FISHING RIVERS ILLEGALLY

  • Thread starter BAZ (Angel of the North)
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BAZ (Angel of the North)

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As much as I am aware, if you are fishing a river from one bank owned by one person, and the opposite bank is owned by somebody else, then you are only legally allowed to fish up to halfway across.

What I would like to know are the legal implications of fishing over halfway or three quarters of the way across into the other owners stretch.
 
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Les Clark

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I would say that you could be nicked for poaching but would it be worth the hassel ?
 
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BAZ (Angel of the North)

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And the clubs, farmers, or whoever, lease the fishing rights. Hence my question what are the legal implications of fishing into somebody elses stretch?
 
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Les Clark

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Right mate , then answer me this one ,if a club controls both banks but you decide to fish from a boat on the river not moored to the bank ,where do you stand ?
( And don`t say not on the water ).
 
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Gav Barbus

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What about people who wade do they need permits as they are not bank fishing.
 
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BAZ (Angel of the North)

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Exactly Les mate. In that situation you would be able to fish the full width of the river and up to where that particular stretch finishes up or down stream but not beyond into somebody elses stretch.

So the orignal question still stands.
 
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Fred Bonney

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Or snorkle with a tape measure and camera, so as to supply proof.;o)

Probably get laughed out of court,if anybody was daft enough to want to do it!.

As to fishing from a boat,strictly speaking if you were anchored, then you would be trespassing,the owner of each bank,owns the river bed,except on a tidal stretch of river!
 
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Cakey

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cant see that it matters ,you would only fish over halfway if no one around so who are you bothering ,same fish same water
 
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Gav Barbus

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Heres one for you waders out there it is a stretch of river with two different owners either side you wade down the middle of the river and there are runs either side which hold fish would you buy permits for both banks or just one and poach on the other runs?
 
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BAZ (Angel of the North)

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But of course it matters Cakey.
Not only do we have a legal obligation not to fish into somebodys stretch that we are not licenced for, there is also a moral obligation not to do it.

When slipping your net under a fish, legally it is just as well to know that it is your fish and not somebody elses.
 
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Wolfman Woody

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Fred's right, well said Fred and thanks for finding that! Who cares so long as you're fishing from your own bank? Who would know? Who really gives a damn?

Boats should have a permit to fish over the bottom from the owner of that bottom, s'wat I was told. However, it's rare that anyone cares. We don't on our little stretch and enough people fish there from boats. So long as they don't get directly in our way.

The fish you catch, wherever it is from, is feral, owned by no-one not even the EA until you catch it. Then it is yours, you own it! However, your permit probably says all fish must be returned and as soon as you do that it is feral once more.

Gav, If you walked down the exact middle you would need a permit from both owners since just 1" either side of the centre line would belong to one or the other. Unless you're walking on pins.

A weird thing used to happen on some match Sundays on one stretch. The LAA lads would be on the opposite bank casting over toour side and our match lads would be fishing to just 12 or so feet off their side. What was the point when both lots were catching as well? They might just as well fished straight in front of them. Weird.
 
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Wolfman Woody

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Meant also to say about boats, you MUST be anchored up down here to fish as trolling on the Thames and its tributaries is illegal.
 
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BAZ (Angel of the North)

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Anglers themselves would give a damn Woody, which they have and still do. And so would the leaseholder especially if one side of the river was a known hotspot. More so now than ever in these catch at any cost days.
 
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J K

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I agree with Fred. A few years ago I carried out a survey of part of the River Wreake in Leicestershire. This had originally been a canal which had been abandoned in the late 1800's. The idea was to return it back to a navigable canal hence the survey.

One landowner was against this scheme and refused permission for us to enter onto his property which extended to the centre of the river and although he was very civil about the whole thing he watched us to make sure we did not encroach over the centre line of the river. I would assume if he did not want fishing on his side of the river he would stop anyone fishing there.
 
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paul williams 2

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This is how i see it.......Scrumpie Steve invited me to the Bristol Avon and i had walk abouts to find another roachy swim.

I found one and crept up to take a look....as i emerged from the high bankside cover another angler on the opposite bank said "morning".....i said morning back and we had a chat....the river wasn't very wide, he was catching roach.

After our chat i moved away and left him, i wouldn't have dreamt of interfering with his bit of river....even though the opposite bank was another club.

On the way back he called me to tell me he had just landed a pike from his swim and we had another chat, during which he gave me some valuble imfo on what was a new water to me.

It pays to use a bit of common sometimes is the moral of my story!
 
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Bob Lancaster

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well the way i see it the water is owned by the local authority to wich you pay a licence fee to fish in the water that means to me the whole width of it not half or one third if you have a right to fish from any part of the bank then you must have a right to fish the river the whole width and nothing but the width i was fishing a stretch of the river lea this was a public day ticket streach and the baylif of a local club who own the opposite side of the bank said to me if i was you mate i would fish close to the other bank as thats where all the chub hang out now if i was fishing on his side illegaly i doubt if he would have said that.cor i,m goin on a bit aint i oh well thats my view tight lines all
 
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