licence fees

[Darren Wainwright]

the country most deff needs to keep a record of guns, hence the licence. though i can't recall of a bank robbery with a maver pole! The licence is, again, to say you are safe and pass requirements.

 

[Dave Smith]

While not licences many other Sports/hobbies require you to have membership to a national body, which then looks after the bigger picture on local and national fronts, yet you still have to pay to participate.

the EA performs a similar function but essentially with nature. I'm sure the AT announced that the EA was to stock over a million fish this year, plus their water control measures etc. etc.

I personally think that the licence fee should be increased not by a small amount but maybe doubled, and all kids should have a licence though at a nominal amount couple of quid maybe. However then the EA would certainly need to police the licence dodgers.

 

[Cakey]

OUR LICENCES WOULD BE CHEAPER IF IT WASNT FOR THE DODGERS !!

 

[Dave Smith]

The EA sell about 1 million licences a year.... 4 million anglers? still think that doubling the licence fee would put off the ****heads though.

Had my licence checked once in 21 years of having to have one! I don't fish commercials though. now thats something that should be banned.

 

[njb51]

who looks after the free stretches of rivers?

 

[Darren Wainwright]

So Dave, you want to double the licence, thereby penalising all the licence payers for those that dont buy it? Jees, thats worse than havng the licence in the first place..

Jonny - i am in favour of paying for the upkeep of free rivers - i dont agree with havingto pay for a licence and then for a day ticket too.

 

[Dave Smith]

"So Dave, you want to double the licence, thereby penalising all the licence payers for those that dont buy it? Jees, thats worse than havng the licence in the first place.."

Yes Darren, I actually belive that the EA do a good job, the thing that annoys me is those that don't pay, and the fact that the EA doesn't police this effectively.

Just because you like to fish puddles shouldn't put you above this.

I'd go further and suggest that I'd also ask those who are in control of fisheries to check licences before allowing people to fish and fine the owners if anyone is found to be fishing without a licence.

I'm sure that I read somewhere many years ago that in certain states in America that you have to have your licence on display, having it in your pocket isn't acceptable. no I only have vague memory of this so can't back it up but it sounds like a good idea to me.

 

[paul williams 2]

Darren.....many other hobbies/pastimes entail you having to spend money to participate.......shooting, martial arts,flying, skydiving,radioham.....the list is huge........like Malc i remember the days when we had to buy a wallet full of licences and think it's great we can now buy one and fish any area.

I may not always agree the EA do the job i think is needed but i do believe we need them........in fact i think we should take some kind of test before our licences are issued!

 

[captain carrott]

I'm sure that I read somewhere many years ago that in certain states in America that you have to have your licence on display, having it in your pocket isn't acceptable.

this is true, florida being one of the states i think.

 

[Marcel]

Hi everyone i never thought id spark off such a lot when i posted this thread last year. let me start by saying that im not against paying for my licence fee i was just upset that the powers that be decided to change the rules without any thoughts of asking the fihing community their thoughts on the subject.
since last year I have found out why i can no longer get my concessional licence. it is because i am classed as dissabled but i only get incapacity benefits not dissability or dla as it is better known so i am not entitled to a blue badge.
unfortunatley i suffer from spondulosis in its most nasty form bit like arthritis but ten times worse. and as on a good day i can walk so many yards and can dress myself i am not entitled to the dla never mind i will still pay my fees and carry on fishing.
but wouldn't it be nice if they changed it so anyone who was on benefit's got a concessional licence we may find more parents who are on the dole paying for their son or daughters fee's and we may find more people interested in fishing.
From past experience when taking my sons with me many of their friends parents wont pay for a licence and day ticket and say they think it is a waste. blind fools i say. never the less thank you all for your comments and replies hope i didnt cause to much of a stir yours marcel.

 

[Tom Herbert]

Darren, my inlaws live on a narrow boat and when they want to move about in the summer months they have to buy licenses for each and every river.
If you own a pond in your back garden and you want to fish it you must have a license.
I think that if every club, syndicate and day ticket water where made to ensure that before they sold a ticket they had to ensure the buyer held a current license then the EA would be a whole lot better off.
Did you know Darren that all these day ticket 'mud holes' all draw upon the expertise of the EA when they want to set up and did you know that when there is a problem ie fish deaths ect the first people they call is the EA.
Not bad when you consider anually the EA get in the region of 14 million pounds.
Personally i think the EA are fighting a loosing battle without the adiqate funding they need and deserve.

