If you ever wondered what all the fuss is over... this is It..

[oscar]

As many of you know, Mr O and his pals are Barbel hunters.
Most of the Fuss is due to low numbers of Barbel, the difficulty in getting one hooked and the sheer power and might of the fish when being 'Played' into the net.
Many stories are abound of how these fish fight and Mr O had one recently that got away after It managed to straighten out a forged steel hook.

This Is Mr O's mate who caught this very near record breaker on the banks of The River Avon this morning. This is the fella they have all been after. Click on pic to enlarge.

[Bruv]

Mr O nad ?


Perhaps you can explain your love of animals in relationship to fishing ?


Just asking.
Scoundrel that I am....................

[farmer giles]

Originally Posted by oscar

As many of you know, Mr O nad his pals are Barbel hunters.
Most of the Fuss is due to low numbers of Barbel, the difficulty in getting one hooked and the sheer power and might of the fish when being 'Played' into the net.
Many stories are abound of how these fish fight and Mr O had one recently that got away after It managed to straighten out a forged steel hook.

This Is Mr O's mate who caught this very near record breaker on the banks of The River Avon this morning. This is the fella they have all been after. Click on pic to enlarge.

are they your wedding photos ... you look so much younger

[el guapo]

removed

[oscar]

Originally Posted by Bruv

Mr O nad ?


Perhaps you can explain your love of animals in relationship to fishing ?


Just asking.
Scoundrel that I am....................

Thanks for pointing out the typo, I have edited it.

I and Mr O would not fish at all if It were not for the very strict rules and regs of British Freshwater fish. The Barbel It'self has more regs than many things. How they are landed, what they must land on, how long they are to be kept out the water, how to be re-introduced to the water etc etc. keep nets are banned also.
The welfare of the fish is paramount.

[oscar]

Originally Posted by el guapo

so lets get this right you say
its ok for horses to be whipped to make them race faster
its ok to drag a large fish out of the water with a large hook

but fox hunting and fox shooting is wrong

Horses are rarely whipped in Horse racing. The whip is mostly for show and is used in training. It is in most cases used as a signal to the horse and not to beat It. A simple tap on the flank of the horse tells the horse to speed up. Jockeys who do actually HIT horses with the whip are disqualified by the Jockey Club. Study any horse race and watch the whip as it rarely comes into contact with the horse.

Any fish will fight when hooked but they are not dragged out of the water because there comes a point where all fish give up. It's then they are very carefully brought in avoiding weeds, tree roots etc into the safety of a landing net where they are placed onto a padded landing mat.

I have no problem with a farmer shooting a fox if it is a threat to his livestock. People who shoot them but are not farmers do not have that right to kill any wild animal for no reason. Hunting foxes with hounds is barbaric where the animal is torn to pieces. You can not equate that to bringing in a fish and carefully returning it to the water to live another day.

[Odie]

Originally Posted by el guapo View Post
so lets get this right you say
its ok for horses to be whipped to make them race faster
its ok to drag a large fish out of the water with a large hook

__________________________________________________ _______-

I hate horse racing for that reason, we see it here all the time, especially towards the end of a race, some jockeys even keep a little something extra on the side.

[Bruv]

I am being argumentative I have no problems with fishing, or many forms of hunting.
But jamming a hook into the fleshy mouth part of a struggling fish cannot be humane........especially to an animal lover.

[Odie]

Originally Posted by oscar

As many of you know, Mr O and his pals are Barbel hunters.
Most of the Fuss is due to low numbers of Barbel, the difficulty in getting one hooked and the sheer power and might of the fish when being 'Played' into the net.
Many stories are abound of how these fish fight and Mr O had one recently that got away after It managed to straighten out a forged steel hook.

This Is Mr O's mate who caught this very near record breaker on the banks of The River Avon this morning. This is the fella they have all been after. Click on pic to enlarge.

It's like our salmon here, your only allowed to catch so many or they will be fished out.

[Zapata]

Wow! That is one huge fish. What did it weigh? I've fished for salmon & halibut in Alaska. I know the 8-9 lb. Silvers put up a good fight. I brought up a 50 lb. halibut once that I thought was going to pull me in!