[Mike Barrio]

Hi folks

Finnock came in to a conversation today and I was told they were a bit scarce ( or not getting caught much by the angler concerned )

Any views ............. Have you netted any of these lovely wee fish lately?

Cheers
Mike

[goosander]

Glad [if that is the right expresion] to hear from others about these fish. It was not that many years ago when they were a pest when after springers. This season we have not had a single finnock and the last couple of seasons have not been much better. I thought it was just us. The seatrout have also gone down by almost eighty percent compared to three seasons ago. Any answers would be gratefully received.

[Duncan McRae]

I wonder if the decline in numbers is due to a parasite.

I've fished for seatrout on the Don for almost 30 years now and my catches have been fairly consistent from year to year.
In 2004 i noticed an alarming drop in numbers.This same year i noticed for the first time,a worm like parasite inside a fish i'd kept for eating.Since then virtually every fish that i've kept for eating has been infected.
The parasite looks identical to the one causing the recent bleeding vent problems with salmon.
I noticed that Ythan seatrout are also infected so i would imagine that this goes for finnock also.Perhaps the smaller finnock are less able to survive an infestation of this parasite.

Has anyone else encountered this problem?

Duncan


 

[Rob Brownfield]

Duncan,
where did you find this worm, and what did it look like?

If it was in the gut, about 1cm long, pale white with a very poited head, its a thread worm. Virtually every fish alive has these, as do most humans..nowt to worry about (unless you ahve them..lol..then a powder from the chemist will sort it for you)

[Duncan McRae]

Hi Rob

I'm not much good at Biology but most of the worms can be found after removing the gut on the black substance which is connected to the spine.I also find them embedded in the flesh coiled up like mini Catherine wheels.
They are pale in colour and vary in length with the longest approx 5cm.

Don't think the powder will help Rob, going by some of the scare stories regarding this parasite in the angling press!

Duncan

[Jay Scott]

A lot of talk about this parasite last year in salmon large numbers of fish with bleeding around the anal area. (not sure if it's the same one you're talking about?)  Had a grilse on the deveron with inflamed anis not sure whether due to friction from the rocks or due to the parasite but the ghillie said it had seen a lot worse!

Just hope it doesn't appear again this year.

Cheers,

Jay

[Jim Eddie]

The Salmon farms on the West Coast are an abvious cause , that does not explain the lack of Sea Trout on the East Coast.

I'm no expert but I beleive Sea-Trout unlike Salmon dont venture far, they stay within a couple of miles of their native river. I'm not sure if there is a shortage of Sand Eels locally. I,m pretty sure there has been no Sand eel fishing in UK waters since around 2003. Parasites ? maybe , perhaps someone more knowledgeable has an answer.

 

Jim

[charrcatcher]

Not exactly on topic, but the mackerel we took off the Fife shore this past summer were absolutely infested with worms.

Some of them spiral things, others not so obviously curly, in unbelievable numbers in each fish - hundreds, certainly - inside the body cavity.

[Rob Brownfield]

Ahhh..ok...I know the worms you mean..Nematodes (Thread worm are also these)...the local Cod have them too. I am sure they are caused by fish feeding around the sewage outlets...the macks and Cod off of Nigg in Aberdeen are crawling with them..and you often see sea trout along that bit feeding. Also the ones from Peterhead. There are 20,000 classified types...but they estimate there is a further 500,000 different types that remain unclassified!!

This is why I do not eat Sushi!! 


Anyone squimish look away..lol http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA091

[Duncan McRae]

Rob

You are quite correct.It is the nematode Anisakis simplex and it's really bad news.
Read a couple of disturbing articles regarding this parasite on Timesonline and Anglersnet.co.uk unfortunately don't know how to set up a link for these.

Think i'll have to give up smoked salmon!

Duncan   

[Rob Brownfield]

Duncan,
Here you go...this is what the thing does to humans...
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap25.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anisakis

Whats worrying is this worm can survive freezing and cooking! Can't think of a better reason for catch and release than this!!!

[Duncan McRae]

Thanks Rob

I enjoy eating salmon and seatrout too much to give it up totally.I'll just have to make sure it's properly cooked and take a chance!

Duncan

[salar35]

I've noticed a dramatic drop in the pst couple of years, in the usual number of finnock down our way at Stonehaven. By the way, Stoney is now not only famous for its "first airbreathing" fossil, but for an otherwise perfectly healthy  seatrout (one of a sample of several dozen 'hangie-netted' there by the FRS in 2006 under a Scottish Government licence) which was harbouring a (harmless?) virus which had previously been unknown to mankind.

Talking of 'Anisakis simplex', I recall during a biology lecture at Edinburgh University back in the late 1960's - not many even close friends know that I am a BSc Ecology(Honours)(failed) graduate - that the professor mentioned that your average haddock contains more that a dozen different SPECIES of parasitic worm. Close your eyes and keep eating!

If you wish more info about parasitism in a particular individual fish (wild or stocked), the place to ask is of course the FRS Marine Lab at Torry, who are ALWAYS willing to help. Just get the fish there either still alive or newly dead. And preferably phoning ahead to give details and an eta. The staff there are right on the ball. Dave