dory with 2 x 50hp lumps on the back.i was running one engine up fareham creek when she started to labour,i had run into a gill net which was set accross a creek,(creek penning is totally illeagal)so i hid among the yachts and waited,sure enuff 2 blokes came to haul what was left of there nets,i followed them back to there mooring, a few days later me and a mate were playing catch with a bottle of brake fluid,my mate is a lousy catch and it went into a boat very similar to the one we had followed earlier in the week,clumsy git,i explained to the harbour master what ahd happened and that i would like to compensate the owners,the mooring wasnt registered and neither was the boat,surprise surprise,so i put the £50 that i was going to compensate them with towards the £200 bill for my new prop and sacfrificial anode which got smashed by the gill net, winking

regards bob

Tar and brush come to mind.

i agree with you,it is very annoying when you turn up to fish to find your swim festooned with gill nets,i have a bit more sympathy for registered netsman,i have been out a couple of times with a mate of mine,and trust me it is very very hard work,but i wish they would just move offshore abit i only want the 1st 200yds of beach they can have the rest,

regards bob

Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 11:20 am

I loathe gill nets for just one simple reason: If the net breaks free (as sometimes happens) it will drift around for years as it does not rot away very quickly. What happens while it is drifting around? Fish of the right size continue to be caught in it and die until it is heavy enough to sink then the crabs get to work until it is light enough to start drifting (and catching) again. Of course, they will also get tangled around boat props, rudders, etc. I suppose that eventually politicians will see sense and ban them altogether but how many of the wretched things will be drifting around the world's oceans by then? Of course, this means that you should never just cut them free.

Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 1:55 pm

crazy-dude wrote:

Did you report the nets to the appropriate authorities?

Just for information (I'm only an occasional Sea Angler who hasn't come across this before) who are "the appropriate authorities" in this situation? Had I possessed that info I would certainly have tried to contact someone.

Bear in mind also that I didn't personally see the nets laid (although one of my colleagues whose hotel room faced the sea did) and that by the time the match was over and we were in a position to take some action it was dark and the net had probably been removed anyway.

I may just drop a line to Swanage Chamber of Commerce pointing out what an out-of-season money spinner Sea Angling could be - I guess if the so-called "pink pound" has economic clout then there's also room for the "salty pound" to have an effect.

Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 2:01 pm

If the net had no marker buoy with it showing who owns it then it may be an illegal net.
as that would be a danger to boats,swimmers and other water users then the coastguard would have come and removed it.

Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 2:06 pm

By the way (and to lighten this post a little) I don't think the lack of fish at Swanage is entirely down to nets.

I had a chat with a local , out for his afternoon stroll, who seemed surprised to find anyone fishing (let alone 40 of us!) - I asked the old boy if he knew of people fishing this beach and the following exchange took place:

Elderly local: "My brother caught a fish here once"

Me: "Oh yes. What was it?"

EL: "It was about 10 years ago"

Me: "No. I meant what did he catch?"

EL: "I dunno and I can't ask him 'cos he died about 10 years ago"

Me: "Ah, errr OK then"

Personally I think the shock of catching something probably killed him!

Member Joined: Nov 10, 2007 Posts: 35 Location: Dorset

crazy-dude wrote:

Did you report the nets to the appropriate authorities?

For what reason?

Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 7:48 pm

Because illegal gill netting is illegal!!.

Member Joined: Nov 10, 2007 Posts: 35 Location: Dorset

crazy-dude wrote:

Because illegal gill netting is illegal!!.

I just wondered how you know what they are doing is illegal??

Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2007 8:48 pm

chesilmuff wrote:

crazy-dude wrote:

Because illegal gill netting is illegal!!.

I just wondered how you know what they are doing is illegal??

I don't because I wasn't there and littlealfie only said that there was evidence of others in his post. He didn't say that there was a buoy to indicate that the net was there. Which would indicate that the net wasn't registered