Rod Licences – Have you got yours?

steph mckenzie on 02/07/2012 13:41:43

I think it would have been better if it came out about 3 months ago, although, any timely reminder is always welcomed i suppose. I haven't got one personally yet, as i have no intentions of going fishing just yet. I will get one when the time is right though.

flightliner on 02/07/2012 16:34:16

I,ve got mine, always do but I seldom if ever see a bailiff. Some years ago I reported several oriental guys long lining the river Trent at night but no one ever came so point five on their mission statement is a joke. We pay a not small sum for a rod license which mirrors organisations such as the countryside allience and maybe the angling trust which post a yearly update mag which is informative and interesting but no such from the EA. Once upon a time they used to distribute "Catch" magazine but I havent seen one for years. Time they gave value for money:mad::mad::mad:

cg74 on 02/07/2012 17:15:46

Time they gave value for money:mad::mad::mad: They do give us value for money; trouble is they are completely ineffectual due in part by lack of funding. Look at the whole picture - how many thousands of river are there in England and Wales, and how many tens of thousands miles do they equate too? Then the fisheries teams also do work on stillwaters.... I do think the EA's remit is to great too allow all parties to function efficiently; solutions?? Fraction the EA? IMO this could create far more problems than it'd solve. They do need to get the punishments made a lot more severe for those that break the law, whether that's fishing without a rod licence or a water utility illegally polluting. And what really pee's me right off is the current trend of DEFRA funding the fishery teams fencing cattle away from rivers, if the farmer doesn't do it - bill them, they have to be made fully accountable!

flightliner on 02/07/2012 20:54:17

They do give us value for money; trouble is they are completely ineffectual due in part by lack of funding. Look at the whole picture - how many thousands of river are there in England and Wales, and how many tens of thousands miles do they equate too? Then the fisheries teams also do work on stillwaters.... I do think the EA's remit is to great too allow all parties to function efficiently; solutions?? Fraction the EA? IMO this could create far more problems than it'd solve. They do need to get the punishments made a lot more severe for those that break the law, whether that's fishing without a rod licence or a water utility illegally polluting. And what really pee's me right off is the current trend of DEFRA funding the fishery teams fencing cattle away from rivers, if the farmer doesn't do it - bill them, they have to be made fully accountable! CG74, I take on board all you say, but having fished the Trent extensively all my life and last being asked for my license in 1973 or 4 tells me that its easy for misdemeanors to occur without challenge, and this on a major river. Its not good enough when we pay and others (well- with the odd eception)seem to get away with it. The night I saw the long liners(and the occasional unlicensed eel netters) had me seeing red. I was given the understanding the other day that there is only one bailiff for the whole of the midlands area??????????. Dont lose your license either as its a five pound admin charge to get a new one.:omg:

cg74 on 02/07/2012 21:52:43

Flightliner, I know exactly where you're coming from too, and trust me I'm far from pro EA, the trouble is we don't pay enough for our rivers to be effectively policed and the habitats improved. This is where the trouble lies; I'd happily pay twice the price for my rod licence if it would definitely improve the rivers but looking at the plight of my local (Oxon) rivers but experience suggests, no matter how much money the EA have they'll fail to actually improve anything in my area. I like most other river (certainly in my locality) do not trust the EA. 16yrs since the agency's was formed and all my local rivers are in their worst states within living memory...... It could be argued that the rivers around me have held an indigenous population of barbel for upto 120,000yrs, surviving two industrial revolutions and god knows what else; yet give the EA not even two decades and the species is teetering on disappearing. Which way to go; scrap and reform as another agency, responsible for fisheries and/or the environment. Or carry on as they are? :omg:

bennygesserit on 02/07/2012 22:23:10

Flightliner, I know exactly where you're coming from too, and trust me I'm far from pro EA, the trouble is we don't pay enough for our rivers to be effectively policed and the habitats improved. This is where the trouble lies; I'd happily pay twice the price for my rod licence if it would definitely improve the rivers but looking at the plight of my local (Oxon) rivers but experience suggests, no matter how much money the EA have they'll fail to actually improve anything in my area. I like most other river (certainly in my locality) do not trust the EA. 16yrs since the agency's was formed and all my local rivers are in their worst states within living memory...... It could be argued that the rivers around me have held an indigenous population of barbel for upto 120,000yrs, surviving two industrial revolutions and god knows what else; yet give the EA not even two decades and the species is teetering on disappearing. Which way to go; scrap and reform as another agency, responsible for fisheries and/or the environment. Or carry on as they are? :omg: Do you think its a balance , price it too high and more will avoid paying , too low and there is not enough revenue ? i have always had one since I started fishing again , I tzhink its only right and I like to relax when fishing , I have also been checked once at a fishery. I am sure people have said this before but if fisheries insisted on a license more would have to buy one, I know a lot that only fish canals dont buy one.

cg74 on 02/07/2012 22:42:20

For sure it's a balancing act - isn't all budgeting though? The thing is, if the EA had greater funds then they should/would be able to police fisheries more effectively and also actively improve them. But and this is a really big but, I would be very reluctant to pay more in the expectancy of improvements, because after watching all my local rivers decline year on year, and yet still see some top brass smug git from the EA tell me how we've never had it so good.

steph mckenzie on 03/07/2012 05:30:25

I hate that we have to have a Rod License, a fishing License should be enough. Clubs should employ their own Bailiffs to patrol their own waters and if anyone is caught fishing without a Fishing License for their waters then they are asked to leave or the Police are phoned and arrest them. Can you imagine something so simple being allowed to happen? Well it happens in Scotland. As far as the EA go, i think that everyone should have to pay for the Up Keep of the Rivers and Countryside etc etc etc not just Fishermen. If the EA get it wrong then, everyone will want something doing about it and not just a handful of Fishermen. If everyone paid 50p a week the revenue would be huge and perhaps more could be done about getting it right instead of getting it in on budget.

Rod Licences – Have you got yours?

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