the closed season

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jason fisher

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not wanting to hijack mick browns thread on peter stone,
i've decided to start one of my own on the closed season, so here we go what are your views.
 
J

jason fisher

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for what it's worth here are my thoughts.

If you want to observe a closed season then it's your right to do so, I personally don't, I don't lament the loss of the old one which was enforced on still waters and to my mind the arguments for one on rivers no longer apply.
It was brought in to stop people removing fish for the table over a hundred years ago and now this just does not happen.

the argument that it protects fish when spawning doesn't hold either especially as tench invariably start to spawn just as it has ended and most of the people who want it deliberately target tench on june 16th.

a large proportin of the countries rivers remain empty for months out side the closed season anyway.
 
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Ron Troversial Clay

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As a TOF, I must admit I still find something magical about having a close season for coarse fish. For nearly 5 years now I have been opening the season fishing for tench on the old course of the Nene in the fens. although the tench are not massive - a 5 is a good one, there is something about that first cast at dawn on the 16th that is almost organismic.

The reason for this is memories of course, of very happy times spent in good company, packing up at noon, and then down to the pub.

Great innit.

And I hope I can do this for very many years in the future.
 
E

ED (The ORIGINAL and REAL one)

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Organismic Ron ???? You dont take a Wurlitzer Organ with you do you?? --Now that would be ORGASMIC if you did ......
 
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Big Rik

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of, or relating to an organism.......

sounds like a good description of Ron to me.


I'm with Jason on this one, I don't remember the old closed season as a time of reflection and waiting for the new season to start, I remember it as a time I wasn't allowed to do what I hold most passionately.
And then there was the mass trampling of the ground nesting birds come the 'glorious' 16th.

It always appears to me that the vast majority of people who keep a self imposed closed season, try and portray an attitude of superiority, much akin to the barbel police.

Restriction through traditionalism...... no thanks.
We'll be driving our cars with a lamp carrier walking in front of us next, just like we used to do in the good old days........
 
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Wolfman Woody

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"And I hope I can do this for very many years in the future" and no-one's stopping you Ron. You carry on.

What if the close season were abolished?

For me, I'll probably take May and June out of the rivers calendar, as I've always said. I won't fish for big female pike or target perch specifically in February and March. As for the others, they'd have to take their chances, but if I see them "at it", I'll watch rather than fish.
 
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Terry Comerford

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With the closed season, wet winter flooding, and the rise in popularity of the commercials, there's less pressure on flowing waters than ever.
Commemorate the day, but lets have all year round choice.
What about license's running from June 16th to June 16th?
 
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Andy "the Dog" Nellist

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...and the EA have just missed their chance once again to survey the views of all anglers when they bought their rod licenses
 
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Dave Slater

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We have had a thread on this before. I stick by what I said then. I believe we should have a close season but it should be later in the year than the current one, i.e. in high summer when the water is low and stale and the oxygen content is low.
 
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smith2

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I hope I was not misunderstood in my Peter Stone thread. I'm not a traditionalist clinging onto the past. In fact I was tench fishing on Thursday last. 10 gravel pit fish between 5 and 7-12 on feeder/maggot. Up to date gear and enjoyed every minute of it.
I know we have to move with the times but would prefer this to be with the welfare of the natural environment in mind as well as catering for anglers needs. In my book this would mean leaving any decisions about restricted fishing periods to those that control individual waters. I have a lease on a 28 acre pit. My self imposed close season for pike, as an example, is June 1st till November Ist. I know the water intimately and that is how I judge the restriction should be. I fish other waters during that period where I feel it is safe to do so but respect any decision where it is not allowed for the welfare of the fish. Every water is different and can only be properly managed by those who are close to what is happening there. Of course, I appreciate that not everyone has the fishes welfare in mind and to some, fish are just a profitable commodity. Some fisheries just replace them as and when neccessary to keep seling permits and thats an issue that doesn't lie well with me but another topic entirely.
 
