Yesterday (24th June) I had the privilege of watching barbel spawning in the Dorset Stour at Throop.  At one stage there were in excess of 25 fish all "having a go", some of them truly huge fish, quite an incredible sight.  I filmed some of the activity with my compact stills camera, so not particularly good quality.  Certainly doesn't do the experience any justice at all:

Barbel Spawning (wmv file)

Does that mean we should adjust the closed season until at least the end of June?

And we'd better hope that we don't have a really cold June one year and then have to close the rivers to cover July as well.

With pike usually spawning sometime in February that's a six months closed season!

I hope all those who voted 'YES' to keeping the closed season on rivers in the poll run by Steve Spiller are keeping away from them

Good video Neil, thanks!

Graham Marsden wrote (see)

With pike usually spawning sometime in February that's a six months closed season!

Good video Neil, thanks!

Also had this very thin pike, presumably struggling to regain condition after spawning some time ago (took a 2lb+ eel as it was coming in and wouldn't let go!):

The carp on a local still water have just finished spawning. The tench probably won't spawn until end of July.

As I have said before, the dates of the closed season are a load of b****ks and were set out in 1878 when the Mundella Act was passed by a group of people who didn't reall know what they were doing.

I'll stick by my dates for a new closed season - 1st of May until 15th July both dates inclusive.

Does that mean we should adjust the closed season until at least the end of June?

No, it just means that yesterday on the Throop only, it would have been a waste of time fishing for barbel, they were interested in other things.

What it boils down to is this:

There are those who seem to think that our current closed season is sacrisanct and often act as though it were ordained by a deity!

And no kidding, I have known people who refuse to fish in South Africa  because they have been there between the dates of 14th March to 16 June!!!!  

 People, it was put there by a group of doddering old dimwits during the reign of Queen Victoria and is about as up to date as the Hansom Cab. The sooner it is disposed of, the better!

Ron 'The Hat' Clay (ACA) wrote (see)

The tench probably won't spawn until end of July.

My "local" tench did their thing 3rd/4th week in May, that was pretty impressive to watch as well (never seen such big female tench at close quarters before).

I remember the summer of 1995 when the tench started spawning on the Linear Lakes at Stanton Harcourt in early August.

The springtime of that year had been very cold indeed.

Ha! but I suppose we must remember that a heavily pregnant fish is the perfect specimen!

I seem to remember someone telling me that the bream in a local pit will be no good because they have spawned. 

So is there a consensus, and if so what?

We should have a Closed Season, but the dates needs adjusting?

We should have a Closed Season per species, with dates made accordingly?

We should have a blanket ban on fishing for any species whilst they are spawning, to be largely self-policed on public waters (but would perhaps affect record claims)?

The Closed Season is pointless and should be abolished in its entirety?

The blanket closed season is pointless and should be abolished!

However if individual associations wish to regulate fishing at certain times of the year for certain species and on specific rivers, then all well and good.

And if individual anglers wish to practice their own closed season, then who shall say them nay?

'So is there a consensus?'

Nope, same debate every year Geoff. I personally am of the same opinion as Graham in that it does not make sense to have a closed season on rivers and not on most canals and still waters, it is contradictory.

Abolish the close season then if clubs want to close their water for any period of time under their own rules they can.

Trying to police a system of differing dates for different species would be nigh on impossible.

'I was fishing for chub with this bread flake, honest. Not my fault a barbel/tench/roach/bream took it'.

How can there be a consensus, we had our vote and it came out 50/50

It's the same ol' same ol', no matter what we may say, or what we may think, it won't make an ounce of difference.

It won't change in our life times.

So can we change the subject please, before we get another couple of hundred posts, and come back to the same outcome.

Thanks for the film Neil.

Here here.

If the people in charge just get rid of the close season then we won't have to worry about the issue anymore

I remember chub spawning on the Wear as late as 13th July (it was Durham Miners Gala Day).

I didn't realise what was happening until I had foul hooked a couple of big-ish fish whilst retrieving a free lined baitless hook. After that I just sat up on the bank watching for a couple of hours, magic!

Contrary to popular belief fish can be 'taken' whilst spawning and I'm sure there would be those willing to exploit the situation more  were the close season the be abolished.