Should strike indicators be banned?
In recent years, no doubt you’ll have noticed the increasing popularity of bung/ strike indicator fishing (the practice of suspending flies beneath a float and striking when the float moves) which would appear to be a very successful method ( I have witnessed people catching as many as 3or4 to my 1 caught using more traditional methods). In the main part I have no issue with this method; it is not illegal and no doubt has guaranteed the early success of many newcomers to the sport. I am however, concerned with the apparent connection between this method and the mistreatment of fish. My observations have been made at several waters where bung fishing on a catch and release ticket seem to have become the preferred method. In these waters fish can be spotted patrolling the shorelines made visible to the naked eye due to damage around the mouth and nose area caused by the over excited striking by the angler and often white “hand prints” across their backs from the handling before being returned. The management of these waters when questioned will attribute the lack of “lips” to the fact that the trout have been feeding off rocks on the bottom. I believe this to be nonsense. Trout, having a terminal (or forwards facing) mouth generally feed mid water and are not bottom feeders. True, there is an argument that farmed trout may be conditioned into picking up the odd pellet from the bottom of their cages but this wouldn’t cause this amount of damage. Besides, most of the aforementioned waters started life as flooded fields with a clay bottom and one even has a liner and hence no rocks at all.
I’d be interested to hear the opinion of forum members on the subject. Should this method be banned completely? Should it be restricted to limit bags (no catch and release)? Or is there no connection with the mistreatment on fish?
|
SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.
Linear Mode