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jason fisher

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you weren't mis understood mick,
But the chance to let people air their views on the closed season always gets people talking and you might have noticed a couple of the people on here are going mad (see the boot camp thread for examples)with the lack of proper stuff to talk about.

plus if i hadn't started this thread some one else probably would have, i like to stir things up a bit occasionally. :)
 
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Wolfman Woody

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Join the gang Mick, my feelings exactly. Let those who control the fishery decide. I think that is what Dave above has said in the past hence he would prefer it to run later. Each to his own, but the fishery owner's decision prevails.
 
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smith2

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The only thing I would like to add is that if the law is changed and the close season is finally abolished everywhere, it would be useful if the EA gave their blessing regarding leaving restrictive decisions to those that controlled waters. Show that they have faith in anglers to run their own affairs responsibly.
 
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jason fisher

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i'd agree with that mick, i'm not against giving fish a rest just think the way it is imposed at the moment is unreasonable.
 
Peter Jacobs

Peter Jacobs

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Rik, the majority of UK ground nesting birds are at their most vulnerable between February 1st and the end of June, although the nesting period for some species can go on towards the end of July.

"It always appears to me that the vast majority of people who keep a self imposed closed season, try and portray an attitude of superiority, much akin to the barbel police"

Another classic example of the fallacious argument in use!

I have not seen, nor do I believe that I imply, an attitude of superiority and other than for some oblique references on FM I have no idea who, or what the Barbel Police are and probably care even less.

As I have said, each to their own, right?

I have no problem with you, or others fishing through the year if that is what you want.
However, I have yet to see a logical and well presented argument for the abandonement of the current close season on Rivers.

The current close season might not be perfectly in line with spawning habits for all species, but at the moment it is what we have and it should be observed accordingly.
 
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Dave Slater

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Peter,
I don't particularly like birds but I do think fish need some protection when the water is low and de-oxygenated. The bird people have their own reserves etc. so I think fisheries should be our business. Interfering idiots like English Nature know very little about fish and probably just as little about everything else. I think Jeff and I are in agreement that it should be up too individual fishery owners as long as it is done responsibly. In my opinionn there should be some knod of fallback, possibly the E.A., to ensure that the owners do close the waters when conditions are detrimental to the fish, as they were in high summer last season in my local area.
 
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Big Rik

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Peter
We have several waters down here, I will take you to them if you like, that shut during the old closed season, due to them being SSSI's.
Last year, they delayed the opening, because some ground nesting bird had nested in the car park during the closure. Once they had moved they opened again, but thought nothing about the other birds nested around the lake.

I never said you Peter, but some portray this attitude. I will show you some barbel police if we go to the river together this summer.

And I have yet to see a logical, well presented and unemotive argument for keeping the current closed season on rivers.
 
Peter Jacobs

Peter Jacobs

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Rik,

I would very much like to get the chance to fish with you Rik even though we might have differing views on the close season.

My old cottage was on a SSSI and there are many in and around the middle Avon area. Some of the local clubs are really very good regarding consideration of nature, sadly though there are one or two that don't seem to give a damn.

Are the Barbel police a bit like the chaps in the golden scale club? I have heard Ron speak of them but I honestly don't know who or what they are.

Dave,
Most fishery owners operate as a business.
Given that the longer they can keep the gates open the more their profits will increase then I have little or no faith that they have will have anything other than their own financial interests at heart.
Hence the necessity for a national overseeing body.
 
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alan strickland

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Im in favour of a close season but the dates should be more interactive with weather/water and spawning condition`s of that year.
There should also be a method of closing streches of the river`s to anglers at any time when river levels are very low,or when still water fish are mass spawning.
 
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Big Rik

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Peter,
I can't wait.




The problem with any kind of club or locally imposed closure is that people will choose to ignore it, if it's a flexible date.
lets face it, I still see loads of anglers fishing rivers during the current closed season, just look at Fordingbridge Rec on the Avon, the free stetches of the Stour etc.

One with a moveable date for the benefit of the fish would just get ignored as those that wanted to ignore it could just claim ignorance of the date.
It would have to be bailiffed and as we know, the EA do not have the resources.
 
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