What does the close season mean to you?

[stu_the_blank]

Maybe I am living in the Dark ages, fish where you want, when you want, got to catch everytime you go so massively stock the lakes to make it easier......... we are truely living in enlightened times. The stuff of dreams - less challenging fishing on tap!

Chav, what are you on? You haven’t managed to come up with a single rational argument to support the close season other than you like it. You also seem to look down on anybody who dares to enjoy any form of fishing other than yours. Somehow I don't think that it's only going to be your opinion that will be taken into account!

No river in this country is in a remotely natural state, most are in serious decline and the true scale of the problems we have with endocrine disruptors, pollution, predation, abstraction, water quality and alien species is becoming apparent. In the foreseeable future most won’t be viable fisheries, only the managed stretches will have any hope of reversing the tide. Even if you could halt the passage of time, the past you want to live in never existed.

I suspect that the Close Season will go on rivers as well as there doesn’t seem to be a shred of evidence to support it's retention. Unless of course you are barred from fishing for a period to let the otters raise their young in peace!

 

[bennygesserit]

I thought the official EA view was that they didn't know whether abolition of CS would have an affect or not without spending a lot of money measuring its effects, so they are taking what they consider to be the safest view and not doing anything. Certainly they don't appear to have the money to investigate an abolition in the current environment.

 

[alan whittington]

Stu your points on our rivers are relevant and tie in with Benny's comments alluding to the lack of revenue to spend on these problems,imo if things are not done,you will not need a close season on rivers in under 15 years,the vast majority wont hold enough fish to be worthwhile,all our problems are swept well under the EA doormat,with comments like 'stock levels are normal',well they must have been abnormal 25 years ago,for most rivers i fished were solid.

 

[chav professor]

Chav, what are you on? You haven’t managed to come up with a single rational argument to support the close season other than you like it. You also seem to look down on anybody who dares to enjoy any form of fishing other than yours. Somehow I don't think that it's only going to be your opinion that will be taken into account!

No river in this country is in a remotely natural state, most are in serious decline and the true scale of the problems we have with endocrine disruptors, pollution, predation, abstraction, water quality and alien species is becoming apparent. In the foreseeable future most won’t be viable fisheries, only the managed stretches will have any hope of reversing the tide. Even if you could halt the passage of time, the past you want to live in never existed.

I suspect that the Close Season will go on rivers as well as there doesn’t seem to be a shred of evidence to support it's retention. Unless of course you are barred from fishing for a period to let the otters raise their young in peace!

To me your comments miss the point, I was merely adressing someone elses comments on my own personal convictions on this one one from a previous post! the thing is, fine, argue to lift the close season. views are deeply entrenched on this one. Not everyone agree with YOUR views or sentiments upon the subject (or mine). There is not a single shread of evidence that lifting the close season would not have an impact. only your OWN equally high and mighty opinion.

I am happy with my fishing in the present (its all i have ever known) - and this is the sort of garbage that gets thrown when you have an oposing opinion? I am not looking down on anyone - its just that opinions are equally strong on both sides. I never get shirty (another little jibe).......

Surely Stu, there is not (i quote) 'a shred of evidence to support it's retention'. Thats rich coming from someone supporting the opposite side of an arguement that also 'does not have a single shread of evidence' only an equally strongly held conviction that they are right..............It won't be just me oposing the lifting of the close (there are other cave dwelling anglers) - and the problem is since the EA are unsure and don't have the funds to study the issue - they will either lift it due to pressure from a majority of anglers (fine , its a democracy) or leave it at is it. My money is on the latter

Anyway, down from my pedestal or lectern or whatever it is that people who support a close season stand on and tell everyone else how wrong they are.............. Its funny how when you have an opposing opinion you feel you are standing on something more grounded.............

I should study my earlier posts as I did not intend any previous comments to come across as personal - however, I feel this one will! - but hey, this is a Forum Stu - and I am sure we'll get over it.

 

[Fred Bonney]

Yaaaaaaaaaawn

Is it that time of the year again??

I'm with Chav Pro.

My last word because we go through this every CLOSE, and it will make no difference.

There will be no change in my lifetime!

 

[stikflote]

IF you come and look at my local river thru town parks
there,s a few anglers fishing this morning at least a dozen i spoke to one and asked him if was a close season,reply was no mate aint one any more,,
i said thought rivers was shut for a while ,chap said well who,s going to stop us bailiff and rangers dont say owt.

