The
lower Birs, before it reaches the Rhine, is quite fast flowing and thus an almost
exclusive trout water. There are some places where the current is not quite as
strong and you find barbel, chub and nase (chondrostoma nasus) there. There is
also a small population of grayling, but they seem to have problems with the
water quality, and eels. Apart from that, following smaller species can be found:
minnow, strömer (Leuciscus souffia), bullhead, schneider (Alburnoides bipunctatus)
. The river is about 15-20 yards across and not very deep, wading is possible. During
the past years, there has been a lot of restoring the natural habitats going on
and also the passage from the Rhine has been improved, so that fish reach there
spawning grounds more easily, apart from the trout this will also positively
affect other gravel spawners such as grayling, barbel and nase. The formerly
strongly canalised river has become quite nice again in parts. Not only the
trout appreciate that, but also the king fishers and water blackbird. In the
next years more parts of the river will be put into a more natural state and the
sewage will be directed directly into the Rhine. And then we all wait for the
return of the salmon...
Cultivation Close To Nature
There
used to be a lot of stocking with rainbow trout, later on with brown trout,
which where also bigger than the minimum size. These fish came from ponds and
resembled small frankensteins. Most of them where caught right in the first days
after stocking (the date used to be published, but even when that stopped it was
quickly spread by word of mouth). It was an atmosphere like on (bad) put &
take pond. The catches subsided at latest after the next high water. The weak
fish which hardly found any food (out of inability, not because there wasn't
any) where washed into the Rhine and probably down into the ocean.
Luckily this has changed today. In winter spawning fish are caught from the
river and there eggs and sperm are taken from them. The eggs are hatched and
the young fish fed for a short period in captivity before stocking small brooks
with them. After one year these fish are caught by electric fishing (there are
always some larger fish amongst them, which managed to avoid being caught in the
previous years) and then put into the Birs. Thanks to this, a good stock of
strong and healthy fish now resides in the Birs.
Fishing
A
skilled fisherman can easily cast a size 2 spinner across the Birs at the most
places. That means the water can be covered very effectively. Problems arise from
the strong current, a lot of places can almost only be fished by upstream
casting. The trout are not very choosy. They just haven't got the time to take a
good look at the offerings in the fast current. Also the good stocking with
young fish means that eating faster than your colleagues is an advantage in the
fight for survival. Still it is important to cast and present your lure precisely.
Potential holding places behind rocks, in channels, directly at the bank have to
fished accurately. One of the important things in doing this, is to bring the relatively
light lure to deep enough. With a little training this can be done without the
use of (additional) lead, as long as the current isn't extremely strong: you have
to cast a few yards upstream of the presumed holding place and retrieve just
slightly faster than the current. Often the trout then follows the lure
downstream, taking it just before your feet, especially if the lure passes you
downstream and then sways in a bow toward the bank. Tried lures are spinners
like the Mepps
Comet in sizes 2 and 3 in all available colours, Mepps
Aglia Long (Rainbo) size 1 - 3, Vibrax Superfox, ABU Reflex etc
as well as Plugs: Rapala Floating, Rapala Sinking,
Salmo Bullhead, Thunderstick,
Firestick, Shad
Rap, Team Esko.
The
lower Birs, before it reaches the Rhine, is quite fast flowing and thus an almost
exclusive trout water. There are some places where the current is not quite as
strong and you find barbel, chub and nase (chondrostoma nasus) there. There is
also a small population of grayling, but they seem to have problems with the
water quality, and eels. Apart from that, following smaller species can be found:
minnow, strömer (Leuciscus souffia), bullhead, schneider (Alburnoides bipunctatus)
. The river is about 15-20 yards across and not very deep, wading is possible. During
the past years, there has been a lot of restoring the natural habitats going on
and also the passage from the Rhine has been improved, so that fish reach there
spawning grounds more easily, apart from the trout this will also positively
affect other gravel spawners such as grayling, barbel and nase. The formerly
strongly canalised river has become quite nice again in parts. Not only the
trout appreciate that, but also the king fishers and water blackbird. In the
next years more parts of the river will be put into a more natural state and the
sewage will be directed directly into the Rhine. And then we all wait for the
return of the salmon...
There
used to be a lot of stocking with rainbow trout, later on with brown trout,
which where also bigger than the minimum size. These fish came from ponds and
resembled small frankensteins. Most of them where caught right in the first days
after stocking (the date used to be published, but even when that stopped it was
quickly spread by word of mouth). It was an atmosphere like on (bad) put &
take pond. The catches subsided at latest after the next high water. The weak
fish which hardly found any food (out of inability, not because there wasn't
any) where washed into the Rhine and probably down into the ocean.
Luckily this has changed today. In winter spawning fish are caught from the
river and there eggs and sperm are taken from them. The eggs are hatched and
the young fish fed for a short period in captivity before stocking small brooks
with them. After one year these fish are caught by electric fishing (there are
always some larger fish amongst them, which managed to avoid being caught in the
previous years) and then put into the Birs. Thanks to this, a good stock of
strong and healthy fish now resides in the Birs.
A
skilled fisherman can easily cast a size 2 spinner across the Birs at the most
places. That means the water can be covered very effectively. Problems arise from
the strong current, a lot of places can almost only be fished by upstream
casting. The trout are not very choosy. They just haven't got the time to take a
good look at the offerings in the fast current. Also the good stocking with
young fish means that eating faster than your colleagues is an advantage in the
fight for survival. Still it is important to cast and present your lure precisely.
Potential holding places behind rocks, in channels, directly at the bank have to
fished accurately. One of the important things in doing this, is to bring the relatively
light lure to deep enough. With a little training this can be done without the
use of (additional) lead, as long as the current isn't extremely strong: you have
to cast a few yards upstream of the presumed holding place and retrieve just
slightly faster than the current. Often the trout then follows the lure
downstream, taking it just before your feet, especially if the lure passes you
downstream and then sways in a bow toward the bank. Tried lures are spinners
like the