Should the River season be extended one month?

[Graham Whatmore]

If there is going to be a river closed season for a month less then forever to give the river a rest (what the hell does that mean?) then lets have a complete closed season, and that means all branches of angling cease to fish and all walking along the bank is forbidden to protect the wildlife which apparently can't continue without it even though it does.

This would be a blow to the game anglers I know and their defence that fish know the difference between game and coarse anglers as do the grasses, trees, bushes, wildlife along the bank and the fish themselves who don't object to game anglers clodhopping though the shallows where they have laid their eggs, they are after all game anglers don't you know. This would also alleviate the problem of so called game anglers fly casting their way along the river in search of good dace and chub and maybe the odd wild trout (if they are unlucky).

Perhaps we should lobby parliament for a complete three month ban on all angling while we're at it, rivers, enclosed waters and the sea because I am sure an argument could be made to protect the seafish, the beach and the very sea itself which is under more threat than our rivers or lakes. Let us not be selfish in our desire to protect the fish and wildlife of our islands, ban angling in all its forms for three months and if we can succeed in this why not go for a longer ban and who knows one day we might actually get angling banned completely, what a slap in the face for the antis that would be eh!

 

[GrahamM]

It's the usual argument from me.

Leaving the stillwaters open (and that's all stillwaters remember, not just commercials, so forget thatred herring)and closing the rivers is saying to everybody, angler or not, that river fish are a special case.

What's good, or bad, forriver fishis good or bad for stillwater fish.

Any other argument just doesn't make sense.

Close the lot or open the lot.

 

[Gary Dolman]

I have no idea of the statistics but I would guess that nowadays at least 80% of anglers rarely if ever fish rivers any more, therefore, a close season on rivers is at best a very ineffective protection for fish. If it is deemed "safe" to fish stillwaters during the close season, then why should rivers be any different?

I know on this site a large proportion of posters are like me, old farts, who were brought up in an era when river fishing was generally regarded as the pinnacle of coarse fishing, so we all grew up with an enforced close season. However as Mr Whatmore remarked, therewere always people who wanted to bend the rules, by eel or fly fishing for coarse fish, more today I believe as trout have become more widespread.

Personally I think that there is little to be gained in a close season at all, except that the fish have 3 months to forget about an anglers bait. I wonder if we can persuade the cormorants, mink and increasingly recently otters that they should respect the close season.

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

I grew up with the close season. So i started flyfishing or went sea fishing. I never stopped.

The reason they give is to protect the reeds and spawned out fish from the stress of being caught. Yet the game anglers are still stampping around on the shallows and catching the chub on there spinners and flys.

I say cancel the close season as most fish are spawning outside the 3 month closer anyway. No doubt due to the climate situation. After all if we all stay home for 3 months we will only create more greenhouse gasses.

 

[john conway (CSG - ACA)]

Here we go again but for all the new members; my opinion has always been, unless there is a good scientific reason be it health and safety of fish or their environment, and I haven't heard or read of one yet, then there should be no close season.

However, like Brian and others I fly fish in the close season and do a wee bit on my local canal so no withdrawal symptoms for me.

 

[LongMan]

I have always viewed the close season as a "break" if thats the right word, firstly for myself and the river, usually an opportunity to walk and locate new swims.

Observation pays massive dividends, and I don't observe enough when fishing, so the close season gives me that time.

This season I have thoroughly enjoyed myself, Chub fishing has given my fishing a new lease of life, and for the first time in ages I don't feel my club ticket price has been wasted, but that said I feel ready for a break and some walking/observation ready for the summer.

Close season should stay as is, and not be changed to line the pockets of Mass Produced Tackle Salesmen. Commercials still provide tackle shops with an income as does sea/game fishing.

Just my tuppenceworth.

Scott

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

How does sea/game anglers keep tackle shops with a income. Game anglers have a close season as well.

If you take up fly fishing then you can still walk the banks.

I tie my own flies and dig my own bait.

I do not see why as a river angler i sould be penalised as ai buy a rod licence for 12 months sme as stillwater anglers but am not allowed to fish for 3 months. Can i claim a 25% refund.

 

[Cakey]

Bryan your cleverer than you look /forum/smilies/smile_smiley.gif

 

[Cakey]

by the way I agree with all the above

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

Thanks mate. I always try to look stupid most times isucceed.

 

[Muffin]

this is from the ea website:

"The close season on rivers - background to the coarse fish close season byelaws

In contrast to stillwaters, most river fisheries are in multiple ownership, with fish free to move between stretches owned by different people. Fisheries management actions taken by one owner will have an impact on the neighbouring waters; this is of particular importance with regard to spawning sites on rivers, which are often very localised.

In February 2000 the independent Salmon & Freshwater Fisheries Review considered close seasons and recommended that:

Byelaws should be introduced to abolish the close season for coarse fish on canals and rivers except where its retention is necessary to avert serious risk of damage to fish stocks.

The Government supported our view that such a proposal should be based on sound science. While sound scientific evidence was available to support the case for removing the close season on canals, it was not available in respect of rivers. Because all river coarse fisheries have a close season, it is virtually impossible to gather the required evidence - a scientific comparison similar to that done for canals would be needed. Our view is that in the absence of scientific evidence, we must take a precautionary approach towards rivers, retaining the current close season.

It should also be noted that the above recommendation resulted in a great deal of representation to Government from angling and fisheries interests opposing the removal of the close season on rivers."

The most interesting point is this regarding rivers:

"In contrast to stillwaters, most river fisheries are in multiple ownership, with fish free to move between stretches owned by different people. Fisheries management actions taken by one owner will have an impact on the neighbouring waters; this is of particular importance with regard to spawning sites on rivers, which are often very localised."

