Should we be concerned about the number of leads we're dumping?

Should we be concerned at the levels of leads being dumped in our watercourses, and if so what actions need to be taken?

Rob Hughes
“The European Commission is seeking to re-classify lead as a toxic substance and wants to fade out its use by 2015. Angling may well get caught up in this. To quote the European Fishing Tackle Trade Association, “The Commission is fully aware that lead disposal from angling is very, very small compared to the total of lead waste. And the Commission is fully aware that the relatively small amount of lost lead sinkers doesn’t present much of a ‘hazard’ to the environment. But this is politics.”

I don’t think it is a serious problem but as the spokesperson states this is politics! What I can say is that on the many hundreds of dives I have carried out in heavily fished freshwater lakes I very rarely find a lead. They get buried so they do not cause ‘littering’ of the lakebed. The second, and more significant issue, is that of toxic poisoning and there is currently absolutely no evidence whatsoever.

In the unlikely event that they do cause leakage of lead into the water, the effect of such a small pollutant in such a large water body will, in my eyes, be negligible. There are people that would have you believe leads are the anti-Christ. Until someone provides me with evidence of this I shall carry on as usual and that’s not a reckless view, that’s a realistic one. I am not aware of any tests to date that confirm angling leads are a problem. Lead shot from cartridges is an issue with ingestion, but large angling leads are not!”

Rich Wilby
“This is a tricky one because I do believe that dropping the lead on a take can give you a greater chance of putting the carp on the bank, but I don’t think it is essential to dump the lead every time you hook a fish.

“Weedy waters or lakes with savage shallow bars are the types of venues where dropping the lead can be an effective way to get the fish safely to the bank. A few leads being dumped into the lake has to be better than fish getting tethered up in the weed and anglers snapping line. However, on open water, snag-free lakes I do think leads shouldn’t be continuously dumped on the bottom. I’m no expert on the effects, but if leads are being regularly dropped in small waters it cannot be a great thing for the future.

“My own day ticket water is only five-acres and is weed-free with no obstacles in the open water. I certainly don’t want leads being dumped all over the bottom, as I don’t believe it is necessary and good long-term. But I ask all my anglers to use rigs that are 100% safe, so lead clip style rigs must be able to release the leads relatively easy in order to be safe and I would rather see the lead come free easily than be fixed on too tightly. So it is a hard balance to get anglers using completely safe rigs and only dropping a lead when it is needed, especially when 80% of anglers use lead clips.”