Angling Lines Blog

Cute but contemptible!

Constant battle with contemptible Coypu!

Here at Mas Bas we have a running battle with Coypu so here’s an update showing just what damage they can do! Every 2 years or so we have to rebuild the walkway between our beautiful carp lakes, because they have burrowed and collapsed areas the bank.

Here's an example of the damage they cause

Coypu, cute but a real bankside barbarian, were imported from South America to Europe during the 20thC by the fur trade, released after becoming commercially unviable, they proliferated during the 60’ and 70’s and happily was totally eradicated in the UK during the 80’s.

Unhappily for us, it still proliferates in the wetlands surrounding lakes and rivers in France, burrowing deep into the banks and eating huge quantities of roots and stems they are the cause of enormous environmental damage. Producing between 1 and 13 young twice each year, they are a big problem getting out of hand extremely quickly unless regularly destroyed.

Here at Mas Bas, Lotus Lake holds a particular delight to these vegetarians as they are quite partial to lotus roots (the size of a banana) and are capable of diving and burrowing deep into the silt to dig up these luscious delights.

So Gilles has to literally rebuild the banks. Wooden stakes are driven into the ground and timber fixed onto their bankside edge. The space is then filled with huge amounts of soil and compressed to recreate a stable bank.

Apart from the upset they cause us as lakeowners, coypu (often mistaken for otters) are not attracted by rubbish and therefore do not come around the houses hoping for a freebie from the bins. They are seen generally at dawn and dusk either swimming across the lake or grooming on the bank, and as I said in the beginnning, looking really quite cute.

However, despite all our efforts of one thing I am sure, just like Arnie , ‘they will be back!’

Cap Lake Owner Vs. Coypu!

Here’s the Oakview stocking video;

Now that’s a lot of lillies!

Moving into the autumn months we began work to the final area of the lake that had been left un-touched until now. It had become a vast network of lily roots and weed beds during the last 100 years, so we had our work cut out!

Before...

The weed beds cannot be tackled until the lily pads roots are first removed as the weed rake cannot be pulled through the rhizome roots. We were lucky with the weather as it had remained nice and sunny and the water was warm. Wet suits and waders were donned and we began to remove the lily roots.

This is done by physically pulling the root off the bottom of the lake and where the weed was so thick in places just getting down to the bottom was exhausting enough as you have to fight your way through it. Then as you come back to the surface with your root you emerge as a weed monster!

All good fun and definitely worth the reward, the difference the work has made to the lake. In all we removed 6 tipper trucks stacked high with lily roots which took us a week.

The week after we started the weeding work. I was in two minds whether to do this job or not as the weed would shortly be dying back but from past experience I know that when I come to do the job next year in 2012 I will be at lot easier and less thick. So it was done!

After...

The lake now looked fantastic so we decided we wanted to open more of the bankside up which was also quite overgrown in this area. All the nettles, brambles shrubs and trees were cut down and cleared and replaced with new flower beds and water plants which I hope will flourish next year.

I think in all we spent 3 weeks on this project but what a difference!

By Paul Cooper

I run a small 14 man syndicate on a 5 acre estate lake in Staffordshire and it’s approaching that time of year that I like to start to prepare for the forthcoming season.

Over the past weekend I’ve had work parties on the lake clearing snags, repairing stages and walkways and trimming back reeds. The remaining snags have now been fenced off to reduce the chances of tethering fish or causing extra stress to my fish.

My lake in its winter clothes

Each winter I go through a procedure of liming the lake which improves water quality and decreases the amount of silt on the lake bottom. Liming also increases the natural life in the lake as well as eliminating pests such as leaches and fish lice which were a problem before I took over the running of the lake.

We still get the occasional leach on the fish but in 2 years I have not seen a single louse. It can be seen that all the fish have benefited from this procedure both by the increase in weights and the vast improvement in their condition.

My liming takes place over the winter months when most of the natural life in the lake is dormant. If possible I will lime the whole of the lake over 2 separate occasions. The first half will be in December and the remaining half of the lake will be limed around 6 to 8 weeks later in January or February.

The method that I use is quite straight forward. The hydrated lime comes in 25 kilo bags and I calculate 4 bags per acre (an acre being 70yards by 70 yards). So for my lake I will put in around 10 bags on the 1^st liming and 10 on the 2^nd liming.

The results pay off!

All that is needed is a boat and an electric motor and 2 persons. We both suit up with overalls, masks and goggles as the lime can burn your skin and cause major irritation to your eyes and throat.

We load the boat up with around 3 bags of hydrated lime at a time, cut the bag at one end and drive the boat in a straight line across the lake, returning in a parallel line, spreading the lime evenly as we go.

This best done with a light wind so that the lime cannot blow back in your face.

I draw an imaginary line halfway down the lake which is the cut off point for the 1^st liming. The other half of the lake is limed on the 6 to 8 weeks later, just in time for the water to settle down for Spring.

Paul Cooper
paulcooper18@sky.com