Pellets - bad for the environment

This is the place to discuss the fishing baits.
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Woolly Bear
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Re: Pellets - bad for the environment

Post by Woolly Bear »

Pedro . I see what you mean it does seem a pity we traditionalists do not take advantage of dare I say slightly more modern baits and there ingredients .I know most traditional fishermen would never use boilies but they might be tempted to make a paste out of some of their ingredients .I agree that the condition of the fish has improved using H . N . V. baits its just that they get caught more and stand more chance of being damaged I suppose . I used H . N . V . baits on a large scale as I said and they worked . Perhaps we could add them to our bait list as long as the ingredients are safe for the fish to consume over a long period of time with no ill effect . My friends on the Trent use H . N . V . baits and inform me the barbel they catch are fit and healthy and are benefiting from them .Who knows . I started out as a Traditional Fisherman then took advantage of the modern and kind of drifted back to Traditional , Nice to hear your view Pedro , Kindest regards Woolly Bear :Hat:

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JerryC
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Re: Pellets - bad for the environment

Post by JerryC »

A lot of these weight gains (barbel/chub) have been on rivers which have not had a huge input of pellets so obviously there are some other factors too. As stated above 'Signals' are a probability to some rivers, also global warming which apart from a couple of really bitter winters, has given us many milder winters since the early 90's and lengthened the annual feeding window of all species. A point of note, the chub/barbel in my syndicate river stretches have packed on the weight over the last 20 years and there are no signals in residence.
If you understand what you’re doing, you’re not learning anything...........

Pedro

Re: Pellets - bad for the environment

Post by Pedro »

JerryC wrote:A lot of these weight gains (barbel/chub) have been on rivers which have not had a huge input of pellets so obviously there are some other factors too. As stated above 'Signals' are a probability to some rivers, also global warming which apart from a couple of really bitter winters, has given us many milder winters since the early 90's and lengthened the annual feeding window of all species. A point of note, the chub/barbel in my syndicate river stretches have packed on the weight over the last 20 years and there are no signals in residence.
The river that I fish has seen a huge increase in the weight of its Chub inhabitants over the last 10 years,which I believe must be down to the HNV baits being used.
There are no signal crayfish present.
I always wrap my boilie in the paste from the mixture that I knock up as I believe its a great attractor I always use feed the swim that I am fishing with small balls of paste along with broken bits of boilies.
Mostly I feed half a dozen swims and dip in and out of them during a session.
I am always prebaiting swims along with a few other chaps who fish the same stretch of river.
I think you make a very good point regarding the milder winters which probably is also an influencing factor.

Bluedun

Re: Pellets - bad for the environment

Post by Bluedun »

Difficult to say whether baits thrown in the river make the fish grow. Maggots are pretty nutritious anyway. Many factors influence fish populations and size, which are in any case highly variable. Another thought: would fattening up the fish and catching them be fishing or farming?

On the use of pellets there are two ways to look at this. We know that fishmeal pellets have an impact on the environment so as anglers, whose fishing depends on a healthy environment, we should not be using them.

However, one might say that the amount of pellets an angler uses, even by the overfed and overfeeding match angler, are small compared to the use by the aquaculture industry, and I'm sure that's true.

I'm of the first view. I really don't want to be fiddling about with manufactured bait that's hard to hook anyway.

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JerryC
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Re: Pellets - bad for the environment

Post by JerryC »

Pedro, I completely relate to your post.

Bluedun, I also believe that the amount of pellets we use for angling is nothing compared to that used to feed farmed fish. However, in my opinion fishmeal probably is not the way to go from the source to the end use.
If you understand what you’re doing, you’re not learning anything...........

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