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Minnows and sticklebacks.

Out and about in nature
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765489

Minnows and sticklebacks.

#1

Post by 765489 »

This is probably a question that can't be answered, but I'll ask it anyway.

There is a small stream locally that used to have a lot of minnows going up the full stretch of it. And also had kingfishers in it. About 20 years ago, a state owned company that shall remain nameless, ran off thousands of gallons of a wash like substance which turned the stream green and had a putrid smell out of it. The farmers in the area at the time went ballistic as their livestock used it in some open stretches for water.

The company in question eventually had to reroute this water, not sure if the have some sort of filtration / holding tank setup but the water came back clear after a few weeks. The result though is that the minnow population has not come back. I've walked it on numerous occasions over the years and not a sign of any. There are caddis fly and dragonfly activity so the water quality would be fairly good.

I've been thinking to myself over last few years are there reputable irish suppliers of minnows out there similar to say companies that supply brown, rainbow or triploid trout for angling clubs and trout fisheries ?

Is it the right thing to do ? Is it an intervention too far ?

Nobody else gives a bollix around the area. Seems it's just myself and father that remember them.
kadman
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Re: Minnows and sticklebacks.

#2

Post by kadman »

Nobody ever gives a bollix about this sort of fiasco. Local councils dont care, and neither does the EPA that was set up and funded by your taxes and my taxes. I recently made numerous complaints a bout substantial water extraction taking place at my local river, on a constant basis.
I fished this river years ago and it had large brown trout, 3lb plus

You would be lucky to find a minnow in it now, and this river is now just a water source for farmers and local racecourse for softening the ground on race days by a fleet of tractors and slurry tankers.
Makes my blood boil.

Any politician that knocks on my door for a vote in the future, will get his arse extracted with a kick. :evil: :evil:
765489

Re: Minnows and sticklebacks.

#3

Post by 765489 »

kadman wrote: Sat Jun 18, 2022 3:19 pm Nobody ever gives a bollix about this sort of fiasco. Local councils dont care, and neither does the EPA that was set up and funded by your taxes and my taxes. I recently made numerous complaints a bout substantial water extraction taking place at my local river, on a constant basis.
I fished this river years ago and it had large brown trout, 3lb plus

You would be lucky to find a minnow in it now, and this river is now just a water source for farmers and local racecourse for softening the ground on race days by a fleet of tractors and slurry tankers.
Makes my blood boil.

Any politician that knocks on my door for a vote in the future, will get his arse extracted with a kick. :evil: :evil:
Happened to a river that went through my grandfather's farm in Galway, similar thing a bastard upstream emptied a tank of slurry into it. My grandfather, also a farmer, rang the local fisheries office and reported it. Nothing happened. Beautiful trout river that never recovered since. I was the only one for miles that used to fish it every day.
765489

Re: Minnows and sticklebacks.

#4

Post by 765489 »

Side note, the man in question eventually stopped, not sure if my grandfather went up to him and was going to throttle him or someone else along the river.
kadman
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Re: Minnows and sticklebacks.

#5

Post by kadman »

The slurry tankers that annoy me are extracting water over a 2 day period 3 per hour non stop to make it softgoing for the horses.
feck the horses, what about the miles and miles of the river eco system , destroyed never to come back.

And this goes on for every race meeting.
I have complained but my e mails were not even acknowledged by anybody. yet we get non stop media reminders to look after the planet.
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isha
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Re: Minnows and sticklebacks.

#6

Post by isha »

My poor father, when I think back on it. We gave him no peace in summer. He'd come in from the factory, have his tea and we'd all sit round with long faces on us while he read the paper, waiting for him to finally say the magic words, Right so, let's go catch pinkeens!
Thinking out loud, and trying to be occasionally less wrong...
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