Does this statement actually have any validity in anyone's opinon who has a better understanding than me about how river ownership works?

 

[LongMan]

<blockquote class=quoteheader>Bryan Baron 2 wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class=quote>

How does sea/game anglers keep tackle shops with a income. Game anglers have a close season as well.

If you take up fly fishing then you can still walk the banks.

I tie my own flies and dig my own bait.

I do not see why as a river angler i sould be penalised as ai buy a rod licence for 12 months sme as stillwater anglers but am not allowed to fish for 3 months. Can i claim a 25% refund.</blockquote>

WOWOWO I didn't dig at you so don't dig at me, of course sea/game anglers provide an income for tackle shops, as we all do, even during closed season.

I didn't mean sea/game anglers alone keeping tackle shops alive. Where I live a game angler is a rare sight but sea anglers are abound. They spend money year round on ridiculous Lugworm prices.

You are not penalised as a river angler, you too can fish a stillwater if you desire, maybe you CHOOSE not too....

The closed season should extend to all freshwater, in my opinion.

 

[LongMan]

Waits in anticipation................... probably an a**e kicking on the near horizon...........

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

Muffin

I think its to do with ownnership. As the fish can move on rivers from one stretch to another. Wheras in a stillwater they are contained.

I was not having a go. You said that the season gave you and the river a break. My last 3 trips on the river over the last 10 days at prime times i have not seen another angler. So the river gets a rest.

Also river anglers dont tend to be big spenders in the local shops. Unlike the comercial/match angler.

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

No kicking coming from this direction. I will debate any article or post with out any insult intended to anybody. If you read any of my post over the many years i have been on here you would know.

I see you are quite new to the site. May i say that unlike most forum sites we do not tend to slag people of on a personel level. Hope you enjoy your time obn here.

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

Muffin

I think its to do with ownnership. As the fish can move on rivers from one stretch to another. Wheras in a stillwater they are contained.

I was not having a go. You said that the season gave you and the river a break. My last 3 trips on the river over the last 10 days at prime times i have not seen another angler. So the river gets a rest.

Also river anglers dont tend to be big spenders in the local shops. Unlike the comercial/match angler.

 

[LongMan]

OK so this is a new guy (fewer posts) issue lol

I do apologise Bryan, just giving my opinion.

The stretches I fish are unpressured as well, my favourite Chub stretch I haven't seen a SINGLE angler on all winter, so my point is perhaps getting a liitle twisted.

14 or 15 sessions on a cracking Chub filled piece of River and no other angler except me, no evidence of them either, but I still feel the stretch needs a rest.

You know each time I fish it gets a little hareder to catch on the same baits or tactics, they work but with lessening effectiveness as the season gets older, "it needs a rest". That was the best way I can get my point over, if it's understandable?

Scott.

 

[Bryan Baron 2]

You know each time I fish it gets a little hareder to catch on the same baits or tactics, they work but with lessening effectiveness as the season gets older, "it needs a rest". That was the best way I can get my point over, if it's understandable?

The same happens on the waters i fish. What is needed is a change of approach.

The fish are just wising up to your methords and bait. If everytime you ate a paticular food from a certain shop something unusual happened then you would avoid that instance. But you would still eat.

 

[Graham Whatmore]

I don't think Mark intended this to be our annual closedown/no closedown debate but the mere mention of it sparks off the debate at least once every spring but Mark being clever will have known this would be an inevitable result.

Something as drastic as a complete shutdown on river angling for three months is bound to invoke a reaction in river anglers, every year it happens and every year the same arguments are put forth but what would you expect from those who are passionate about their river fishing.

Those that choose solely to fish stillwaters don't really deservea hearingbecause during this closedown the vast majority of them will be out on their lake and canal venues completely impervious to the river anglers deprivation and choosing to deny that those reasons areequally applicable to stillwaters.

Then there arethose that fish rivers but during the closed season revert to stillwaters completely ignoring their reasoning as to why the rivers need a three month shutdown as though stillwaters are immune from all those influences and consequences.

Then there are the game anglers who are fully supportive of a closed season for coarse fishing yet trudge those same riverbanks, catch the same coarse fish that they would deny the coarse angler and even worse trample about in the shallows disturbing both the fish and aquatic life and even worse destroying their eggs.

I am mainly a river angler who sometimes fishes stillwaters and I am totally against the closed season because I can see no logical reason for there to be one.

 

[Wolfman Woody]

<blockquote class=quoteheader>Muffin wrote (see)</blockquote><blockquote class=quote>The most interesting point is this regarding rivers:

"In contrast to stillwaters, most river fisheries are in multiple ownership, with fish free to move between stretches owned by different people. Fisheries management actions taken by one owner will have an impact on the neighbouring waters; this is of particular importance with regard to spawning sites on rivers, which are often very localised."

Does this statement actually have any validity in anyone's opinon who has a better understanding than me about how river ownership works?</blockquote>

Not a bit of it! It's a typical EA b***s**t sentence that means absolutely b*****k all. A cop out for them to do nothing which is why they say no research supports it, because they can't be bothered to stitch the research they already have together.

What irks me is that the review mentioned was initiated by the EA and they came up with the findings, i.e.: "to abolish the close season for coarse fish" , but when one particular body kicked up a stink about it along with several EA staff, they changed their mind. What was the use of asking for opinion, publishing the findings, and then turn around and censure it?

.

However, I still don't see what's wrong with my proposal to end the rivers season on June 14th and start it again on June 16th. It gives the fish the rest they need and please the fluff chuckers who will have the rivers to themselves for that period. OK it's only one day, but mayflies enjoy themselves in one day. Everyone's happy.

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