SO why bother with one ,i know this comes up every year but its beyond a joke now for no good reason ,on that stretch we a boating club dog walkers joggers bikes even horses ,,but ANGLERS oh no they damage every thing cant have that now can we?

 

[chav professor]

And yes Fred, B@ll@x - I took the tutti-fruity boily hook line and sinker

 

[Peter Jacobs]

The beginning of the close Season, for me, means that I get to go on the late season ski trip and not have to read the usual (every damned year) unsuppoorted arguments from either side!

Personally I support the Close Season and respect it meaning I don't even fish stillwaters during this period.

Also, as it is the law, I report anyone I see fishing on my local stretches of the Hampshire Avon to both the EA and the Police during the close Season.

End of, now following lunch I'm back on the slopes, here at 2,230m it is a lovely sunny afternoon . . . . . . . .

 

[William Pastuszka]

Peter, Each to their own opinion,IMO. Enjoy your ski-ing

 

[alan whittington]

I agree with your last post William and fair play to Peter for not going coarse fishing at all,but he is very much in the minority.

 

[William Pastuszka]

I agree with your last post William and fair play to Peter for not going coarse fishing at all,but he is very much in the minority.

Yes, fair play to Peter & also Fred, apathy rules, eh, considering the amount of anglers on the river banks this weekend, just had a phone call from a fellow angler, explaining to myself of the amount who were fishing the Trent last night, still if that's what they want to do then that's their choice.

 

[bigchub]

At the end of the day if you don't want to go fishing in the "close season" - then don't go! But please don't ram it down everyone's throat whether you think it right or wrong. Either way if people want to go fishing in this period, then fine, that's up to you and lets just all be respectful of other peoples view points. Each to their own and all that.....

 

[alan whittington]

Im sorry Bigchub,but its been rammed up my jacksee for many years and i would like to fish the rivers,up till mid to late April anyway,you've just read what William said,people are out there flaunting the closure on rivers,i dont,but come off it,its a joke....and angling is the brunt of it.

 

[bigchub]

Im sorry Bigchub,but its been rammed up my jacksee for many years and i would like to fish the rivers,up till mid to late April anyway,you've just read what William said,people are out there flaunting the closure on rivers,i dont,but come off it,its a joke....and angling is the brunt of it.

You maybe right that people are flaunting the closure on the rivers but in the end who is that suffers the most? The fish of course!

 

[alan whittington]

You maybe right that people are flaunting the closure on the rivers but in the end who is that suffers the most? The fish of course!

If their suffering that much,you'd better call for a ban on angling...absolute drivel,the amount of pressure on most rivers,i say most reservedly,is about a tenth what it was 25+ years ago in my opinion,its certainly not angling pressure thats causing the decline on our rivers,far from it,i understand/and except your view on keeping the close season,but not on that standpoint.

 

[Dicky (Angling Trust PAC)]

I thought all those old regional byelaws had been very, very recently superceded by a nationwide ban on out-of-season eeling following a recent EA consultancy?

Personally I'd never fish the rivers in the close but I can understand people's frustration when rules are unclear and people flout them anyway...

 

[quickcedo]

Yaaaaaaaaaawn

Is it that time of the year again??

Very constructive Fred. Of course many havn't been on this forum for years and want to discuss this contentious issue. if you have nothing constructive to say on the thread............

 

[Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)]

The joke round here is the canal runs into the river, you can fish the canal, but you cant fish the same water that runs into the river, now thats why angling and the close season is a joke.

Does that mean that you can fish the Lea Navigation but not the old river, Ray? That is madness

 

[Ray Daywalker Clarke]

If i was a river only angler like some are, I would want a 9 month licence or a refund.

As i pay for a 12 month licence, i should be allowed to fish all waters for 12 months, or be given a refund as i cant fish the rivers.

All in all, open all waters, those who want to fish can, those who dont want to, dont have to. Everyone is then Happy.

---------- Post added at 21:08 ---------- Previous post was at 21:03 ----------

Does that mean that you can fish the Lea Navigation but not the old river, Ray? That is madness

No mate,

It's the Lea canal that runs into the river at the top of Kings Weir, if you stop the water going in, you wouldnt have the river as it is now, just a trickle would run during the winter. Summer time, it would be dried up i would have thought. It is madness

 

[bennygesserit]

close season

wouldn't that 9 months effectively be only 6 given the amount of time the rivers are potentially in flood ?