Simple Match Fishing Forum

Why do anglers drop fish back into the water from 3 or 4 foot above the surface?
Is it because:
a, they are too lazy to bend down
b, they dont want to catch them again
c, they are stupid

Just a thought as we had a discussion in the pub and we couldn't see the point in dropping 4,5 6lb of fish from a height.
what are your thoughts

It is because they are "none too bright!"

Bad practice that, its not hard to lower the scales net into the water and just open it up.

Why do anglers drop fish back into the water from 3 or 4 foot above the surface?
Is it because:
a, they are too lazy to bend down
b, they dont want to catch them again
c, they are stupid

Just a thought as we had a discussion in the pub and we couldn't see the point in dropping 4,5 6lb of fish from a height.
what are your thoughts

That's too big a weight target for the finger to be pointed at me

Interesting one that. Can't be good.
Years ago parts of the River Trent were stocked with roach let loose from an aeroplane, honestly, - some may remember this. Maybe it has stemmed from that.
Apparently those roach "came to no harm" but how on earth could anybody prove that.

Dead against it; we all should be.

No excuses for it. Seen it on a couple of commercials that should know better too...

yes i've seen one or two on our winter league and when i've said something most just laugh it off

no excuses

Same here Lloydy.
Mind you I usually end up getting the wrap for most things but certainly not guilty on this score.
Why? Cuz I've caught crappity smack all through the winter.
I have even just had a bloke ring me up, this morning, asking if he can give me his floats and hooks to help me out.

get on the loughborough bill
proper fishing even though it was the first b/j match most caught on caster and some on bread

Most matches i fish the angler is normally responsible for returning his fish, in fact i've known some take offence if the scalesmen do it for them, however does anyone agree with me that although not their responsibilty, this bad practise of dropping fish from a height would be avoided if the scalesmen returned all the fish ?

I'd like to hear your thoughts on that one .....

thats what we were discussing in the pub, paul is thinking about getting 3 on the scales, excessive but the amount of fish and the amount of anglers taking part means that unless its done properly there will no fish left alive!!! i was the 1 who brought it up, yesterday i followed the scales for 20 pegs and nearly half didint do it correctly , im sure some dont realise they are doing it maybe, if we all mention it when we see it happen we might have 1 less thing to moan about

What, me moan, never.

when i mentioned paul thats paul turner we were discussing bringing it to peoples attention at the draw for the div 1 national practices next year

good idea
or you could just bash the living daylights out of them

NFA Rule 42.

There is more to this rule bit it finishes thus: "After each competitor has been weighed in at their peg it will be the duty of the Scale Steward to return all fish to the water."

ye i thort that usually happens on the main national bill it was the practices we were talking about all matches really because to me it seems to happen more and more legulary

Yeah I know exactly what you mean. I added that because lots of matches do follow their rules, - in fact we've usually got crappity smack all else to go by.

Its a good point thats been brought up here


It is a fact that roach dont take a lot of handling .............

So if you want decent sport put them back safely , most anglers do, but i have also seen for myself people on the scales just throw em back from the basket ......... fish scales everywhere


I have also seen commercial fishery owners weigh in their own fish (carp) tipped onto gravel, stones, concrete ........... not a weigh mat in sight