| When fishing in Devon, as in all places, the care of | | | | or exotic parasite. |
| the fish, is obviously of the utmost importance. All | | | | Such illegal introduction has resulted in infected or |
| Devon fishing holiday anglers must look after the | | | | carrier fish causing outbreaks of disease in coarse |
| fish, because we look after the fish and they look | | | | fisheries, with mortalities of between 85% and |
| after our sport. | | | | 90% of the carp. |
| Angling is one of the top leisure activities in the | | | | We are totally in agreement with measures to |
| United Kingdom, with an estimated 1o2 million | | | | prevent the illegal introduction of fish carrying |
| people who currently hold an Environment Agency | | | | disease into our angling centres. But we |
| rod license, a legal requirement for all coarse | | | | understand how it can happen, with some angler's |
| fishing and Devon fishing holidays are on the | | | | relentless pursuit for bigger and bigger fish. |
| increase. | | | | We are fortunate that we have Self Catering |
| Fish care is one of the most important things that | | | | Cottages and Fishing, where there is a tendency |
| we do, and we have strict rules in place, to | | | | to more enjoyable fishing, when star quality |
| ensure that the care of the fish is taken on by | | | | Holiday cottages and fishing are combined, there is |
| our anglers. | | | | not the pressure for all the revenue to come |
| It is amazing how many people don't know about | | | | from the fishing, which can improve the Devon |
| fish care. So here are a few pointers that you | | | | Fishing Holiday experience. |
| should pay close attention to, remember, if you | | | | In many instances, the managers of infected |
| wish to continue catching fish as a sport, you | | | | fisheries will contact |
| must ensure that they are kept in top class | | | | The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and |
| condition. | | | | Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) to investigate the |
| Always have a landing mat for carp or larger | | | | mortalities, either directly or through the |
| species of fish. | | | | Environment Agency, veterinarian or fish |
| When handling the fish make sure there are no | | | | consultant. |
| objects on your body that could possibly damage | | | | Where SVC is identified as the cause of |
| the fish i.e. watches, rings etc. | | | | mortalities, the site becomes a 'designated order |
| When taking a picture of your prize fish always | | | | area', restricting the movement of fish into or |
| hold it close to the ground, this will prevent | | | | from the site, although angling may continue. |
| damage to the fish, if you are unfortunate | | | | Some fishery managers use iodophor disinfectants |
| enough to drop it. | | | | for dipping boots and equipment prior to entering |
| It is also important to have an antiseptic fluid to | | | | and on leaving any fishery, which theoretically |
| treat any damage to the fish caused by hooking | | | | could reduce the transmission of infectious |
| the fish. | | | | disease. In practice, many of the dips are not |
| When putting the fish back don't just drop the | | | | routinely maintained and often the concentration |
| fish back place the fish in the water, wait for it to | | | | of disinfectant is inadequate. We need to be |
| recover and then release the fish. | | | | careful as we combine holiday cottages and |
| By far the most talked about fish species with | | | | fishing, so need to have only relatively benign |
| the majority of anglers in England is the carp | | | | chemicals. |
| (Cyprinus carpio), not just because some | | | | Many carp suffer injuries which are related to |
| individuals can attain weights of up to 18 kg and | | | | both the damage caused by catching the fish and |
| above, but also because it can prove wily and | | | | through poor handling. Numerous fisheries have |
| difficult to catch. However never forget that | | | | banned the use of barbed hooks, as have most |
| there are numerous other species, the silver fish, | | | | Fishing in Devon properties, but despite this, the |
| who are equally wily and indeed can prove to be | | | | removal of the hook from a fish is often |
| more difficult to catch. If your fishing in Devon | | | | undertaken in a brutal manner, especially where it |
| watch out for Rudd, Tench, Perch Roach and | | | | becomes entangled in the bones and associated |
| many others. | | | | cartilage of the mouth. |
| The popularity of carp probably verges on the | | | | Large carp, in excess of 5 kg, are usually weighed |
| obsessive, which has led to an artificially inflated | | | | and oftenphotographed before being returned to |
| value for these fish and created a market for | | | | the water. It is common to find these fish with |
| theft, illegal movement and unauthorised | | | | lesions or large areas of lateral replacement scales |
| importation from continental Europe. | | | | where they have been dropped or badly handled. |
| The latter may be either on a casual basis, such | | | | In recent years, large numbers of cormorant |
| as the angler who lands a decent sized, attractive | | | | have moved inland owing to the depletion through |
| fish and wishes to stock it into a home stillwater, | | | | over-fishing of juvenile fishstocks in the estuaries. |
| or as a result of criminal activity. | | | | Particularly during the winter months, these inland |
| In the case of organised crime, vast numbers of | | | | populations of cormorant have taken to feeding |
| carp have been illegally imported from Europe and | | | | on many of the heavily stocked fisheries. |
| it is now difficult to be certain of the origin of | | | | The quantities of fish eaten is a hotly-debated |
| many carp which have been stocked in the UK. | | | | issue between the anglers and the Royal Society |
| Indeed the statement has been made that lb for | | | | for the Protection of Birds. Thereis no doubt that |
| lb more criminal money is being made in illegal | | | | cormorant are responsible for some loss of fish |
| Carp trafficking than drug trafficking, although not, | | | | stocks and it is possible to find large numbers of |
| obviously, with such tragic consequences! | | | | fish with beak marks on the body but increasingly |
| Illegal importation of carp has had a significant | | | | these birds are becoming the scapegoat for poor |
| impact on coarse fisheries. | | | | management and the resulting outbreaks of |
| Britain is deemed to be free of notifiable diseases | | | | disease. |
| such as spring viraemia of carp (SVC) which is | | | | The advantage of Self Catering cottages and |
| widespread in Europe. Illegally imported carp | | | | fishing is that there are more people moving |
| originate from countries throughout Europe and | | | | about and keeping the predators away. |
| are introduced into English waters with a total | | | | So remember look after the fish and they will |
| disregard to the potential spread of any disease | | | | look after your sport! |