 

[Graham Whatmore]

Why is it that regardless of the fact that an EA licance costs less than 50p per week, you, and people like you Darren still want it for nothing? You are a typical example of a lot of people in this country these days you want everything but you are not willing to pay or work for it. You were quite happy to pay a reduced rate but now they have changed the rules you find it intolerable, have you ever thought how the thousands of anglers with young families, on low wages and a very limited budget feel when they have to pay for a full licence? They do it because they love to fish albeit not so often as they would wish.

I suggest you find some other sport to participate in where you can indulge yourself for nothing, thats assuming you can find one of course.

 

[Darren Wainwright]

Graham, How dare you set me as a "Typical Example"? You know nothing about me. I also am not the one who was paying a lower rate and then started the thread in the first place! I personally buy the licence every single year - even when i may only go out half a dozen times in that year. I recently found myself on income support due to a heart problem and will also have to still pay the full amount. This is NOT MY problem with the licence. My problem is that i pay at the water already! So Graham, before you dare put me in a certain bracket please stop to think first.

You know, it's a real shame. I replied to the topic as i felt it would make a great discussion. Some great for and against points have been raised. But as with EVERY forum on the net, there is always one person that has to go and ruin it by making it personal.

 

[Dave Smith]

Darren is your heart problem stress related?

Graham may well of got it wrong but lets not turn this into a slanging match.

Marcel,
My Dad is in the same boat as you. he's worked very hard all his life but can't work now because of ill health, he also receives incapcity benift or something similar. He has to walk about half a mile to fish his local canal (when he's upto it), but when he gets there he has to sit for an hour to get his strengh back before he can set up. doesn't make much difference to his fishing though cause he's rubbish anyway! He struggles to pay his licence fee every year but will not fish without one.

 

[Cakey]

Darren you pay twice because
1---to the EA for upkeep of rivers etc,tracing anything that gets spilt into the water and kills fish, they then have to pay to take the spiller to court
the fly tipping on chertsey ,who cleans it up yep the EA
now they have bird flu to worry about !
2---your day ticket etc is to pay bailiffs
to repair swims etc
to stock lake/river
access to his land that he rents or buys

its two different things

 

[Cakey]

some one once said put the licence fee on the day ticket great said mr water owner Ill charge YOU extra for doing the paper work

 

[Darren Wainwright]

Dave, No not stress related

I only gave my points as to why i personally do not agree with the licence, i didn't start the slanging match and dont intend on joining in. We are supposed to all be adult enough to be able to discuss these things.

Am i wrong for disagreeing with the licence? This is another question. Can i be blamed for disagreeing with it when i have never seen an EA official, or any other bailif, ask me to see my licence.
I have never seen anybody go along and tidy up mess left behind by others- anglers or not.
These are just a few things.

I have to admit, some points given over so far have enlighted me as to what gets paid for etc, Still though i am not convinced enough

I aim to go fishing this coming weekend, so i will have to go out and buy another "Yearly" licence - that runs out on 31st march! Get your head round THAT! Yes, i know it is closed season on rivers etc, but you still need a licence for the commercial waters, and THAT is my point. It's like having to have a TV licence but you dont want to watch the BBC.

Again, am i wrong for disagreeing with the licence?

Maybe i would feel different if the EA pulled their fingers out of their butts and tightend things up a little.

 

[Les Clark]

Darran ,can you not get the blue badge ?
If not ,as you say ,you may only fish 6 times a year ,way not buy it a day at a time ?
You say that this is NOT MY PLOBLEM with the licence ,but I feel that it is , you can`t buck the system ,the E.A. do a lot of work with waterways ,we help to fund that work with our licence fees .
you say that you pay for the full licence ,good for you ,you may not agree with it but your sticking to the letter of the law ,there are a lot of so called anglers who don`t .

 

[Dave Smith]

Again, am i wrong for disagreeing with the licence?

No Darren, misguided maybe but not wrong, you've made some valid points but as with every thing fishing related we're all Carp at PR, hence the SAA thread and the ACA thread.

Maybe i would feel different if the EA pulled their fingers out of their butts and tightend things up a little.

Totally agree, but to do this they need more funding... double the licence fee.

 

[Chris Bishop]

Sorry Darren, I'm with Mark and the other guys.

I buy two rod licences and have to renew memberships to things each year. Net cost about ?150.

Less than three quid a week, considerably less than a packet of fags, less than the cost of a couple of kinked traces.

I do think all disabled anglers should pay a token charge, regardless of what benefits they're on, as angling has a lot to offer even people with quite profound disabilities.

I know some of the money from my licence fee goes into platforms and improving access in my part of the world. One more good reason for buying one. Or two in my case.