Category: Angling
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209: Beavers vs Salmon – Balance the Scales with Rob Needham
Can beavers save Britain’s dying rivers? Are these ecosystem engineers the key to reversing the catastrophic decline of Atlantic salmon, or do their dams create impassable barriers for struggling fish populations? With salmon numbers plummeting by 70% in just 20 years and predictions they could vanish entirely within two decades, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The reintroduction of beavers to British waterways has sparked heated debate about their impact on our most threatened migratory species. In this episode, our guest…
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194: Pink Salmon Invasion on Norwegian Rivers with Jude Isabella
What happens when Pacific salmon invade Atlantic waters? How does a Soviet-era experiment from the 1950s continue to impact Norwegian rivers today? We’re answering these questions in conversation with Jude Isabella, founder and editor-in-chief of Hakai Magazine, and author of multiple books including Salmon: A Scientific Memoir. This episode was inspired by her three-week journey along Norway’s border with Russia, documented in her article ‘Where the Rivers Run Pink’. The article tells the complex story of pink salmon that have…
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165: Flicker in the Water with Bob Gonzalez
A Flicker in the Water is a book about fishing I wish someone had written a long time ago. I gotta admit that due to its small size, I initially underestimated it. However, as I started reading it, I was immediately drawn to the series of fishing stories and captivated by original, real-life photos. In fact, reading this book was so pleasurable that I ended up reading it twice over, back to back. I’m not kidding you! During my conversation…
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Shore Angling for Rays Decades Ago and Now
Recently, several people suggested that in the past decades, it was a rare occurrence for anglers to catch a ray off the beach. The implication was that there was an increased abundance of rays nowadays which I found confusing, knowing the deteriorating state of biodiversity in our seas. So I contacted Declan Quigley, an independent researcher and a previous guest on episode 151, who has an unparalleled knowledge of historical records related to fish, fisheries and angling. I asked him…
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155: Sixgill Sharks and Flapper Skates with Patrick Collins
The sixgill shark (Hexanchus griseus) is the largest of the Hexanchiformes order of sharks, the most primitive living sharks, sometimes called “fossil sharks”. The sixgill, sometimes known as the blunt nose sixgill or cow shark, can grow to over 6 metres (20 feet) in length and weigh over a tonne. What’s interesting is that in Ireland one can catch one of these beasts with rod and line, most famously with the help of master skipper Luke Aston, who is not…
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146: Multi-Generational Outdoors Teaching with Emanuel Rose
Once again we are coming back to the subject of getting the young generation educated about nature and involved in experiences they might otherwise miss. It’s a theme that has been discussed on my podcast several times. It also comes back time and time again during my conversations about the state of nature and outdoor pursuits. Young people are just not getting outside that much anymore. There is a multitude of reasons for this. Today we touch on almost all…
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141: Atlantic Bluefin Tuna with William Roche
Join me for the conversation with Dr William Roche, a senior research officer at Inland Fisheries Ireland, about angler-driven fish tagging programmes. We put a particular focus on the Tuna CHART programme but we also talk about the Marine Sportfish Tagging Programme which is aimed at elasmobranch species of fish like sharks, skates and rays. And as you might expect I did not forget to enquire, albeit briefly, about the bass tagging program too. During our chat, we discuss the…
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The Demise and Recovery of The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
Bluefin tuna is one of the iconic species of big game fish. It is a large-bodied fast swimming fish that feeds on small fish and invertebrates. It can grow up to 1500lb (800kg) although some official bodies like the Smithsonian or the U. S. National Marine Fisheries Service estimate that the fish can reach a weight of over 2000lb. When swimming it can reach speeds of up to 65 km/h. There are three recognised subspecies: Atlantic bluefin tuna, Pacific bluefin…
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137: Salmonid Studies with Richard Kennedy
Salmonids are fascinating fish and that’s not only because of their life history strategy. They also have huge importance for the health of ecosystems. And, albeit to their detriment, they are also important for the economy. Of course, I cannot omit the fact that they are prized by anglers as sport fish. Even though we already had a general discussion about salmon in episode 63 and a talk with men facing the dangers of fighting with salmon poachers in episode…
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132: Freshwater Lakes with Frances Lucy and Joerg Arnscheidt
This is the third episode in our series dedicated to the CANN project. Our guests are Professor Frances Lucy who is Head of Department of Environmental Science and a long-term researcher at the Atlantic Technological University in Sligo and Dr Joerg Arnscheidt from the School of Geography & Environmental Sciences at Ulster University. During our conversation, we talk about the importance of biodiversity and ecology of the freshwater sites that are part of the CANN project. They include Lough Arrow…