Chew Valley

The pac report tells us that removal of only large or a varied cross section of pike will see an increase of jacks. However it says removal of jacks can be successful, unfortunately it doesn't say how trout water population would be affected by the removal of only jacks.

Weather or not the removal of jacks on chew will change the big pike or trout population remains to be seen the bottom line is the trout season ticket holders aren't happy and bw will have to be seen to be doing something. Id rather this than indiscriminate removal of pike on a large scale like deggy before it opened. Interestingly large scale pike removal on deggy didn't do it any harm it kept throwing big fish year after year(see Pete climo chapter in pac30)

tattygun wrote:Yes I remember the arguments against fudgy and the many others who supported a cull on menteith, ie he is mo scientist but then neither am I or you (i am chemistry stuff uclan aka ucl or preston poly, mid 90's, i also know my way around the arboreal scene, and a bit of aquatic stuff from the center for land based industries at the local tech college, when i used to teach, and can tell a bent form a fescue) or woody or Nev fickling(um he his big time fish biology aquaculture fisheries management or something like that)!

BUT there is an overriding factor with these big trout water pike and that's trout stocking, like you say there are other factors involved but non as important as there food source.

The trout club isn't happy but I've yet to see anyone who disagrees with the cull offer a credible solution to appease the trout club

on that score the trout club wanting one then yes fair enough its there water to do so as they wish, will it improve any fishing i think not will it alter the biomass of pike again probably only in the shortest term and then the majority of pike will end up tiny throw another cull and around and around we go
as with most things it boils down to the biomass pyramid (simple version) but you will also need to factor in trophic levels with the primary and secondary predators in the water
now if they do it in the manor it happens on one or two other places then maybe just maybe they can work it as a decent pike fishery while keeping the trout anglers happy