Grand Canal Mullingar???

freekhead

I was thinking of going to mullingar to fish the grand canal for pike and tench. Was wondering if anyone here knows how well it fishes and can recommend any swims to fish on it.

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

I would advise going into O'Malley's tackle shop, he should point you to the right spots. The canal in mullingar was destroyed by our european friend during the boom years, so some places may not be too good.

Bizzum

Demi Numerous Ultrasound wrote: »

I would advise going into O'Malley's tackle shop, he should point you to the right spots. The canal in mullingar was destroyed by our european friend during the boom years, so some places may not be too good.

The current legislation allows the killing of 4 coarse fish per angler/day. Is this wise?
I've heard the same said about the Grand canal, only to hear of thousands of fish being moved when work was being carried out at Ticknevin.

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

Bizzum wrote: »

The current legislation allows the killing of 4 coarse fish per angler/day. Is this wise?
I've heard the same said about the Grand canal, only to hear of thousands of fish being moved when work was being carried out at Ticknevin.

it depends. I am a pike/coarse angler, in the autumn, i keep a few small roach a for deadbaits in the winter. Not a huge amount, I usually end up running out of roach dead baits!. Keeping a few small roach, in a venue where there lots of fish is not really an issue. HOWEVER, there is nothing to stop me from taking 4 large roach/bream/tench a day from any venue. However, i really dont think this is an issue. Irish anglers dont eat coarse fish, and for the most part, irish anglers that used to eat pike have wised up to the siruation. pre 2000 we had no real issue with our coarse stocks, and if i remember correctly, there was a bigger bag limit then. The problem we have now is with poachers, most of whom are not Irish, but are from eastern europe where its the norm to eat coarse fish. Their numbers are getting smaller as well, so at the moment I think the coarse stocks are improving.


I would well believe that they are thousands of fish in the canals, but I would imagine the size of the fish are very small. When you remove a huge amount of fish from a water, especially pike, the natural balance of the water is ruined. Without the pike to control the numbers of small roach, you get an explosion of small fish. Normally these shoals would be getting smaller every day as some of them are picked off by pike. When there are few pike, the shoal will stay large, then you get a massive problem. all the fish are competing for the same food. normally, as the shoal get smaller, more food becomes available and the size of the fish in the shoal grows. however without their numbers being thinned out, you get a large shoal of roach with stunted growth. The only solution to this is to add some pike to the mix, and give them a few years.

Bizzum

QUOTE=Demi Numerous Ultrasound;78747981]it depends. I am a pike/coarse angler, in the autumn, i keep a few small roach a for deadbaits in the winter. Not a huge amount, I usually end up running out of roach dead baits!. Keeping a few small roach, in a venue where there lots of fish is not really an issue. HOWEVER, there is nothing to stop me from taking 4 large roach/bream/tench a day from any venue. However, i really dont think this is an issue. Irish anglers dont eat coarse fish, and for the most part, irish anglers that used to eat pike have wised up to the siruation.[/QUOTE]

It does indeed depend. I'm talking about the canals though. I see no good reason why an angler should kill any fish from the canals.

I'm not sure what you mean by "nothing stopping you taking 4 large Roach/Bream/Tench" ? Can you clarify this for me?

pre 2000 we had no real issue with our coarse stocks, and if i remember correctly, there was a bigger bag limit then.

Bigger bag limit indeed. Up untill 2006 you or I or anybody else could fill the boot of their car with Roach/Bream/Tench/Perch if we so desired.
We could do this every day of the week if we wanted to!

The problem we have now is with poachers, most of whom are not Irish, but are from eastern europe where its the norm to eat coarse fish. Their numbers are getting smaller as well, so at the moment I think the coarse stocks are improving.

