- Joined
- Feb 26, 2009
- Messages
- 277,087
- Reaction score
- 8
This is a dedicated thread for discussing article: EA Blitz on Rod Licence Cheats
EA Blitz on Rod Licence Cheats
- Thread starter FishingMagic
- Start date
smudger172
Well-known member
Good news. Its about time they started checking people. I personally have not been asked for years and fish at least twice a week. Glad to see they are doing something about it... 
barbelboi
Well-known member
This could ruffle a few feathers...............................:wh
sam vimes
Well-known member
Good news. Its about time they started checking people. I personally have not been asked for years and fish at least twice a week. Glad to see they are doing something about it...
Limited resources mean that they go where the chances of finding good numbers of anglers and good numbers of unlicensed anglers. That invariably means the busiest river stretches (like Collingham on the Trent), or those with easy access (close to bridges/main roads) and heavily fished (usually the more commercial) stillwaters, especially at the busiest periods. There's not a great deal of point in them walking miles of lightly fished river only to find no one fishing. If you avoid the busy places, at peak times, the chances of being checked are very slim. The few times I've been checked have been on busy day ticket stillwaters at peak periods.
sumtime
Well-known member
I'd love for once, just once for mine to be checked, I'd do a lap of honour around Liverpool, in me undies.
I personally have never been checked but I know someone who fishes Ladybower on opening day every year and he gets checked every year without fail, apparently because the EA know that the percentage of anglers fishing unlicenced will be great!
( I don't know the reason either!)
smudger172
Well-known member
Wilstone reservoir on a weekend perch and pike fishing.. With a lot of non english speaking people spinning. Easy pickings.
Wroxham on the broads. There must be between 10 and 15 boats out most weekends. Never see anybody.
theartist
Well-known member
EA Blitz on rod licence cheats?
Ouch
Just fallen off my chair but that's a good one
Ouch
Just fallen off my chair but that's a good one
thecrow
Well-known member
Cant catch me for a bumble bee
no-one in particular
Well-known member
Makes interesting reading. In May they found 7.42% of anglers checked not to have a license. The overall figure last year was 4% of anglers checked found without a license. The last time I looked figures for license bought was about 1250000 which means only 5.6 of licenses were checked. I would guess the 4% figure probably about right across the board i.e., 4% of anglers do not buy a license. The average fine was £214. It does not state if this included costs or costs were added on. That would be the most interesting figure, how much chasing this crime cost against the revenue collected in fines. I bet each case cost a lot more than £214 to bring to court. I still say it should have on the spot fines or scrapped altogether and the "tax" raised another way. Its probably costing the tax payer a lot of money and wasting a lot of court time. And for what, to chase approx 4% of anglers who do not have a licence and only catch 4%-7% of them.
Last edited:
thecrow
Well-known member
I read somewhere that the fines for not having a licence didn't go to the EA so the money spent in checking that anglers have paid their tax is dead money, there is no return on it at all either environmentaly or financially.
no-one in particular
Well-known member
I dont know were the money goes Crow. I do know the figures do not stack up very well. They raise about £ 33 million in the licence which is small beer comparatively speaking and could be raised by putting a 1p on carrier bags or something or , some sort of environment VAT on environment goods. Whatever, there is probably a fairer, easier, less costly way of raising this money. I am sure of it. Perhaps the Government suits could look at it if they could find time from extracting their expenses, perhaps that's where the £600, 000 raised in fines goes.
Correction, the £33 million licence money and the fines. Those duck houses and moats take some upkeep. I wouldn't mind but, can we fish those moats, bet there's a no fishing/no common people sign on them. !
PS, as long as you don't fly as the crows flies, in a straight line, which you don't - you should not get caught, good luck.
Last edited:
Wonderful news, hope they catch a coachfull.
Dont think remote waters are not checked.
My lake is well off the beaten track with no signs with access up a very long secluded road but we always receive atleast one visit every year without fail.
.......
Give it a break Mr Crow.
A far better way to spend your time would be to get all your fishing tackle out and give it all a through spring-clean and service, so your ready to go as soon as your health improves.
Dont think remote waters are not checked.
My lake is well off the beaten track with no signs with access up a very long secluded road but we always receive atleast one visit every year without fail.
.......
Give it a break Mr Crow.
A far better way to spend your time would be to get all your fishing tackle out and give it all a through spring-clean and service, so your ready to go as soon as your health improves.
Steve Ruff
Well-known member
Why can't they simply make it the fishery owners responsibility to check that the person buying the day ticket has a valid EA licence ?
Make it even easier for the fishery owner by allowing them to have a means of checking on line via the EA website whether or not the licence is valid or not (simple security checks - date of birth / address / etc).
