I have changed my mind on the c/s

Over the last couple of years I have done a complete u turn regarding my opinion of the closed season, there are several reasons why I have had this change of heart.

The closed season has never been a suitable period for allowing fish to spawn uninterrupted by anglers with fish spawning well after the closed season, with the changes that have been happening to the seasons with milder winters e.t.c. I believe that the closed season is even less likely to cover spawning and it was never about spawning anyway.

I only fish rivers and they are deserted enough as it is during the season apart from dog walkers, fish thieves/killers and those that just fish out of season anyway, the authorities haven't the manpower to patrol and anglers must be the eyes and ears on the bank.

Has anyone else had a change of heart, if you have why?

Come into my Camp Child mg:


I didn't want the close season to go on still waters when it did. I changed my mind after seeing how well the still waters were, and are doing, you can't say the same about our rivers.

Once the close season went on still waters, it's now a case of open all waters, as there is no difference between still water, and running water fish.

To make the close season even more of a joke, you can fish some canals but not all, yet canals have running water, but no one can come up with any reason why some can and some can't be fished.

The close season is out of date, and if anglers talk about tradition, then there is no need for a close season, as there never used to be one in the first place.

Its time angling caught up with the times.

I, ve never really argued for or against it to be honest Crow. When it was being discussed years ago I think I had become resigned to things as they were but said if there was change then I would fish the waters that had previously been closed.
That was then but now with all the predation and fish dissapearing along with boaters and other river users ploughing up and down giving no regard for for the very reasons we are abstaining from using them I suppose my stance has shifted like yours.
At the very least change the close season to a more sensible slot than the rather unrealistic one that exists at the moment.

I don’t particularly want to get involved in the ‘old hot chestnut’ but, also being predominately a river angler myself, I can relate to the ‘deserted during season’ aspect. I have covered many, many miles of two local rivers, and their backwaters, since my house move last year and have bumped into just one other angler (a few times) – BTW, so has he.........................