Fishermen Foe

[PJ Garn]

Hi Raiders

Just a quick report for the first day of the New Year. I dropped down the Nepean River for a quick session just before sundown on Tuesday arvo. After a quick tidy up and inspiration for my latest poem, I was rewarded for my efforts with a nice 5lb 6oz Common Carp that fought like hell... I honestly thought I was on a much larger specimen based on the initial hookup run but wasn't disappointed when I got him to the net!!!

An absolutely beautifully conditioned fish!!!

The hook I extracted from him!!! By comparison the hooks I use - size 8

What was disappointing was a second hook and approximately 30cm of 10kg line that I extracted from his mouth upon banking him... I don't understand why such heavy gear is employed when tackling our river!!! On the upside he beat the last guy who hooked him but not me on my 6lb!!!

Approximately five minutes of cleaning up at this spot and the inspiration for my new poem!!! Oh and what satisfaction do they get from graffiting on trees???

Fishermen Foe

I’d like to explain,

To be misunderstood not,

But I’ve had a gut full,

And it with you lot.

It’s to me that you come,

For an angling fix,

Your thrills and excitement,

But you leave me betwixt.

Now I must be careful,

I’m in no hurry or rush,

To pigeonhole you all,

Or tar with the same brush.

But why is it so?

That some seem just not to care,

You litter my banks,

Instead of leaving them bare!

You arrive for the day,

With bait, drinks and lunch,

All packaged and wrapped,

To keep fresh the munch.

As you consume,

Eat, drink and ingest,

Where are the wrappers and bottles?

Look at the mess that you’ve left!

And why do you smokers,

Of those addictive cigarettes,

Discard your dead butts,

Devoid of regrets?

Think to your tackle,

Split-shot, old hooks and remnants of line,

As you cast it aside,

Can’t you hear me whine?

Now I know you brought it with you,

So why can’t you take it back?

It’ll be so much lighter,

In your haversack!!!

And as I choke on your rubbish,

I’ve got a dying wish,

You’ll change you ways wronged,

Because I’m where you come to fish.

So next time you visit,

And about to carelessly throw,

Stop, think and consider my words,

Be a friend not my fishermen foe.

And as parting note,

I’d like to offer up my thanks,

To those who pick up after you,

And tidy my fair banks.

Cheers

PJ Garn

Edited January 8, 2008 by PJ Garn

[bart]

WELL SAID PJ. FRAME THAT POEM, SOMEONE PUBLISH IT, THEN LICENCE IT TO FISHRAIDER AND LET US GET IT OUT ON THE STREET. SPREAD THE WORD TO THE GRUBS WHO ARE STUFFING UP OUR ENVIRONMENT. WE NEED TO SPREAD THE WORD. " PLEASE CARE FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT. IT NEEDS OUR CARE."

CHEERS BART

Edited January 4, 2008 by bart

[kiwi waynie]

Nice poem PJ GARN,

Quite possibly one of your best, i can feel another email to yaffa publishing coming on (PJ Garn had one published in the decemer issue of Fishing World).

But whats happened to the "hey wana go for a fish" phone calls, last one i got from you was on the morning of my sons christening, the one you couldn't attend cause you had somthing on.

Yeah thats right folks "nah sorry mate we got something on that day" and then the shilly sit rings with "hey ya wana go for a fish" . But we have been mates for near 20 years and he knows i don't mind and in fact was quite tempted to join him.

But another great poem, the book couldn't be far away now.

Lata Raidas

Waynie

Edited January 4, 2008 by kiwi waynie

[PJ Garn]

Nice poem PJ GARN,

Quite possibly one of your best, i can feel another email to yaffa publishing coming on (PJ Garn had one published in the decemer issue of Fishing World).

But whats happened to the "hey wana go for a fish" phone calls, last one i got from you was on the morning of my sons christening, the one you couldn't attend cause you had somthing on.

Yeah thats right folks "nah sorry mate we got something on that day" and then the shilly sit rings with "hey ya wana go for a fish" . But we have been mates for near 20 years and he knows i don't mind and in fact was quite tempted to join him.

But another great poem, the book couldn't be far away now.

Lata Raidas

Waynie

Sorry mate thought you'd be tied up with family stuff!!! As for the other I managed to sneak out for a couple of hours before our arvo date with Mel's friends... if I'd have gotten an official invite we possibly could have sorted something out!!!

I'll ring you if I get out this weekend!!!

[yakfishing]

Nice poem and top subject PJ. It kills you to see that kind of stuff.

