close season nefariousness

[xenon]

Just to be clear, I don't fish rivers during the close season (don't need the hassle) nor am I advocating such, but supposing one did, how much chance of being nabbed do you reckon there would be? My guess would be virtually nil-I cannot even recall the last time I was asked to show my licence-must be literally decades ago.

 

[mikench]

As much chance as Fulham staying up!

 

[103841]

As much chance as Fulham staying up!

And they’re on the river!

 

[rich66]

Well I’ve not seen a bailiff in years but the Angling Trust reckon there’s hundreds of volunteers this year

Hundreds of volunteer bailiffs to take part in Close Season crackdown on illegal fishing - The Angling Trust

 

[carpinbob]

I’m the same as rich66 haven’t seen a bailiff in over 15 years, I’ve seen the signs that say bailiffs regular patrol but not when I’ve been about.

 

[nottskev]

It beats me how anybody can fish out of season and enjoy it. A while back a No Fishing sign appeared next to a stretch of river that has a public footpath and has always been lightly fished. Since I was fishing adjacent stretches, I thought I'd check if they meant it....... Nobody paid me any attention, but for the very short time I was there I felt like I had a flashing light on my head and I was already feeling how embarrassed I'd be to have to rely on some feeble excuse - didn't see the big sign on the gate - if challenged. I'd be happy to see the close season changed, but while it's there I respect it, and not just because I might get caught.

 

[rich66]

It beats me how anybody can fish out of season and enjoy it. A while back a No Fishing sign appeared next to a stretch of river that has a public footpath and has always been lightly fished. Since I was fishing adjacent stretches, I thought I'd check if they meant it....... Nobody paid me any attention, but for the very short time I was there I felt like I had a flashing light on my head and I was already feeling how embarrassed I'd be to have to rely on some feeble excuse - didn't see the big sign on the gate - if challenged. I'd be happy to see the close season changed, but while it's there I respect it, and not just because I might get caught.

That’s the thing ! Respect when I was a kid I was taught to respect the rules regardless. Now some people think they don’t apply to them.
Last season I regularly fished a stretch of a club water that was day ticket on the bank or yearly. Never got asked for a bean, this season coming I’m buying a ticket so I don’t have to feel guilty

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

A mate of mine is presently an EA Enforcement Officer (Bailiff, but that's been dropped now) until the end of the month when he retires. When he books someone, it takes around 6 weeks before he has to write up a statement of evidence so a short while ago he asked if the EA would pay him for writing these after he'd retired. They apparently refused, but he has to keep booking people anyway even though without his statement there is no evidence, no evidence - no court trial.

You couldn't write this stuff in fiction.

 

[Jim Crosskey 2]

I think the chances of an EA bailiff turning up are extremely low.

However, much higher are the chances of a disgruntled club member taking you to task about you fishing out of season. I've done this before when a I spotted a bloke stood in the river (fully kitted out in expense lure fishing attire) throwing a plug about on a short spinning rod. When I asked him about whether he knew about the close season, he responded that he was fishing for trout and that the thames byelaws were quite clear about the fact that this was permitted.

I laughed out loud at this, and asked him how many trout he'd ever managed to catch - and also why use a wire trace if he was fishing for trout.

My personal feeling on this was that the angler involved knew full well he'd never catch a trout in 100 years of trying in that particular spot, but that chub, perch and pike would fall very regularly to his tactics. For me, that felt a bit wrong, hence me stopping for a chat about it. But at the end of the day, he was actually well within his rights to use a "lure" as that's what's described in those byelaws.

As Kev mentioned above, the very idea of fishing like this would make me avoid it. Fishing relaxes me, I really enjoy it and I don't need to be looking over my shoulder worrying about the next angry encounter!

 

[Jim Crosskey 2]

I think the chances of an EA bailiff turning up are extremely low.

However, much higher are the chances of a disgruntled club member taking you to task about you fishing out of season. I've done this before when a I spotted a bloke stood in the river (fully kitted out in expensive lure fishing attire) throwing a plug about on a short spinning rod. When I asked him about whether he knew about the close season, he responded that he was fishing for trout and that the thames byelaws were quite clear about the fact that this was permitted.

I laughed out loud at this, and asked him how many trout he'd ever managed to catch - and also why use a wire trace if he was fishing for trout.

My personal feeling on this was that the angler involved knew full well he'd never catch a trout in 100 years of trying in that particular spot, but that chub, perch and pike would fall very regularly to his tactics. For me, that felt a bit wrong, hence me stopping for a chat about it. But at the end of the day, he was actually well within his rights to use a "lure" as that's what's described in those byelaws.

As Kev mentioned above, the very idea of fishing like this would make me avoid it. Fishing relaxes me, I really enjoy it and I don't need to be looking over my shoulder worrying about the next angry encounter!

 

[Jim Crosskey 2]

So good it seems I said it twice!

 

[sam vimes]

As of today, I can perfectly legally go trotting on the local river using a worm. It's quite feasible to catch nothing but trout. However, there are (a seemingly diminishing number of) coarse fish present. Should you start catching such fish, you are supposed to move on. Naturally, the further downstream you get on the river, the less chance there is of catching trout. Though the bylaws allow worming for trout, I don't know of any water lower down the river, where trout are exceedingly thin on the ground, that still allows it. The main culprit on the Swale has now ammended their club rules to stop people extracting the urine.

