Barbel, Fred Crouch, Ray Walton and Luncheon Meat.

[Mr B]

I come across this last night while looking up Fred Crouch. Some( could be many) of you might well have seen this. If not its worth a watch.
Only 7 minutes and the introduction is a bit misleading.

[Bayleaf]

Interesting theory about the growth hormones.

[Olly]

Well barbel are still alive - although reduced in numbers in some places - 32 years later! And so is Ray.

[Mr B]

Well barbel are still alive - although reduced in numbers in some places - 32 years later! And so is Ray.

I was surprised by the tonnage of luncheon meat thrown in!!!
I dread to think how many tons go it the carp packed commercials!!!!
I end up eating half my Spam anyway when I use it, I do love a spam sandwich.
Yes, and good about Ray, sad about Fred though.
A wealth of knowledge between those Anglers Olly.

[Olly]

Yep - one showed/taught me his method - rolling meat!
And the other I fished with on several occasions on the Kennet as we were both members of two Societies that had sections.

[Duckett]

Well barbel are still alive - although reduced in numbers in some places - 32 years later! And so is Ray.

I was surprised by the tonnage of luncheon meat thrown in!!!
I dread to think how many tons go it the carp packed commercials!!!!
I end up eating half my Spam anyway when I use it, I do love a spam sandwich.
Yes, and good about Ray, sad about Fred though.
A wealth of knowledge between those Anglers Olly.

This is slightly off at a tangent but this made me think of a long chat I had with a medical doctor some years ago whilst fishing the River Lea. We had just seen a “angler” (I use the term loosely), pre-baiting a swim with two huge buckets of assorted processed meat products, boilies and what looked and smelt like molasses.

The doctor expressed a concern to me about Barbel (and other fish) developing diabetes. He’d got thinking about it after seeing seriously obese Carp. A normal fish diet doesn’t include sugars in large amounts or in a refined form. However, many things used by anglers for pre and ground baiting do, sometimes at high levels. Apparently, scientific research is ongoing as to whether all fish produce insulin, which processes sugar in our bodies, so the impact of a high sugar diet was uncertain. However, he was certain that a diabetic fish would die very quickly.

I’ve since Googled the issue once in a while but never discovered anything further.

Phil

[Paul F]

Fred's autobiography "skies of fire, rivers of gold" is worth a read, Fred had a tough start in life!

[Olly]

As I am diabetic I too, I also have a supply of insulin with me at all times!

Carp that have 'put on weight' have been examined by fishery teams including the National Fisheries Laboratory in Brampton, part of the EA.
I however am unaware of any results as most checks were regarding 'movement of fish' - so Health checks!

I am sure they would be able to comment on carp health.

[Dave Burr]

Some fat carp seemed to last for years, as did the big Great Ouse barbel until the otters had them. I do cringe at the amount and quality of bait some people put into lakes and rivers, they are just trying to buy their fish and are shallow thinkers. In the early days, boilies were sometimes of extremely poor quality and carried all sorts of crap. I've heard of heavy doses of laxatives to make the fish empty themselves sooner thus making them hungry again.

Having gone through the process of driving myself cuckoo whilst tinkering with pastes and boilies, I now have makes I trust and know that they are made to catch fish not poison them.

[CraigM]

I can understand the no unhooking mat in those days.......

.........but no beer in the pub !!!

I'll lay off the luncheon meat diet.