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Dave Gladwell writes...

Live-baiting, Coarse deadbaits, and the Middle Ground?

Having had so many people press me for my view on the first two topics, clearly I am not going to be able to avoid the question any longer. So, let me lay out how I see the situation with its best parameters which satisfy my personal feelings and point of view.

Often local Club rules like the Bungay Cherry Tree, or Earsham AS, ban the practice of livebaiting to resolve their issue, or with Harleston having an 8 ounce size limit on bait fish. They all affiliate to Suffolk County AAA. That Association for their Bungay Common appear to have no restrictions, neither do the Fleece AC, so for a day out livebaiting those with duplicity and several club memberships excuse themselves by saying “today I am a Harleston or Fleece Member fishing on the Common!” One can soon see clearly see where difficulties arise.

Of course like many other people I have live-baited and I still do see this as the most successful and exciting way of catching pike up to about 12 lbs for the less experienced angler. Close on its heels however is a float-fished Sprat lip-hooked on a single treble. These days I have certain doubts about the ethics of live-baiting, but seek to analyse my objections in my own mind to find acceptable levels.

Firstly, the acceptable side does not find me opposed to the concept of presenting a live fish impeded in its progress for the pursuit and devouring of, by a predator. The natural course of events sees this take place anyway. Nature is cruel as we all know.

To sympathetically attach a fish to a treble hook or snap tackle may be done quite easily in several simple alternative ways and quite effectively. The terminal tackle can be fixed to the fish with a small rubber band harness; or, looped round several times and knotted with a soft wool. I am sure that if the practice of “piercing” was abolished it would only be a very short while before some of the ingenious pike-angling fraternity, or tackle manufacturers, came up with a series of synthetic harmless harnesses.

What I do not like is the prospect of piercing the body flesh with a Jardine snap tackle or a large set of hooks and noting the quivering reaction. For me, never mind about anyone else for the moment, that is not acceptable and does not sit easy with me these days. Same thing with the gaffs we once all used, and on most angling occasions now; barbed hooks! .

Both fish caught from same swim on the Fleece Waters near Bungay Bypass Bridge

So, am I going to be moved off that some way? Well yes, because being honest I am not opposed to lip-hooking gudgeon or minnows for perch and small pike with a number 8, and of course I fish with a hook anyway. My favourite lob worms are quite large, often longer than small a fish, and they are alive too! Plenty of small pike like this pretty little chap, (above right) take them well.

The great pity about the whole argument is that the various sections in contention, get so aggravated with each other and do not want to move their standpoints in any way whatsoever. Today’s lifestyle being what it is for representing minorities with often misplaced visions of race, gender, religion or sexual preferences, the overall majority does not simply sweep the board.

Generally, we have become more tolerant as human beings. Then we have the argument about using freshwater coarse fish, or sea fish – alive or dead – creating further contention. I seriously wonder about the quandary an eel, or sections of it, must cause the so-called purist in that respect too? With the proved Environment Agency study revealing an increased ratio of females over males following the widely reported introduction of sex-changing phenomes, steroids and oestrogen from sewage works, there has been an explosion of successful hatches and fry in Rivers.

There are now more roach than ever in most Rivers. It is really hard to see that in comparison to the fish in the River pike are going to devour in the natural course of events, the pressure on those stocks are not relieved somewhat by the alleged “massive” introduction of presented freshwater fishes? If in fact, the practice of dead-baiting them is as widespread as is claimed? After all they are not going to eat both are they? What I do believe is that the biggest of pike certainly prefer dead baits.

Like the rest of us the older they get the more inactive they become and seek to overcome physical inadequacy by craftiness and guile. As scavengers they hang around match areas where keep-netted frail fish hover after being released, and in particular where bream shoals are caught and returned. A weakly 2 lb bream provides a full stomach for some time.

In the bad old days when everyone used to eat them or take them home for the dog, pike of 8 lbs -10 lbs I caught were often found with quite good sized baby goslings in them. In particular this was from one water where silver fish stocks were drastically low and the old Esox quite a slink looking creature with a big head but lank body. Water rats too turned my mind towards wondering just how much of a pike’s diet fish do really form? Never ever did I find a small pike inside though which has always made me doubt the old chestnut of the big ones keeping the small ones down.

Yes, as cannibals they do gorge on their own species when tiny fish, and eat some of 3 ozs to the pound too, but certainly some venues can become overrun with two and three pound jacks which never seem to grow on much. So what is my final word? Well, if some of those who are not prepared to adjust their ways a little more sympathetically and with a realism of empathy towards the “Live Bait”, it is possible in time the method will be outlawed in England as Scotland – and so will barbed hooks – in just the same way lead shot was.

In any event the Judgement has to be what sits right with you as an angling individual – freedom of choice through education, and that is what I will defend!

Dave Gladwell ©

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