Many of fish leaving the Canals do so legally. Anglers, Eastern European or otherwise can leave with their 4 fish each, per day. Take a spin to Enfield or Ticknevin or Longwood or Edenderry or indeed many of the busy areas on the canals and multiply the number of anglers by 4 to see how many fish can legally be killed! (I'm not for a second suggesting that every angler kills 4 fish btw)

I would well believe that they are thousands of fish in the canals, but I would imagine the size of the fish are very small. When you remove a huge amount of fish from a water, especially pike, the natural balance of the water is ruined. Without the pike to control the numbers of small roach, you get an explosion of small fish. Normally these shoals would be getting smaller every day as some of them are picked off by pike. When there are few pike, the shoal will stay large, then you get a massive problem. all the fish are competing for the same food. normally, as the shoal get smaller, more food becomes available and the size of the fish in the shoal grows. however without their numbers being thinned out, you get a large shoal of roach with stunted growth. The only solution to this is to add some pike to the mix, and give them a few years.

[/QUOTE]

I think you're right in relation to Pike, they seem to have been targeted particurarly. In the absence of Pike then should we continue to allow anglers to kill small Roach/Bream etc to allow the survivors to grow on? Maybe even increase the bag limit?

In relation to adult fish, 2200 meters was stripped last Nov at Ticknevin to facilitate invasive weed control. Over 30000 adult fish were moved. The fry were too numerous to quantify.

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

Bizzum wrote: »

It does indeed depend. I'm talking about the canals though. I see no good reason why an angler should kill any fish from the canals.

I'm not sure what you mean by "nothing stopping you taking 4 large Roach/Bream/Tench" ? Can you clarify this for me?

What I mean is the law states that you can keep 4 coarse fish a day, regardless of size of species. If you see somebody taking four 6lb tench home from your canal, there is nothing you of the fisheries boards can do about it! This is where the law is flawed, a 6lb tench has the same rights as a 2-3oz roach. keeping the odd roach for pike bait is no problem, as you mentioned, 30k fish over 2.2km, I would assime most of them were roach!

Bizzum wrote: »

Bigger bag limit indeed. Up untill 2006 you or I or anybody else could fill the boot of their car with Roach/Bream/Tench/Perch if we so desired.
We could do this every day of the week if we wanted to!

was there no bag limit pre 2006! crazy!

Bizzum wrote: »

Many of fish leaving the Canals do so legally. Anglers, Eastern European or otherwise can leave with their 4 fish each, per day. Take a spin to Enfield or Ticknevin or Longwood or Edenderry or indeed many of the busy areas on the canals and multiply the number of anglers by 4 to see how many fish can legally be killed! (I'm not for a second suggesting that every angler kills 4 fish btw)

true, the canals will always be the worst hit because its so accessible. I can see no reason why not to make the canals catch and release

Bizzum wrote: »

I think you're right in relation to Pike, they seem to have been targeted particurarly. In the absence of Pike then should we continue to allow anglers to kill small Roach/Bream etc to allow the survivors to grow on? Maybe even increase the bag limit?

increasing pike numbers is probably the best option. There is no quick fix to that problem, it takes years for the balace to settle. The pike will controll roach and pike numbers, best to leave nature to do what it does best.

Bizzum

Demi Numerous Ultrasound wrote: »

What I mean is the law states that you can keep 4 coarse fish a day, regardless of size of species. If you see somebody taking four 6lb tench home from your canal, there is nothing you of the fisheries boards can do about it! This is where the law is flawed, a 6lb tench has the same rights as a 2-3oz roach. keeping the odd roach for pike bait is no problem, as you mentioned, 30k fish over 2.2km, I would assime most of them were roach!

Christ Frank you need to brush up on your fisheries legislation:eek:

I can't for some reason get the SI to copy and paste, but the one you want is:
SI 806 of 2006, THE CONSERVATION AND PROHIBITION OF SALE OF COARSE FISH.

Every Coarse fish over 25cm is protected, so your 6lb Tench falls well within this remit.
Please if anybody sees Coarse fish over 25cm (About 10") being taken report the offence to IFI.

Further to 806 above Pike are protected by SI 809 of 2006.
Any Pike above 50cm (About 20") must be returned unharmed and only 1 Pike below this can be taken in a day.

This is the current legislation, in place since Sept 2006. Plenty of harm was done pre 06, but that's another matter. Both 806 and 809 apply nationally with very few exceptions.

There is also some debate at present in relation to changes to the above, again another debate!



