The site is predominantly a
nature reserve with angling only permitted at the northern and
east end of the reservoir.
The carp that inhabit the
waters must be 30lbs at least and can be seen around the bird
hide swimming in circles where they wait to feed on bread from
the local visitors and children which means most of the carp
stay around the hide at the southern end of the reservoir.
This must annoy the anglers
who pay money to attract the fish to their swims and pegs.
The
angling is open to all comers 24/7
and 365 days a year , apart from competitions and it costs
only £10.00 per 24 hours or £8.00 if you are a member of the
Chard Angling Club. The fees are collected on a daily
basis by a Chard Angling Club bailiff.
The use of keep nets is not
permitted. You will be told to leave if found using a keep net.
Sign are posted to this effect.
Anglers they are allowed to
stay overnight, this is a good deal both camping and fishing to
boot.
Nylon line discarded
The nylon line used for angling is
non-biodegradable, which means it does not rot away.
Often it becomes tangled in trees or other
vegetation, so it is cut and left on riverbanks, where it is a
great threat to wildlife.
Birds and ducks in particular are at risk and
frequently become fatally trapped in the discarded line. Many
swans have been found with anglers’ hooks embedded in their
throats and stomachs from swallowing discarded lines with hooks
still attached.
Close Season
A ‘close’ season (when anglers should not go
fishing) runs from 15 March to 15 June, although regulations
vary in different regions of the country.
The close season is supposed to be a time to
allow fish a break during their spawning season, though it has
been scrapped on all still waters (ponds, lakes and reservoirs)
since 1995.
Killing Wildlife
Fish are cold-blooded, salt
or freshwater-dwelling animals. They have a brain, a backbone, a
skeleton, a nervous system and pain receptors all over their
bodies. They breathe oxygen from the water through their gills.
Fish are cold-blooded because, unlike mammals, their blood
temperature fluctuate with the temperature of the surrounding
water. This allows them to survive as the temperature of the
water changes with the seasons.
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