who's not coarse fished in the close season?

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

All those who believe the close season should stay , have you got the fly gear out or simply not fished ?

Or have you been down to the canal or commercial and carried on but felt guilty

 

[richiekelly]

Not fished and probably wont, its amazing the amount of anglers who want the close season keeping on rivers that are happy to fish other waters, whats the difference between the fish in each ?

 

[dezza]

Or have you been down to the canal or commercial and carried on but felt guilty

Why the heck should I feel guilty?

There is no closed season on the canal or stillwater and I am not breaking any law!

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I've not fished for coarse fish neither will I until August usually.

The one expeption I might make will be for a memorial match with another site, but even that brings pangs of guilt as it just doesn't feel right to me personally.

I am more than happy to have the fly rods out from this weekend onwards and fish my local lakes and when in season the Hampshire Avon, Itchen and Test too.

Still, each to their own, so if people want to fish stillwaters and some canals then go for it . . . . . . .

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

Why the heck should I feel guilty?

There is no closed season on the canal or stillwater and I am not breaking any law!

Ron the guilty comment was aimed at those who want to keep the close season on rivers but are happy to fish still waters in April may and June

 

[dezza]

The one expeption I might make will be for a memorial match with another site, but even that brings pangs of guilt as it just doesn't feel right to me personally.

What utter self righteous bollaxs!

---------- Post added at 06:02 ---------- Previous post was at 05:59 ----------

Ron the guilty comment was aimed at those who want to keep the close season on rivers but are happy to fish still waters in April may and June

If we are going to have a closed season for coarse fish, let it apply to all waters. If we are not to have a closed season, that also should apply to all waters.

Any other way of thinking is addled if you ask me.

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

The one expeption I might make will be for a memorial match with another site,

You'll be lucky. Unless you have a ladder and and mudfeet on your box.



I have been once since the CS started, caught ONE fish, a lousy F1 and frankly I can't be bothered right now. Just too much to do in the garden.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

You'll be lucky. Unless you have a ladder and and mudfeet on your box.

Venue has been changed so I'm told . . . . . . . . its wait and see time for me though.

 

[beerweasel]

I've never fished in the close season.
I would like to ask, can you fish fen drains as they are technically canals ?
Plus I met a chap fly fishing for Chub but he claimed he was after Trout, was he
poaching ? (on a coarse river with some escapee Trout).

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

Not sure about the drains, beery, perhaps Mark Barrat might be able to clarify. I thought that technically, they were rivers, but hey, you never know.

In most areas, so long as you're fishing with an artificial lure, small spinners (but not Anglian region it seems) and certainly flies, that's ok.

However, what the hell this means in Anglian's bylaws I don't know - "Revoked by the National Fisheries Byelaws of 1996; Confirmed 16/06/1978"

And this "The meaning of the term “drain”is not confined to that assigned to it by the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 or the Water Resources Act 1991;"

And get this "Existing byelaws which contain reference to “the annual close season for freshwater fish” shall henceforth be read and construed as if the said byelaws apply only to the waters in relation to which a close season for freshwater fish is imposed in Byelaw 6(2) notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the relevant existing byelaws. Confirmed 23/03/2010"

Struth! What a load of gobbledegook. It's no wonder we want to get rid of the close season, but that load of unintellible garbage is bang out of order. Thames' is much easier to understand. At worst we want and demand a brand new set of national bylaws that are easily read and understood. I bet even Windy would have a job with these.

This is a job for the Angling Trust - if they want something to really do.

 

[smithdave]

I've not even been in my tackle shed since the 15th
Might go fly fishing for barbel next week if it warms up, my pellet fly has been glugging for nearly a month now.

 

[goonch]

Plus I met a chap fly fishing for Chub but he claimed he was after Trout, was he poaching ? (on a coarse river with some escapee Trout).

If he was targeting chub then yes, he was poaching. If he was targeting trout then no, he wasn't. It's all about intent.

 

[stikflote]

Of course ive fished in close season and on rivers ,on my local river you can fish with a worm and ledger ,i do not feel one little bit Guilty, its time it was done away.
To say it doesnt feel right to fish in close season is total nonsense.

i wont swear

 

[dezza]

I would like to ask, can you fish fen drains as they are technically canals ?

The fenland drains are classified as rivers.

You are actually correct, they could easily be judged to be canals as they are artificial waterways. But the 40 foot, the South 40 foot, the 16 foot, the Old Bedford, the Old Course of the Nene and all the other interlinking network of drains are classified as rivers and come under the old Mundella Act of 1878.

That is what I cannot understand, there is no consistency to the current day closed season.

 

[sam vimes]

I've no objection to someone fishing the rivers for trout with worms, where it's legal to do so. However, too many push the boundaries by fishing "worms" for "trout" in parts of rivers that are lucky to have one trout per thousand other fish. If trout are the most likely species, and you are genuinely fishing worm, go for it. If you are fishing small "worms" (that just happen to be bought by the pint with maize or sawdust) and you catch nowt but chub, dace, roach, perch, bream and barbel, stop extracting the urine.

 

[soffit]

All the roach I fished for all winter have, within a few days, buggered off to the lake my small river feeds. All that left is a few perch and the trout. The trout I caught as by=catch prefered bread above all else; but try telling that to the EA!

Put together a fly outfit for £50 including flies. Its a hoot! Get more time just looking at the river and its great to stalk and catch individual fish... even if they are only a few inches long. Dreading the end of the game season now

 

[terry m]

I haven't done so yet as I have been working overseas, but may go out on Monday to my local syndicate water. Guilty? Nope, not a bit of it.

 

[bankside]

I've not even been in my tackle shed since the 15th
Might go fly fishing for barbel next week if it warms up, my pellet fly has been glugging for nearly a month now.

Eh.........!!