Cruel anglers using bent nails as hooks caught on riverside
TWO ‘INEBRIATED’ MEN CAUGHT USING ILLEGAL METHOD FOR POACHING AND WERE ABUSIVE WHEN CHALLENGED
TWO men who appeared to have been drinking were caught using a “disgraceful and cruel” fishing line in a river running through East Staffordshire.
They were caught on the River Dove at Tutbury with what is known as a “swallow rig” for poaching. It has a bent nail that gets caught in animals’ stomachs and is baited with a dead fish.
Any animal that eats the fish ends up suffering a “lingering miserable death”.
John Anderson, of the Burton Trent Partnership, was made aware of the illegal anglers and after trying to get in touch with nearby fishing clubs, he went out to see what was happening for himself.
When he got there, he found two men who he described as “drunk and inebriated”, who had a bag of dead fish next to them on the riverbank.
He told them it was illegal to fish with the line they had, but he says they became abusive and only left when he threatened to call the police. Mr Anderson also informed the Environment Agency hotline about what he had witnessed.
He said: “They were very verbally abusive, but when I threatened to call the police, they went and took everything with them apart from the line as it got caught in the undergrowth. “The swallow rig is used for poaching. A fish (pike) swallows this and the bent nails wedge on the stomach. Of course since it’s baited with a dead fish, any animal that eats fish could be caught and left to have a lingering miserable death.
“It is disgraceful and cruel and it makes me really angry. This is why we are trying to do something about it.
“We’ve had a lot of people getting in touch asking how they can help as
I think the cruelty aspects shocks people when they see it.
“I have to tell them that they are often not very pleasant people and the best thing to do is call the Environment Agency hotline.”
The Burton Trent Partnership was set up to stop illegal and dangerous activity along the River Trent in and around Burton.
It has carried out four sting operations so far, one of which led to a recent prosecution.
An angler caught coarse fishing in the closed season was fined £435 for illegal fishing on the River Trent, having been caught by the partnership back in March.
Mr Anderson said: “I’d like to see more clubs run sting operations to get more people into court for illegal fishing. Once word gets out about the fines they will stop misbehaving I reckon.
“We have daily organised patrols on the river through Burton at different times of day. Other fishery owners should do the same since it definitely works.”
The Burton Trent Partnership has teams go out along the River Trent in Burton made up of river bailiffs, members of the Coors and Ferry Bridge Angling Club, the Angling Trust, the Environment Agency, the police and East Staffordshire Borough Council.
It is disgraceful and cruel and it makes me really angry. This is why we are trying to do something about it.
John Anderson