"What close season mate"

S

Sascha Welsch

Guest
Is this just a problem near me or is it nationwide?

I'm staggered by the amount of people I'm finding fishing rivers and drains (ie a closed season is in operation)at the moment. If it's kids and they're miles away from anywhere I tend to give them a helping hand, tell them about the seasons and direct them towards a stillwater they can fish in safety at a nominal price but most of those I've encountered are adults. The response when questioned has ranged from "what close season?" to really threatening behaviour.

Are the mags and weeklies not making it clear enough what can be fished and what can't? Do the tackle shops not help where this is concerned?
 
D

Davy North

Guest
If they threaten you phone the EA and get them done, if the EA will send anyone out.
 
R

Richard Drayson

Guest
These people aren't anglers, just people who have an old rod knocking around and decide to go fishing once in a while I suspect. They're not likely to read any of the weeklies or mags, hence the 'What close season!!! when questioned.

Tell them politely that they're breaking the law and if they don't pack-up and leave, phone the EA as Dave suggests.
 
J

John Pleasance

Guest
Judging from what I've read on another angling forum,phoning the EA will be a waste of time.

I'm sorry to say however that I can't come up with any useful alternative.
 
S

Sascha Welsch

Guest
I agree, the abusive element are generally those that don't read the weeklies but some of the others pick a mag up from time to time and see pages full of big fish being caught right now and fishing reports from various venues. The laws can be confusing: in my area there are a number of land drains that look very similar to canals (apart from the high banks!!)that are closed at present yet I see nothing on a regular basis that tells the inexperienced they are closed. This is not a knock at the weeklies but I'm not sure what can be done. Perhaps tackle shops should be more concerned with permits eg no bait can be purchased without a valid license? I'm not suggesting we should go the whole Continental route of studying for a license before one can fish but it certainly wouldn't do the sport any harm.

And I must admit, phoning the EA generally does not help. They could catch a dozen people every weekend on my local river right in the centre of town if they were bothered and yet strangely, if approached about info re netting surveys etc they have been extremely helpful. Could it be that there are far too few agents out and about?
 
T

Tony Wainwright (Twainy)

Guest
Sascha,
Hi mate, the problem is exactly that, not enough agents....except if you forget your licence, then they will be behind every tree!!
 
A

Andrew Thomas

Guest
A regulation that is not, and maybe cannot be, enforced would seem to be pretty useless, obselete and redundant.
 
I

Ian Whittaker

Guest
Another case of who's watching the watcher methinks.If its a club water simply pass the matter on to the bailiff.
 
P

Phil Heaton

Guest
Sascha,
Apart from the 'genuine' ignorant fishermen who are not aware of a close season, there are some who flount the law quite legally.
Just a few weeks ago I fished a river where fly or worm was allowed due to the head of trout and grayling. In the faster water I caught 9 trout, all of legal size, but I only took 2 as the ticket allowed.
All the fish were caught on worm as none responded to the fly's I tried, but I found that as the worm entered slower water chub from 3lb up to 5lb were taking the bait. On the far bank three fishermen with quality trotting gear were actually targeting these chub and trying to get a resonse from barbel, which are known to be in the area spawning.
I find this to be distastefull, even though I must admit at first thought catching chub apeals to me after such a long lay off and it definatley makes a mockery of our close season.
 
P

Phil Hackett

Guest
To few EA bailiffs, low moral and disenchantment in the workforce due to reorganisation and multi-skilling, could well be the reason for the lack of preventative action.
 
D

Dave Slater

Guest
With high profile people flaunting the close season (Big Des's River Match For Example) can we really be surprised.
 
A

Andrew Thomas

Guest
Fred: speeding regulations not enforced? Where do you live then? Obviously nowhere that has camera, radar and laser traps !
 
F

Fred Bonney

Guest
Andrew,I live in Lincolnshire,probably as many cameras etc; as anywhere,but,it doesn't stop the speeders,they killed 2 13year old schoolgirls here yesterday!
So, the law is not fully enforceable.....
Say no more.
 
A

Andrew Thomas

Guest
Yes Fred, but equating speeding drivers who kill with anglers breaking a close season ban is not really advancing the argument one way or the other.
 
F

Fred Bonney

Guest
No way I am trying to equate the two,you said,
'A regulation that is not, and maybe cannot be, enforced would seem to be pretty useless, obselete and redundant'.
So we should have the close season and speeding laws removed because some people ignore them?
 
A

Andy Nellist

Guest
Personally I would scrap the closed season but whilst there is one it should be enforced.
 
A

Andrew Thomas

Guest
Speeding laws ARE enforced. Close season regulations are not. This would seem to me an indication of their relative importance.
 
F

Fred Bonney

Guest
We can beg to differ then Andrew,fishing rivers in the close season,which I beleive the majority of river anglers wish to keep,is not good for river fish.
Water temparatures in rivers are not condusive to spawning in the colder months of the year.The dates may be the only thing that need adjusting, IMHO
 
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