[choad]

hope you killed that carp after saving it from the hook and broken leader.

[paul_pero]

nice poem

it's a shame we sometimes have to leave with more than we brought when we go fishing, but the rubbish won't remove itself.

good onya

[PJ Garn]

hope you killed that carp after saving it from the hook and broken leader.

Choad

Please have a look here to see my view on that issue http://fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=27273

I'm going to coin a term right now "Catch and release the KILLLING must cease, let them swim FREE unless for your tea!!!"

Cheers

[arpie]

Good one, PJ.

It has always amazed me that the dorks can take 6 full bottes/bags of bait etc out to the rocks with them but won't take 6 empties back with them! It defies logic!

Have you ever entered your poems in the Bush Poets competitions??

Roberta

[JaniFIN]

Nice Carp!!

But, same problem in here too. Peoples can carrie sausage packages to nature, but after eating thei are so lazy, that they cant carrie back, or even burn empty packages.

And if they are some glass botles, i dont undersdant why they have to broken it on to beach

[arpie]

Hi Jani

Good to hear (sort of!) that it is not only an Aussie Problem - that there are 'dorks' in Scandinavia as well!!!

I always wear 'rock hoppers' on any beach these days, to beat the broken bottle problem!

Cheerio

Roberta

[Mondo Rock]

Killing carp isn't 'senseless' slaughter. They are a habitat destroyer for our native fish and by releasing them you are potentially doing damage to our marine environment.

From the 2008 NSW fisheries freshwater guide: "Along with habitat degradation, poor water quality, reduced environmental flows and barriers to migration, carp have been dentified as a major threat to Australia’s

freshwater fisheries. They should not be returned to the water alive and strict penalties apply for translocation of carp."

I'm not trying to have a go here, especially not at PJ Garn who, by cleaning up after other inconsiderate fishos, is doing really great and really admirable work - but everybody should remember that releasing carp unharmed is a destructive practice.

[PJ Garn]

Mondo

I'm not going to get into the debate again but I have moral issues over the destruction of any living animal just for the sake of it... and I see the Carp issue as just that!!! A mate of mine feeds the Carp he catches to his dogs!!! I have no problems with that as they are being put to some use!!!

If you you interpret the DPI's laws they are only recommending you don't return them alive and penalties apply for their translocation ... read into this as you will and draw your own conclusions!!!

Cheers as always

PJ Garn

[Mondo Rock]

Fair enough PJ - and once again congrats on the work done in cleaning the riverbank.

You've inspired me to do the same next time I'm landbased!

[Laredo]

NSW fresh waterways are some of the most impaired in the world and the carp aren't helping. If you care about our envirnonment as you claim to you would not release carp.

[johnno]

OK guys...we've been through this before.

Remember, it is up to the individual fisho as to how and what he does with any carp caught .

Also remember..we at Fishraider have strict RULESon C&R views (see rule # 15)

15. No criticism of legal catches and/or inappropriate imposing of C&R views in fishing reports

Thank You

Johnno

Nice job PJ cleaning up it

some people do not think when they leave what they have been doing.

Nice Carp also.

[double pluggers]

g-day if banjo paterson was a fishermen he couldnt have done better, i would by the book.

[choad]

Choad

Please have a look here to see my view on that issue http://fishraider.com.au/Invision/index.php?showtopic=27273

I'm going to coin a term right now "Catch and release the KILLLING must cease, let them swim FREE unless for your tea!!!"

Cheers

i thought i got away without sparking a debate on carp release v's kill.

my understanding was it is the law to destroy any carp removed from an australian water... maybe that's changed... if so, i retract my comment.

coming from a european background, I have relatives in croatia and france that would pop a vein if they heard that we treat carp like trash. apparently they're a delicacy. i've hearad if you put a carp in your bath tub with some cold fresh water for 24hrs, it gets rid of the muddy taste.

my dad regularly targets the carp and makes a mean fish chilli stew with carp... truly a tasty dish. fish cakes aren't too bad either. cooked the "usual" way, i'd rather eat a terd.

PJ Garn,

read your link as suggested and i respect your views.

there is a reason species such as the eel tail catfish are a rare species, and i think it is widely accepted that noxious introduced species such as carp have a lot to do with it.

in saying this, i too find it hard to simply toss a carp on the bank that i know full well i won't eat. fortunately for me, i don't often target the species and if i were to catch one it would end up in my parent's fridge or freezer for a croatian carp recipe.

cheers.