Now this may sound stupid (so it probably is) and no doubt someone will shoot me for this but here's my two penneth:
Wouldn't it be more sensible to remove the closed season persay, and instead
1: Increase the rod licence to say ?25 to cover extra bailifing for March to June.
2: For the EA to provide a list with their reminders (or as an attatchment to the rod licence which informs and educates people as to when it would not be advisable to target certain species. With a little information as to why,
It normally isn't worth it anyway, (from what I've seen of Carp when sex is on their mind, little else can tempt them, but then who can blame them for that?
I must admit myself at not being over knowlageable at exactly when every species breeds (and thus found Barrie's article of interest) but I do know that come early April, (okay sometimes May) the weather picks up, the rivers are looking at their best and I stand on the bank with tears of frustration at not being able to fish them until mid June, by which time they are often sluggish and already covered in algea and weed. Meanwhile, hordes of Twitchers, Dogwalkers, Hikers and worst of all Mountainbikers steam around the countryside just the same.
I know there is the argument, that some people would still target these fish regardless and that that kind of guideline would not be enforceable, but does it need to be?
The ones that would break these guildlines are probably the ones that don't buy licences anyway (and hide their Sainsburies bags with all their rubbish hidden in a bush) and should be being targeted themselves anyway for those reasons.
The rest? I think it can sometimes be suprisising what people will do if they are asked and educated rather than ordered.