Licence Dodger`s

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Les Clark

Guest
Haveing just read about the L/D in county Durham last year and the fine`s they received(?20&?60 cost`s),make`s me belive that the fine system for not haveing a rod licence is a joke.
In 2002, the same happened in Kent(southeast),about 40 angler`s? got caught and fined the max,?2500.
The fine is down to the magistrate and on that day he/she may be in a good mood,or may have a hangover and hate`s everybody.
Its about time fines were set at a figere with some leeway .
These bloke`s got away with a week`s beer money as a fine,and will take a chance again.
 
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The Monk

Guest
pity they didnt track down a few licence dodging canal bike riders too!
 
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Budgie Burgess

Guest
This whole buisness of angling fines is crazy.Dont get me wrong I believe licence dodgers should be prosecuted but what about those two guys who got caught using a third rod on the fens a few years back and got two grand fines!!!Come on lets get real.Shame the legal system cant show a bit of consistancy and keep things in persperctive.
 
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Ashe Hurst

Guest
Im amazed at how many dodgers i have come across who brag about not having a licence.
Even in the close river season they are out there on the river. But this is an old story.
Lets see what happens in 2004.
 
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John Hepworth

Guest
I think the last big purge they had in the North East, (Northumbria as opposed to Yorkshire) the evasion rate was about 23%.
There are plans to ‘educate’ the magistrates, but that could take years. My wife who has applied to become a magistrate, and as part of the process has had to sit in on court sessions, says she can’t believe some of the silly sentences that are given out, some for quite serious offences. Problem would be if she did become a magistrate and any angler came up before her they would stand no chance – she hates ALL anglers, including me.
 
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The Monk

Guest
You can own a large dog which can run along the banks of a fishing water, urinate on some poor anglers bivvy or even sh8t on it, and have a go at the angler inside and you don`t need a licence?

You can ride a mountain bike along a canal bank, terrorising anglers and running over their rods, you need a licence its free but no one apparently gets one and its not policed

You can waterski, harress anglers and you don`t need a licence

We need a licence for fishing, but not all the money goes toward the sport

SOMETHING IS SERIOUSLY WRONG?
 
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Simon Firth

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Surely a fixed penalty system would be a far better way to go than the current process?

Handing out, say, a ?250, fixed penalty on the spot would ensure that penalties are uniform accros the country and the courts time is better utilised.

The current process is just another example of how the courts are not always the most appropriate forums to use for punishment.
 
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Ashe Hurst

Guest
Theres always the age old suggestion that Tackle shops require you to produce a valid license before you can purchase bait and tackle.
But then theres the Mail order market, how are they able to check.

what happens if a junior is caught without a license?
 
Peter Jacobs

Peter Jacobs

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I agree with Simon regarding a fixed penalty system, but would far prefer to see the fixed fine being in the region of, say, 600 pounds, with fines for Juniors being reduced in line with the cost of the license. Alternatively, juniors could be required to undertake some form of community service along the river, canal or lakeside banks.

If you take a look at the EA web site you will find a list of the people that were caught in the previous month and the fines really do vary from area to area and probably from magistrate to magistrate.

There will still remain the problem of efficient, regular and effective policing by the EA bailiffs which I still think could, and should, be greatly increased all over the Country!
 
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Richard Baker

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I've also met those sort of people who like to brag about how they don't have a licence. Fishing down at Albury Estate in Surrey not to long ago when three guys came down to fish the lakes. They're first question to me was " how often do the EA come down and check licences?" they then procedded to brag how at their local water the owner simply doesn't allow the EA bailifs onto his waters in order to "look after" his patrons. Really p*ssed me off. The licence is so cheap compared to many other sports its not even worth thinking about.

I'd be interested to know how often members have been approached by the EA in they're years of fishing. I myself have been fishing for 17 years and have only been asked for my licence by an NRA/EA bailif on two occasions. One of these was whilst fishing a large match, the other just pleasure fishing, for the tiny size of some of the fines to such a ration you can see why some people don;t bother with the licence and simply take the chance of a fine every so often.
 
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Dave Slater

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I agree with Peter, a heavy fine but applied consistently.
 
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Wolfman Woody

Guest
I remember 16th June 1999 GH, an EA Bailiff, came round our little stretch. 6 anglers fishing, 3 of them without a licence.

Now they don't get a permit unless they produce a licence.

If you do the "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." stunt on them and they can't produce a licence, phone it in to the local EA and they'll have someone around double quick.
 
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Wolfman Woody

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THE EA HAVE A GENERAL ENQUIRY NUMBER.

0845 9333111

PUT IT IN YOUR MOBILE AND THEY'LL TRANSFER YOU, or PHONE IT FIRST AND FIND A MORE DIRECT NUMBER FOR YOUR REGION.
 
Peter Jacobs

Peter Jacobs

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Richard,

I think I mentioned on a previous thread about EA Bailiff's that ever since the license was introduced nationally (and for many years prior to that) I have *never* been asked to produce it, neither have I ever seen an EA bailiff.

I tend to fish the Hampshire Avon and surrounding waters for periods of up to 12 days at a time, about 5 or 6 times a year. So, it is inconceivable that I have not encountered an EA bailiff in all that time. Even the laws of averages are severely strained with respect to my experience.
 
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Chris Bishop

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If you do the "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." stunt on them and they can't produce a licence, phone it in to the local EA and they'll have someone around double quick.


Not round here they won't. I reported a large diesel spill a couple of years back. They never turned up. Despite there being an EA office of sorts five minutes' drive away.
 
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Chris Bishop

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And when we talk about blitzes in the context of a handful of people caught, it says it all. Why aren't there "blitzes" every week if they're that keen..? They just target accessible public waters where part-time, fair weather anglers fish and nab a few people who don't bother buying a licence because they only fish a few times a year. Sounds about as effective as their blitzes on fly-tipping to me.
 
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Andy Nellist

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My local EA baliff does appear every now and then and manages to raise everyones hackles law abiding and non-law abiding anglers in equal measure. He does the EA no favours on the PR front and they do themselves no favours allowing him to carry on being an officious jumped up pompous buffoon in their name.

The long term effect around here has been to foster a deep seated contempt for the EA amongst local anglers.

Angling suffers terribly from apathy and it clearly pervades parts of the EA.
 
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jason fisher

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the problem with the 600 fine is
i took my mate fishing a coule of years ago supplied all the tackle and bait took him to the lake helped him set up, he'd never been fishing before and didn't know a thing about it.
the one thing i had forgotten was to tell him he needed a licence.
the ea bailiff turned up and he got a ?90 fine which was not his fault but mine.
i didn't get fined because i had my licence with me.
i would have felt even more guilty than i do now had he been fined a large ammount.
 
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