Ever had your licence checked?

[Clikfire]

Only once, and I didn't have one!

"It was a one off trip someone at work convinced me to go, hadn't fished for 5+ years"

So I did the honourable thing, gave a false name and address and legged it.
Haven't fished without one since, and never been checked again :-(

 

[Coops]

We all know the checking done is minimal compared with the number of venues.

I don't see why legislation can't be passed that puts the onus of licence checking onto clubs, tackle shops and fisheries. It's not ideal, but infinitely better than the ludicrous system we have now.

It would be simple to make the purchase of a club licence or day ticket illegal unless a valid EA licence is produced first. The EA could then spend their effort policing this system rather than trying to walk endless miles of bank with insufficient bailiffs, which they evidently can't do.

One downside is clubs that issue day tickets on the bank and then don't actually do it. For example I have fished Peterborough DAA stretches of the Nene for the last couple of years. Day tickets are allegedly available from the bailiff on the bank according to signs by the stiles and gates, but I've yet to be asked by a bailiff for club book or money. With the amount of holiday fisherman on this river during the summer the club must be losing a huge amount of income.

There must also be those locals that don't bother buying a club book because they know the chance of being asked to cough up a day ticket fee more than four times a year, which would equate to the season price, is less than negligible.

 

[Daniel Matley]

In 30 years I have only ever been asked twice for my license which is is a pretty poor figure really.

The first time I was asked I didn't even have one. It was my first outing after a 12 month break from angling and had completely forgotten to renew it. I was fishing on my local river one cold January morning when I was approached by the officer who asked me to pack up and leave when I explained the situation. When he saw that I had a nice net of Roach in my keepnet he said that if he could have the Roach to use for his Pike fishing he would let me off and I could carry on!!!! I couldn't believe what he was saying to me but was not going to argue if it saved me from a potential fine. He said he would be back in half an hour as he had to go and get a bait bucket......needless to say when he returned I had done a runner and put the fish back.

Since then I have always had a current license but do know of a number of anglers who have been fined for not being in possession of one.

Dan.

 

[Graham Whatmore]

The question is 'would you rather your licence money was spent on employing thousands of bailiffs to check licences or would you rather it was spent on preserving fish habitats'.

No contest really is there!

 

[Daniel Matley]

Graham......I think that it might be a good idea if the people selling day tickets asked to see an anglers EA license before they issued a permit and likewise bailiffs on club waters should also maybe be asking to see the license along with their club card. I know that this maybe a very simplistic view but this would in my opinion curtail a lot of license dodgers actions.

 

[Baz]

It is a good idea for clubs etc to see proof of a E.A. licence before issueing a club card.
Come on Danny, put it forward, you have the contacts.
But E.A. bailiffs would still have to do checks themselves, to catch the chancers out.

 

[yoggy]

never had mine checked,not even my two regular club memberships,,as others will voutch on this site living in the fens you never see another angler let alone a baliff!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Daniel Matley]

Baz, your right the EA would still have to check.......its just trying to keep the amount of chancers down to the minimum.

 

[Baz]

Any chance of you putting it to the boss Danny? It would be better coming from you.

 

[Chris Bishop]

I'll vouch for that Yoggy. No wonder there's so much nightlining going on.

 

[Mel Crighton]

On a certain Council run water, that I visit no licence no ticket, and you cannot get your peg number registered without one, and they do regular checks .

 

[Bill Cox]

On average about once a year sometimes twice over the last ten years.(since i switched from sea to course fishing)I last had it checked the day before christmas eve last year.Not this year so far though!

 

[Troutski]

I have had a licence for a year now, I have fish'd club waters on day tickets, a couple of fishery's and wonder why I ever bought it.

 

[magicdog]

Once in 25 years fishing - pathetic really.

I agree with the idea of no EA licence - no day ticket/season ticket.
It would put a small fortune back into the coffers for river and fishery improvements.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

I can honestly say that I have NEVER had my license checked. On average I fish somewhere between 25 and 40 days per year and I have never seen an EA bailiff.

I just remembered, on the Thames fish-in I did see an EA launch with a couple of people in it, but no one asked to see a license.

 

[Steve Cartwright]

Had my licence checked in France this year,i was only there for a week,on the ball or what!!!
had my licence checked twice back here in 15 years carping.

 

[Big Rik]

Coops said
"I don't see why legislation can't be passed that puts the onus of licence checking onto clubs, tackle shops and fisheries. It's not ideal, but infinitely better than the ludicrous system we have now."

The old NRA had voluntary bailiffs, these were stopped under the EA and they never had the decency to tell anybody.
I read that they no longer required me in the AT.
Their reasoning was that training and insurance was too costly, it was certainly cheaper than employing full time bailiffs, but as we were later to learn to everybodies cost, the EA severly cut all staff levels and completely decimated the bailiffing sections.
So even a minimal cost for a voluntary was more than they were willing to spend.

You know you're onto a loser when they wont even let you do it for free.

 

[Baz]

True Rik.
It got fouled up when the E.A. took over. Honorary bailiffs knew the areas to check out.
They could have been doing too good a job.

 

[dave c 32]

I never had a licence my self untill this year purley for the fact i have never seen a balif in my life. As i was venturing diffrent venues this year I thought it best to buy one (do my duty and all that) still haven't seen one.

Any one now what they do to you if caught with out one?

 

[Wolfman Woody]

You get taken to court and could face a fine up to ?2,500. Although, around ?80-100 is more normal plus costs.

Best to have one.

I've said it many times before, now please take notice, everyone.

EA Bailiffs are now trained in PACE (Police And Criminal Evidence Act). That costs a lot. At one time lock keepers used to check fishing licences, but they are no longer allowed to, because they haven't had the training. There's a formal way in how the name and address is taken and the warning given. Failure to comply with the procedure and the offender could walk and that's how it would be with "Honourary" bailiffs wasting EA court time.