EA Licences

I am aware that this has been discussed on a thread last year but nothing much has changed.
Why are the fines for non possession of a rod licence still so small?
Doesn't it get your back up?
Especially celebrities who can easily afford the fee for a licence.
When I was out of work in the mid nineties, I had loads of time to go fishing, no money spare at all but I still managed to buy my licence. It makes my blood boil!!!

Tony

what do we actually get for our money from the EA and why do other water users get away with paying nothing, you no longer need a license for a dog, yet last time I was out fishing I had a bloody big dog demolish my rod pod and one once pissed on the side of my bivvy, yet you dont need a license for a dog? yet to carry a fishing rod , I need a license, do those guys who splash about on jet ski's need a license?

I think theres something wrong here mate

Monk, you were supposed to be catching fish not dogs! anyway, the other dog must have wanted to reserve you as his property, hence the baptism of the bivvy!
Seriously though, I take your point about jet skis and the like.
Ever tried fishing the broads between May and October?
Every prat in England who fancies himself as captain of a liner seems to turn up and give a good impression of a mentally retarded Blackbeard. Stuff your lines in the water, straight through and at maximum warp. The bow waves they leave are comparable to the Severn Bore except that they occur about every twenty seconds.
Should you dare to criticise them, all you get is a mouth full of abuse or a look which tells you the wheel is turning but the Hamster has escaped the cage!Just because they pay an exorbitant price to hire a barge, they think it gives them carte blanche to do as they like!
Grrr it makes my blood boil!!
Just call me Mr. Angry !!!!!

I agree with u tony about the crazy boat runners ty a poach full of maggots in to the offending boat that usually makes them think twice as for the dogs try some curry powder in the words of DADS ARMY they dont like it up em specialy if u can get it on there rear end

I think the main problem is course anglers en block, historically the course angler is from the lower sociological orders of society and as such we are not as organised as other sports, because of this we tend to get walked over, a good example of this is the way we were stitched up over the lead shot issue. A conmparative study within the industry indicates a more than significant usage and prodution level of lead shot for angling and lead shot for cartridge manufacture, If my memory is correction lead shot in angling took 2% of the manufacturing market, that was of course prior to the ban, and we were the fall guys (an easy unorganised target)and still get stick for it. Had fox hunting been in the hands of the same historic sociological order as course angling, it would have been banned years ago,

I dont mind paying for my sport, dont get me wrong, but the balance is ridiculous, I also dont believe we get value for money from the EA, although I accept they have inherited a lot of problems from their predecessors.

I firmly believe greater consessions should be given on licensing to the young, particularly teenagers, I have done a little bit over the years to create an interest in angling for the young, a young lad who lives local to me, was particularly keen on fishing from an early age, he lived with his mother and her boyfriend, who didnt pay him much heed, so he used to spend a lot of his time fishing on the local pits. He didnt have much money, certainly not enough to be able to afford a rod license. One day he got caught and that was basically the end of his fishing! he now breaks into cars for a living.

Angling has a major part to play in societal structure, an introduction into natural history and even environmental sciencies, creating a life long love for the natural environment. Sadly not many kids are comming into the sport these days, and we even have clubs and waters which exclude them, anglers really are their own worst enemies at time, isent it about time we all stood up to be counted, and started to fight for what is right. Anyone with a serious interest in our sport should at least check out the Specialist Anglers Alliance website SAA.

Just been pulled about my spelling of course anglers (coarse) sorry mate we spell it differently in Manchester, aw white!

Funny how you boys drifted off the point. I thought the discussion was about the licence fee, or to be more precise, a despicable individual who is prepared to pay a small fortune for somewhat priveliged angling and has yet conciously decided to flout the law. Behaviour like this does nothing to further any of the causes held dear to the coarse angler(or course angler whatever your wont or social class).Icidentally I have been buying my licence now for more years beyond the twenty than I care to remember and have yet to have my licence checked.

drifting off the point is second nature to me Derek, apologies, your quite right mate and as responsible anglers we are all require to possess a rod licence, even if we dont agree with some of the aspects, its the law and the best we have at the moment. Angling is a privelage en block, there are many poor sods in war torn parts of the globe who dont get that privvilage and others who are struggling to feed themselves, we are very lucky really,

oops, there I go again drifting off the point! Think I've had mine checked about six times (license that is), I must be fishing the wrong type of waters mate, or maybe they just like me!

Maybe an idea is to have concessions for kids. i know they already have a reduced licence fee but what if they were to join an angling club and automatically get an EA licence with their club membership at no extra cost? I'm sure that the EA income from juniors licences must be minimal. So wouldnt it make sense to get kids involved in a club, learn from the senior members and not have to worry about not having a licence. After all, as has been said before, kids are the future of our sport and everything we can do to encourage them to come into the sport should be done>

Yes, you are dead right Tony, it would also be in the EA's interest to do so, in fact I think they should fish free until they secure full time employment.

I'm completely oblivious as to why you should be called the monk, sorry The Monk but if it's anything to do with hairstyles then we probably have two things in common. The other being that for the past fifteen years I have lived in Manchester where I believe that if ever seen EA licence inspectors travel in pairs and occasionally accompanied by dogs, of course this could be wrong but who would blame them. Looks like I've drifted off the point today doesn't it. Talking of drifting I'll have to go now and dust off my pike rods.

Hi derek, drop me an email and call over for a brew, are you going to see gary at radcliffe? Sorry to hear you live in Manchester, hard luck mate, I've been here most of my life! The locals are friendly though.