Pellets - bad for the environment

[Bluedun]

I notice that a few participants here use pellets as bait, a fairly recent idea I think - they weren't around when I coarse-fished regularly anyway. You should know that these are a product of industrial fishing, i.e. mainly sandeels. Along with overfishing of commercial species in the sea, the sandeel population is now also very low, which impacts all species of sea fish and also birdlife such as puffins.

If any of you sea fish you'll know how bad things are. Avoid using pellets. They help contribute to the decline of the marine environment. (Not very traditional either.) Fish farming is a heavy user of course - not as good for fish stocks as the industry likes to make out.

[JohnL]

I use chicken layer pellets for feed, they're made from wheat mostly and only about £8.00 for 20 kilos (brilliant for roach). There are none-fishmeal coarse fish pellets out there if you search, I think CC Moores do various ones.

[Dave Burr]

There's also a lot of fish waste from the industry that goes into pellet making which does not effect fish stocks but I agree, they are not the most eco-friendly bait. However, pellets are now being made with much lower fishmeal content due in the main to the rising cost of same.

[Nigel Rainton]

I've never used boilies or pellets, they are banned on my local waters. I thought they had been banned to keep the fish in the lakes healthy and never considered the environmental issues. I will continue to avoid these baits.

[Bumble]

Interesting discussion I stopped using pellets 4 years ago and my catch rate increased x 4 does my bait Bread, paste etc appeal more to Barbel and Chub not sure but it's different. I have seen anglers put kilos of pellets into swims and then complain the water is not as good as it was.
What happens is fish eat all the pellets and then don't feed again for up to 5 days killing it for the next angler that comes to fish there.
Are pellets bad for environment not sure would like to see more scientific evidence to make an informed decision are they bad for the rivers and lakes absolutely when fed by the kilo but that's more about the angler than the pellets.
Typical me more questions than answers .
Bumble

[Kingfisher]

I used pellets a couple of times for Barbel fishing on a friends say so but when I'd got used to the place we were fishing and went on my own I found luncheon meat to be a pretty good substitute.

I swear by luncheon meat for carp and Barbel nowadays and will always use day old bread's crumbs and hemp for the feed.

[Bluedun]

bumble

There is plenty of academic evidence for decline in fish stocks, including sandeels. There have been one or two TV programmes on the subject; one was about the decline of puffins because they can't catch enough sandeels to feed their chicks, feeding pipefish to them instead, a species much lower in oil. I believe the Danes are big on this so-called industrial fishing.

I can't imagine such a diet is good for fish - an awful lot of concentrated food. I think pellets really took off on those densely stocked commercial fisheries, where perhaps the fish population can absorb that amount of food, and of course are used to pellets raining down in the stew ponds in which they began life. Is that fishing? Not to me.

[Bumble]

Bluedun not fishing for me either to date this year I have 35 Barbel and 25 Chub all caught on crust and numerous others on cheese paste and sausage meat paste. I only feed mashed bread or bread crumb. It just feels more natural to me and I enjoy my fishing so much more than when sponsored by certain bait companies where different pellets arrived at my house every week.
Having said all that I know very good anglers who care about are rivers who may only feed 3 or 4pellets per swim before they start to fish
Bumble

[Pedro]

No matter how much of a traditionalist you are when it comes to bait that 21st century Barbel love its Boilies.
Nothing else offers the pulling power of a good QUALITY HNV boilie.
Far more nutrition than Luncheon meat or Spam that I have used for over 35 years.
I Have been Converted.
If you look at the weight of Barbel and Chub being caught in recent times I believe that it proves that HNV baits are good for the quality of the fish being caught at the moment

[Bluedun]

I like bread too Bumble, such a versatile bait.

Pedro: It's another subject but I've always been sceptical about the HNV bait thing. How do the fish know? Maybe they do somehow but it could equally be the angler who's been caught. Still, so long as the boilie's are not made from fish meal.