I've fished for 30 plus years for rainbow trout and I do think that stocked fish fom then to now have improved, but have they improved enough?
If not who do you blame,us who fish for them or fishery owners/managers who stock them.
There has been a couple of threads on here where the fisherman has wanted quality rather than size, allthough the odd big fish doesn,t go amiss.
So what do you think on the quality of fish at the fishery you fish?

Ill start with that I used to fish the Holl Reservior' run by the local water board, I booked my boat through the council, for brown trout and right or wrong they started to stock rainbows,
At about 3/4 to 1lb with tails like, well a natural brownie, the following year there first stocking was the same, but the over wintered bow's were about 3lb and if you hooked one of them you knew you had a fish on. Then foot and mouth disease then took over and fife council stopped all fishing.

It was then took over privately, with the stocking of big trout the order of the day. I do understand, when the fishery owner/manager tells me thats what sells tickets, he should know better than me, but does he?
A 6lb stocky, with no tail?
A1lb stocky, with a tail?

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Tight Lines.
Brian.

I havent had the most experience but I do know what I would prefer.

I personally dont care about the size of the fish I catch, for me the fun is in fooling them, then feeling them on your line, then playing them.

I would much rather land a grand fishy with a full tail that gave me a great fight than a tubby trout that makes a half arsed run and then runs out of puff and gives up to the net.

There's a bit of a problem here. Most anglers want to catch fish and measure their success by the number of fish caught, and sometimes the size. Most anglers are also not very good and the only way that their desire to catch fish and their ineptitude at catching them can be reconciled is with freshly stocked rainbows that will grab a lure.

As a result a very high proportion of rainbows in small stillwaters are caught within a few days of being stocked and never actually eat natural food.

In contrast I used to be part of a small syndicate that had a fertile 2 acre pool and limited funds meant that we had to fish catch and release in the first season. Our rainbows were then on natural food and working for a living, they became slimmer and fitter, grew tails and fought like tigers. They also got quite hard to catch and this proved the undoing of the syndicate because, despite the fact that in later seasons we added new stock and started to take a few out, only a few of us could consistently catch them and after a few seasons the majority of members went elsewhere for easier pickings.

It was actually great fly fishing even for rainbow trout because the fish were usually visible in the very clear water, every fish had to be deceived and most successful flies were between Sizes 14 - 20 and fished on 5x and 6x leader points.

So any commercially run small stillwater is a compromise between quality of fish and economic reality although I do accept that some that take more care with their stock fish can produce consistently high quality fish but there aren't many of these. They need to ensure that most anglers catch a few fish and the only way to do this economically is to inject plenty of cheap stock on a frequent basis so that there are always easy to catch fish in the pool.

When I used to fish on this type of water I would try to target the longer term resident fish and the brownies if there were any in the fishery.

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“There is no more lovely country than Monmouthshire in early spring. Nowhere do the larks sing quite so passionately, as if somehow inspired by the Welsh themselves. There is a blackbird on every thorn and a cock chaffinch, a twink as they call him there, on every bush...... It moved me profoundly. I had been spared to see another spring, and I thank God for it.”

Oliver Kite
“A Spring Day on the Usk”
A Fisherman’s Diary

Alot of truth and sense there sewinbasher.

I took delivery of fish today from one of my suppliers and I am never let down by the quality of them.He is only a small operation and grows them all himself and his fish are real beautys.Full tails and bars of silver and very healthy fish.He has his regular customers and aims to supply those and that way he doesnt bring in from elsewhere and grows what he needs to supply and produces the goods.You pay a little bit more but they are worth it.
I enjoy it when he comes ,not only for the fish but for the knowledge he has and learn as much from him as I can.

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Kevin

[QUOTE=sewinbasher;375995]There's a bit of a problem here. Most anglers want to catch fish and measure their success by the number of fish caught, and sometimes the size. Most anglers are also not very good and the only way that their desire to catch fish and their ineptitude at catching them can be reconciled is with freshly stocked rainbows that will grab a lure.

This is where I disagree, sorry Sewinbasher, most anglers want to catch a fish of a lifetime, thats for sure, but not able to fish for a wild fish.
Most anglers after a short time of catching the most, the biggest would rather catch a fish thats at least put up a fight, I m sorry to say not stocked in most of the waters I've fished, or pictures[in mags]I've seen

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Tight Lines.
Brian.

I'm sory Kevin,
But this is the response you would expect from a fishery owner, because you want to sell tickets

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Tight Lines.
Brian.

If you enjoy it do it. I enjoy the odd visit to the little fishery down the road, Coltsford mill. Mostly I stream fish for trout and chub.

My view is an angry rainbow puts up a fight like any other trout.

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Carl

http://www.wandlepiscators.net/
http://teiseangling.co.uk/index.htm

TOMORROW THE TRENT COULD BE YOUR FISHERY! When are YOU going to JOIN THE ANGLING TRUST?

There are two or three answers to this one , personally its down to the quality of fish you receive , like all walks of life there are good farmers , bad farmers etc . The place we receive our fish from are top notch , full tailed , not fat pellet pigs . Olso a point making is catch and release , if its a busy fishery , then there is bound to be bad handling etc . It all contributes to there apperance.

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[SIZE="4"]BRITISH BY BIRTH , SCOTTISH BY THE GRACE OF GOD..[/SIZE]

Yes that is true and understand,but for me it is not just about selling tickets, which is important as its a business after all.But first and foremost i am an angler and quality fish is important and providing quality for those who come as a business is paramount for me.
Had I not been a fishery owner ,I would still say the quality of the fish is first class.
But I take what you say and understand ,I let the fishery itself do any talking on the quality of it and its fish.

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Kevin

If I might add my two pennies worth....

I would personally see a 2lb full finned fish than a 6lb finless flabby, sorry-excuse of a trout.

Some of the best fighting fish I have had the pleasure to catch have been at Wilf's Hazelcopse in Surrey.

On a number of visits I have thought I was into a double whereas it was simply a red-bull charged 3lber. Even a wee fella of 1.5lbs gave me a massive fight and simply wouldnt give up.

Wilf is justifiably proud of always trying to stock good quality fish. I just dont know how he keeps his prices so low................I suppose one could argue his two lakes are not the prettiest; some would go so far as to call them mud-puddles, but his lakes generally fish well, have few over-zealous rules and he cares deeply for his fish.

Chigboro also seems to stock some lovely fish.

Ben

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