River Close Season – Is it time for a rethink?

[thx1138]

... Surely it would make more sense to either have a close season on all waters or not have one at all. My personal preference would be to have a close season but if there is not one on lakes then why have one on rivers? I would rather not have one at all rather than the current situation..

Probably covered somewhere above in this thread (apologies, but I havent the time to read it all), but I'll suggest anyway - One thing to consider is that the vast majority of lakes are privately owned, usually by just one landowner. Hence, the fish are privately owned, so the owner can set whatever season they see fit, and members / ticket holders have to abide by it. If the lake loses fish, then it's their owner's responsibility.

On rivers, the fish belong to nobody, and the fishing rights are usually owned by many different clubs and landowners. Reaching a consensus on a close season for any particular river could be very difficult, and the actions of one landowner (e.g running matches, retaining gravid fish in keepnets in areas where fish shoal to spawn, etc) could have impacts for the others.

I am not defending or protesting against the close season, just saying that the situation is different on rivers as it is on lakes.

 

[no-one in particular]

I have the view the best compromise would be a total ban for about 6 weeks. Everyone gets a bit of what they want. The waters get a break, the fish get a break, we get a break, can still look forward in anticipation, should not be too bad for the tackle trade and the busier commercials. Though some of the smaller ones may struggle a bit. Those that must fish all year round could bear it for 6 weeks I would hope, better than 3 months. And fish will at least get some free spawning time and the nest building birds and the rest of nature will also get some free time. .
There is no ideal solution for every human or creature but, its the best compromise I can think of.

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

Didn't you know Ray, the ATr represent all anglers.

Crow,

Don't tell anyone, but thats what they think.

I think B0**0cks

---------- Post added at 20:04 ---------- Previous post was at 19:59 ----------

A good many gamefishers, whether they be fly, spinner or bait types, have to put up with a 6-month close season if they fish rivers-only. Do you see them telling the world that they're victims of some red-tapeist bureaucratic / Anti-Angling plot? Nope. You don't. For they know that some things, including fish at certain times of the year, are best left alone. But then we're modern coarse fishers and not only do we want it all all of the time ("like Now!", even "like Yesterday!"), but we also, always, know best. Just a bunch of ever-argumentative, sad-sack whiners, some - probably can't stand the course, don't know how it really is, "Noddies" - might be forgiven for thinking.

Most game anglers i know are also coarse anglers, so that blows that one out the water. Plus most of them catch coarse whilst while fly fishing etc etc, but for some reason that is ok, NOT.

Open all waters all year, or close all waters, not hard to do.