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

But at the end of the day, he was actually well within his rights to use a "lure" as that's what's described in those byelaws.

I did ask the one-time manager of EA Thames Area Fisheries what would happen if I was chucking around jerk baits and say I was fishing for trout. He did say it was legal, but that "You might get some angry looks."

On April 1st, we can fish for trout in the Thames. I want trout to return to the Thames in big numbers, I know some are in there already. I shall be using drop shot lures, small plugs, small jigs, small spinners, everything a trout loves. I wouldn't fly fish because Thames trout don't rise to a fly, something I keep telling a mate of mine, but he keeps trying and keeps failing.

I shall use a light wire trace on all except the drop shot (it doesn't work) though just in case a pike fancies it. What I don't want is for a pike to bite through the line and have the lure stuck in its mouth. That would be unforgivable.

DID YOU KNOW? That a lot of the trout in Tasmanian rivers and some of those in New Zealand came from eggs shipped over there from the River Wye that flows into the Thames at Cookham.

 

[103841]

If you fish a river near where it enters the sea with maybe a large estuary like the Thames, at what part of the river does the close season come into operation?

 

[Another Dave]

DID YOU KNOW? That a lot of the trout in Tasmanian rivers and some of those in New Zealand came from eggs shipped over there from the River Wye that flows into the Thames at Cookham.

I knew they were Thames related because i looked into it after seeing a few Aussie trout fishing youtubes and being amazed how they looked exactly like the trout round here.

As for byelaws, here in Essex i'm sure i read somewhere that if you want to fish for trout at this time of year you need to be flyfishing. Whatever the letter of the by-law, i'm happy to give my stretch a break. I wish i could rely on someone else to police it but i wouldn't surprised to find myself stumbling into this role.

 

[theartist]

If you fish a river near where it enters the sea with maybe a large estuary like the Thames, at what part of the river does the close season come into operation?

There is no actually point or marker, it's all down to what you are targeting, you could technically go for Bass in Teddington weir, but you'd have to prove that you are doing exactly that and if any EA officer was to film you having a jolly time accidentally catching Perch then your argument would look pretty flimsy.

I use coarse tackle and baits for Bass and Mullet but even so there's a certain areas i'd stop at as others have mentioned it ain't much fun looking over your shoulder. It doesn't take a lot of watercraft to tell if it looks Coarse or Sea.

If anyone's up for tidal sea fishing i'd also recommend they brush up on the Bass regulations and either get a Migratory Trout license or try to avoid Sea Trout (The latter of which is easier said than done). You are more likely to get collared if you fall foul of the rules regarding these two species than for catching any coarse fish

 

[mikench]

Rob where have you been? You were nearly a missing poster.

 

[theartist]

I've been around Mike, just a bit too much work though and not nearly enough fishing

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

There is no actually point or marker, it's all down to what you are targeting, you could technically go for Bass in Teddington weir, but you'd have to prove that you are doing exactly that and if any EA officer was to film you having a jolly time accidentally catching Perch then your argument would look pretty flimsy.

It's always puzzled me why the Thames below Staines (London Stone) is considered tidal, it is free fishing, and yet the close season is applied. I do believe with regards to below Richmond certainly, it is definitely tidal and therefore available to all anglers throughout the year, but I may even then be wrong.

Why also are parts of one canal available to fish where a river runs through and yet other canals, which are the same, you can't because of the close season? Fishing is allowed on the Kennet & Avon canal and on the GU where the Colne flows through, but on the Wey Navigation (there's a clue in the title) it's classed as a river throughout and subject, therefore, to the close season. Puzzling!

 

[theartist]

It's always puzzled me why the Thames below Staines (London Stone) is considered tidal, it is free fishing, and yet the close season is applied. I do believe with regards to below Richmond certainly, it is definitely tidal and therefore available to all anglers throughout the year, but I may even then be wrong.

Why also are parts of one canal available to fish where a river runs through and yet other canals, which are the same, you can't because of the close season? Fishing is allowed on the Kennet & Avon canal and on the GU where the Colne flows through, but on the Wey Navigation (there's a clue in the title) it's classed as a river throughout and subject, therefore, to the close season. Puzzling!

Don't forget the Thames in midsummer is also a canal lol The Thames Below Staines isn't tidal although you're right in that is it free in most public places save for a few no fishing areas popping up here and there It certainly isn't free to all anglers all year, only those targeting sea fish, I wouldn't risk it at Richmond as it's far too coarse and at Staines It's blatantly fishing out of season unless you're chucking the old fluff.

The Tidal starts at Teddington weir as that is the first full on obstruction although a high spring tide will top that on occasion. It's pretty much coarse fishing but there are small bass and flounders there sometimes, not enough to justify them as your quarry given that you will catch too many coarse fish. Common sense really. At Richmond you have the half lock which is quite a bit of engineering, not as a flood defence but there to keep the water in for navigation at low tide, it always was interesting fishing above and below the half lock at low tide during the season, the tide when on the flow goes straight through unhindered.

The Wey navigation is often the one which springs to mind when it comes down to whats a canal or a river, but it is more of a river still than canal perhaps when compared to the Basingstoke canal. I jokingly refer to parts of the Grand Union round here as the Gade navigation but even the running pounds are definately more canal than river.