If no licence in place get them to log onto a computer at the fishery and get one if they want to fish !
No licence = no fishing .... Simples.
The fishery owners will also probably end up with a better quality of fisherman (or woman) using their fishery and probably treat the fish with more care / leave less of a mess when they pack up.
If someone does leave a mess / behave irresponsibly / cause any issues the fishery owner could even have a means of banning them or tracking them down if they recorded their details / licence number.
For rivers the same kind of thing could apply - at least check whether or not the person actually has a licence.
Spot checks would still need to be carried out by the EA or their appointed representatives but then the fishery owner/ club who manage that stretch of river would be "incentivised" to show that they have a fair and reasonable system in place to check that an EA licence is in place.
If it becomes clear that the fishery owner / club really couldn't give a hoot then the EA should not just consider taking action on the individual person who was caught without a licence but also on the fishery owner / club who are effectively facilitating this offence.
For day ticket venues this should work - for rivers it is more complex as I have seen people rolling up to fish at seven o'clock at night knowing that no one is going to be around at that time to check their licence.
So long as there is some common sense applied this could improve the position compared to where we find ourselves today.
Knowing that the chances of getting your licence checked is pretty remote isn't much of an incentive for the individual to buy one - share that incentive with the fishery / club who own the fishing rights and may be things could get better.
Make it even easier for the fishery owner by allowing them to have a means of checking on line via the EA website whether or not the licence is valid or not (simple security checks - date of birth / address / etc).
If no licence in place get them to log onto a computer at the fishery and get one if they want to fish !
No licence = no fishing .... Simples.
The fishery owners will also probably end up with a better quality of fisherman (or woman) using their fishery and probably treat the fish with more care / leave less of a mess when they pack up.
If someone does leave a mess / behave irresponsibly / cause any issues the fishery owner could even have a means of banning them or tracking them down if they recorded their details / licence number.
For rivers the same kind of thing could apply - at least check whether or not the person actually has a licence.
Spot checks would still need to be carried out by the EA or their appointed representatives but then the fishery owner/ club who manage that stretch of river would be "incentivised" to show that they have a fair and reasonable system in place to check that an EA licence is in place.
If it becomes clear that the fishery owner / club really couldn't give a hoot then the EA should not just consider taking action on the individual person who was caught without a licence but also on the fishery owner / club who are effectively facilitating this offence.
For day ticket venues this should work - for rivers it is more complex as I have seen people rolling up to fish at seven o'clock at night knowing that no one is going to be around at that time to check their licence.
So long as there is some common sense applied this could improve the position compared to where we find ourselves today.
Knowing that the chances of getting your licence checked is pretty remote isn't much of an incentive for the individual to buy one - share that incentive with the fishery / club who own the fishing rights and may be things could get better.
Last edited:
Thats okay Steve, but what about celebrity anglers fishing during the close season with the landowners consent ???
The EA bailiff teams do far more than just checking licences and Ive personally seen them catch someone spinning a Mepps for a few (out of season) Perch during a big Salmon run, and prosecute the offender even though he had his young son beside him.
.......
My two syndicates have a rule that you must be in possession of a valid licence, if your caught without you have broken the rules of membership and thus are no longer a member.
Trying to get two (licence holding) members to act as your referees for a new application has proved completely impossible for the two who were caught in past years.
.
The EA bailiff teams do far more than just checking licences and Ive personally seen them catch someone spinning a Mepps for a few (out of season) Perch during a big Salmon run, and prosecute the offender even though he had his young son beside him.
.......
My two syndicates have a rule that you must be in possession of a valid licence, if your caught without you have broken the rules of membership and thus are no longer a member.
Trying to get two (licence holding) members to act as your referees for a new application has proved completely impossible for the two who were caught in past years.
.
cg74
Well-known member
Greater Rod Licence sales = More money for the fisheries team too improve our fisheries...
..It's a shame that so much gets squandered, with the fisheries team attempting make good the flood defence team's far from environmentally sympathetic work..
I guess statistically an angler that fishes without a licence is probably more likely to commit other offences though. So this "Blitz" should be welcomed.
..It's a shame that so much gets squandered, with the fisheries team attempting make good the flood defence team's far from environmentally sympathetic work..
I guess statistically an angler that fishes without a licence is probably more likely to commit other offences though. So this "Blitz" should be welcomed.
Steve Ruff
Well-known member
Same simple black and white rules for everyone ...
Normal anglers / celebrity anglers / from the UK / not from the UK / in season / out of season etc etc.
Consequences flow from breaking the rules - if they don't what is the point of having the rules in the first place.
