Close season

[Shagpile]

Can someone remind me just why we have a close season on the rivers but not on the canals and lakes.

[Nick Lynch]

The stocking situation is the main reason. Lakes and most canals are manually stocked, but rivers aren't. The close season gives the fish time to spawn. Thats how I understand it to be. Hope this helps.

[Yacko]

Hi Shagpile (nice name)

There is a thread on the General forum that gives a good insight into the fors and against of treating lakes differently to rivers- my take on this was that they should be treated the same. Take a look if you want a bit of light hearted reading, the title is:-

'should the river season be extended by one month' sorry I cant do links

[Shagpile]

Thanks for the replies,however I am still not convinced of a need to have the close season on the rivers but not lakes.I caught bream last weekend from the Lower bristol Avon,that were already in spawning condition,ie covered in tubercles.Has anyone else caught bream this early in the year in a similar condition?

My understanding is fish spawn according largely to the water temperature,however even today we had snow,so you would imagine the river being running water would be of a lesser temperature than that of a lake.Last week I caught a number of bream from a lake as did my 2 oppo's,and none of those fish were in spawning condition.

so is it water temp. that induces spawning or not.

I know from keepin Koi carp and tropical fish that they could be induced to spawn by artificially raisin the water temperature.

Fish in canals and lakes are introduced not only by us but also by wildlife,so the argument falls down a bit there,but in any case why should river fish be treated differant to the still water fish,I dont understand the reasoning.

Is there a fish scientist who can answer I wonder???

[Alan Tyler]

I'd suggest you rephrase that as a separate question; there are some ichthyologists who drop in, but I can't see them opening a thread with "Close Season" in the title.The institution of the close season was as much political as piscicultural, and so are the debates about its preservation (insert smiley wearing tin hat and digging fast).

As a general biologist by training, and not a very good one, I'd say that that's an interesting observation which suggests that day-lengthmight bethe cue for bream to enter spawningcondition, while temperature (possibly/probably) triggers/permits spawning.

[Alan Tyler]

Gizza grant...?

[Shagpile]

Thats an interesting opinion,Ihad not considered daylight hours as afactor in spawning.I am basing my opinion on observations made in my koi pond and local lakes where in both situations the fish seem to spawn later in the year ie end of may and early June.Howevercarp being a differant species to bream,may need other factors to induce spawning.

I still fail to see why a close season remains on the rivers tho.

It would be interesting to be able to observe the spawning of river carp and the lake carp,and see wot time differance if any is involved,but river carp being harder to locate will make this a rather difficult venture.

But the question still remains.

You might find male bream with some tubercles all year round. I've caught them in January with them, but no sign of the females spawning, obviously.

Your very well framed questions and statements, Shagpile, qualify the question - when can we have the necessary research carried out to answer these and whether or not a close season for fish that are no longer killed for the table can still be justified.

[Shagpile]

And that Woody is exactly my point,why the close season at all.If catching fish in canals and lakes does not dis-rupt or affect them breeding,then why do we still have a close season on the rivers,it seems to be a rather mis-guided law,as obviously fish in the rivers have more opportunity to evade anglers than those in still waters.So going on the surmise that it is in place to allow fish to breed/spawn,then it would (in my opinion) be back to front,ie the rivers should be open all year round,and the still waters closed.

I find it interesting that you have found bream (male) in the condition all year round,as in over 40 years of fishing,I have not ever had a bream covered in tubericles other than when ready for spawning.

The debate I am sure will ramble on,but until a governing body comes up wid some evidence to prove the case one way or the other,it will remain a lost cause for those of us who wish to fish the rivers all year round.[img]/forum/smilies/confused_smiley.gif[/img]

[markg]

I always understood the close season was to protect spawning fish. Most fish spawn between the water temperatures of 61-65 degrees Fahrenheit. This is so the young are born when natural food is around 2-3 weeks later and when the water temperatures are 66-69 degrees. I have kept extensive records for water temperatures and the range of 61-65 degrees occurs late May early June. The close season should be at this time ie. the last two weeks of May and the first two weeks of June. That is a complete ban to protect all fish lake or rivers. Commercial fisheries would be able to survive this financially as it is a short period. Anglers could bear a 4 week break andit should please the enviromentalists. If the close season is about protecting spawning fish and it should be then this is a good solution. Coarse fish do not spawn in March or April and the climate has not altered that much yet to alter there spawning period. todaloo.