I've got a dilemma that I hope you can advise on.

My local small-ish stillwater has a heavy Argulus (fish louse) infestation.

I've spoken to both the fishery manager and written to the owner, but they deny there is a problem.

The fishery is predominantly catch and return and is batch stocked - so there are always a few new stockies which don't pick up the lice.

However even at this time of year (and we've had a bit of cold weather which is meant to reduce the numbers) big fish are absolutely covered with them, and are in a very bad condition.

I suppose the next step is to contact the EA - but I don't want to be responsible for possibly causing the owner to lose his livelihood if they force him to shut it down, for example to drain it.

I'm not going to post the name of the fishery - but be assured this is definitely Argulus, I had them crawling over my hands the other day when I was returning fish.

What would you do?

To be honest people are going to stop fishing the place if its not sorted so dont feel bad, Good fisheries make money and get good reviews bad ones don't
Mike

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I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,9 bean rows will I have there and a hive for the honey bee.

if they don't want to do anything about it , then report it ..... you've given them chance enough!!

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WHEN YOU LEAVE THE RIVER, TAKE NOTHING, AND LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINT'S!!!

THA CAN TELL A YORKSHIREMAN ,BUT THA CAN'T TELL HIM MUCH !!

How many lakes are there? Can the fishery close the lake, drain it down, lime it, grow clover and then reflood it as Alex Behrendt used to do at his Two Lakes fishery?

richard

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Who resides on the right bank of the Derbyshire Wye and is lulled to sleep each night by the mutterings of a weir, dreaming that "When the rivers and their inhabitants come first, we ALL win..."

I would name it for a start,save other folks wasting their money,if the owner was on the ball he would be seeing to the problem Seems he is not interested.

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Silversedge
LETS TACKLE CANCER SUPPORTER
"MON THE HILL CLIMBERS!!"

Take pics of infected fish and show to owner. If they still do nothing, then report them.

thanks guys for the fast responses - I knew I'd get some sense here, I've been reading as a guest for the last year.

I've shown the manager an actual fish which was in a hell of a state - he took it off me and chucked it behind the lodge.

there are 2 lakes,the other one is a carp lake which I suspect will be the same.

I'm also worried that the Argulus may get spread to other places by other fishermen, including our local river system....


As a result of your responses I've now sent the EA an email - I'll let you know.

Name it then,other anglers have a right to know,just shows you what the manager is all about,throwing a fish behind his hut

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Silversedge
LETS TACKLE CANCER SUPPORTER
"MON THE HILL CLIMBERS!!"

Just to put some people's minds at rest (and no doubt worry others) the fishery is in Derbyshire.

And because I think it's important not to set alarm bells ringing unnecessarily, I can confirm that it's not just me who's worried about this - I was talking to another fisherman there who had emailed the owner but received no satisfactory response.

this is going to be my last post on this thread until I receive a response from the EA which I'll report back.

It's an odd time of year for an Argulus problem, but if you can plainly see them on the fish then so be it. It is a natural thing so the Agency will not be able to do anything about it. They certainly won't close the fishery. The most they can do is to advise the owner to voluntarily close down and to reduce the stock numbers in the lake. Argulus is density dependant.so the more hosts there are the better. Certain fish species are more prone to Argulus than others. Pike, bream, carp and tench because they are either shoal fish or are relatively sedentary, and rainbow trout which I found surprising because they are generally active fish, but it was explained to me that they are prone because they are non-native and lack the defence mechanisms of native species.

A couple of years ago there was a chap at CEFAS at Weymouth who was a bit of an Argulus expert. Why not contact them to see if he is still around. He was doing a doctorate on the little bast*rds if I remember correctly.