In terms of celebrity anglers they should have more sense than to fish without a licence in the first place - the EA should take what action they need to take and ourselves / the fishing communities / the celebs sponsors should themselves come up with their own subsequent sanctions.
Any "celeb" doing this would certainly loose the respect of most of us (or in certain cases has already).
Normal anglers / celebrity anglers / from the UK / not from the UK / in season / out of season etc etc.
Consequences flow from breaking the rules - if they don't what is the point of having the rules in the first place.
In terms of celebrity anglers they should have more sense than to fish without a licence in the first place - the EA should take what action they need to take and ourselves / the fishing communities / the celebs sponsors should themselves come up with their own subsequent sanctions.
Any "celeb" doing this would certainly loose the respect of most of us (or in certain cases has already).
thecrow
Well-known member
Keith Williams
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2012
- Messages
- 45
- Reaction score
- 23
Ruffy
Your comments are in some ways admirable, however the legalities of passing information from fishery to fishery regarding rule breakers. litter dumpers and those that don't have a rod licence are seriously monumental
We have legislation which prevents such desires namely the " The Data Protection Act" which has very draconian penalties should lesser mortals take it upon themselves in a private or even an agreed capacity to name and shame individuals.......its a big fine or jail fodder after conviction.
All it would take is a simple complaint from a maligned injured party and a fishery owners reputation and livelihood is ruined.
As far as having computer terminals at a fishery to check if a angler has a licence, this is presently a non starter....the potential for electronic abuse is massive and safeguards cannot be met to ensure third parties are not taking advantage of the the facility...again a Non starter
Importantly, if anglers leave litter behind at a fishery and it is a significant amount, the owners best option is to take a photograph of the incident after the fact then call the EA and make a complaint of littering within the meaning of the Litter Act! ... don't forget to ask for an incident number and ask for Full Feedback . ( do this for all fishery related incidents for suspected poaching etc )
The fishery owner can if he/she is diligent enough to have considered the means to record the identities ( name and address) of fisherfolk at their fishery at the time of a permit being purchased and a note of any vehicle used to aid the EA in identifying the offender.....I note that there is NO Offence of recording such information for the purpose of preventing or reporting a crime
The ability to Ban an angler from a water is measured only by the owners/ staff long term memory...and bans do work if enforced, however the recollection of faces is very difficult over a period of time believe me, even to a trained person but the act of taking any facial records at a fishery and posting them publicly without the legal means ie a police authorised matter is likely at the time to cause both insults and injury especially if the ofenders are prone to violence and maybe cause a " Breach of the Peace" when a camera is produced...and lets not forget, there are few fisheries presently who protect their assets by means of CCTV equipment in car parks so the options are very limited.
As far as Fishery owners being made responsible for checking rod licences at the time of anglers buying a private fishery permit, this can only be a voluntary act on the part of an owner as Parliament will not pass such powers down from the EA without a very good legal case being presented and after the last legal review of fishery law which started in 1999 and resulted in the latest Act , the timescales are enormous so its not likely to happen again anytime soon given the pressures on parliamentary time and more important matters to manage domestically.
The checking of Rod licences on rivers is even more difficult given the lack of trained manpower within the EA, the ability of a private fishery owner is less and can only be dealt with if fish theft or poaching by means of the use of illegal equipment as defined by present fishery legislation.
Poaching is often a misused word more often than not to describe fishing without a permit ie " guesting" or just simply an angler going to a fishery, knowingly fishing and trying to avoid any contact with persons/ anglers on the bankside.
the best way to deal with such intruders is to call the Police on 999 and ask that the matter be referred to wildlife liason officers who do take an interest in such incidents and again always ask for later feedback
This is an aspect that angling clubs and riparian owners should foster greater exploration as its my experience thsat many anglers are still very ignorant of what they must do and not do..( to ensure their own personal safety) in the event of any fishery related crime being observed.
I'd certainly point out that anything related to such matters need to be reported fully ie any cars involved, registration number, how many offenders are involved and what they are actually doing and later be recalled should the Police or the Ea require a Statement of Witness.
Above all else...DOn't be a hero... stand back discretely, watch and report the incident...almost everyone has a mobile phone now so there's NO EXCUSE!!!
The EA and the Angling Trust must do more to share this vital knowledge to ensure the problems facing our fisheries are shared between all agencies and that criminal intelligence ( reports of sighting and locations of offences) is shared thus bringing about greater protection of the sport and fisheries in England and Wales.
stu_the_blank
Well-known member
Obviously they do Crow, if there was no checking or penalties, nobody would buy one and they'd get absolutely no income at all. Fisheries is a long way down the pecking
order at the EA.All of the licence money goes to the fisheries dept, so if you are not participating, the word 'parasite' comes to mind, for reasons I can't fathom.
Stu