Indeed there is no quick fix!

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

Bizzum wrote: »

Christ Frank you need to brush up on your fisheries legislation:eek:

yes I do! I remember seeing those coarse regualtons before, i had totally forgot about them! I know the pike ones allright.

from what i hear, they want to change the size limit from pike from 50cm to 75cm.

Bizzum

Demi Numerous Ultrasound wrote: »

from what i hear, they want to change the size limit from pike from 50cm to 75cm.

There's can be an awful difference between the weight of a Pike at 75cm as opposed to one at 50cm. Particurarly Pike from the heavily stocked game fisheries. I've seen them surprise you with how well they weigh.

If the tourist lobby want to kill a pike let them buy a licence to do so with a conservation levy attached.

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

Bizzum wrote: »

There's can be an awful difference between the weight of a Pike at 75cm as opposed to one at 50cm. Particurarly Pike from the heavily stocked game fisheries. I've seen them surprise you with how well they weigh.

If the tourist lobby want to kill a pike let them buy a licence to do so with a conservation levy attached.

pike been blamed for eating trout is one reason why they are increasing it. anyway, im not going into that! opening a can of worms!

dodderangler

Demi Numerous Ultrasound wrote: »

Bizzum wrote: »

There's can be an awful difference between the weight of a Pike at 75cm as opposed to one at 50cm. Particurarly Pike from the heavily stocked game fisheries. I've seen them surprise you with how well they weigh.

If the tourist lobby want to kill a pike let them buy a licence to do so with a conservation levy attached.

pike been blamed for eating trout is one reason why they are increasing it. anyway, im not going into that! opening a can of worms!

A pike will only eat trout that's weak or injured as they are to fast for a pike
Is that true that's what I was told
Anyway back to topic I've noticed even the dodder gone bad over the years and seen the eastern Europeans big groups of them fishin with 12 foot telescopic rods and 20 lb green line but keepin fish no matter the size reporting it doesn seem to do any good no one does anything should we take law into our own hands in this case

Bizzum

dodderangler wrote: »

A pike will only eat trout that's weak or injured as they are to fast for a pike
Is that true that's what I was told

A pike will eat any thing it can ambush, it's often not a matter of sheer pace with an ambush predator. In the stocked game fisheries it's as easy as taking candy off a baby. Innocent Trout in huge numbers landing on top of streetwise Pike. The Pike wont go hungary here!

Anyway back to topic I've noticed even the dodder gone bad over the years and seen the eastern Europeans big groups of them fishin with 12 foot telescopic rods and 20 lb green line but keepin fish no matter the size reporting it doesn seem to do any good no one does anything should we take law into our own hands in this case

No. Report it to the Officers that work that area. Failing this report it via that number 24fish or whatever it is.

Kaiser Soze 742

Heard its a 3,000 euro max fine for killing fish on canals. On the waterways new laws I was told

nc13

Sorry for butting in lads, but the question was "is there anywhere on the canal near Mullingar worth fishing?" It seems any time this type of question is asked it turns into a rules and regulations thread. I know these are important to keep the stocks up but could anyone help the OP out with an answer as I would also like to try the area.

Macspower

nc13 wrote: »

Sorry for butting in lads, but the question was "is there anywhere on the canal near Mullingar worth fishing?" It seems any time this type of question is asked it turns into a rules and regulations thread. I know these are important to keep the stocks up but could anyone help the OP out with an answer as I would also like to try the area.

If anyone does have info could you please send it via PM and not post info on swims in a public forum...

as regards the canals Waterways Ireland made it all catch and release a while back but the law still has to be changed. My local canal got hit hard and netted during the first influx of Fn's. thankfully is is starting to recover now

gumbo1

I know this is a zombie thread but 2 of us are heading there this Thursday and was wondering if any nice person had any tips? What baits are working well? Would spinning or lure fishing be of any use? I've read up on a few other sites about the area but the above Q's are the ones I'd be looking to get answers for! Have picked a few stretches that we're gonna try so not looking for any honey holes!
Thanks

kildare lad

try dropshotting for perch..