CLOSE SEASON - good , bad ?

[Dr Phil]

I really find it hard to understand why we have a close season on rivers and some canals when it continues on commercials and some canals ? The fish need a rest is the usual argument yet fish on canals and commercials don't ……...yet the license covers all waters ?
Is it about time the close season was finished with due to the inaccuracies of when fish breed ? Some fish had already bred before the start of the season and some fish dependant on a good summer will breed after June and some will breed twice !
is it not better to have a all year round season for the sake of policing waters (from predators and poaching ) and importantly for the trade which needs the boost of a wasted 3 month closure of natural rivers especially when the 'naturals ' are on the turn ?

[wagglerman]

Hi Dr Phil, totaly agree with what you say regarding the closed season on rivers . I have started a page on Facebook for abolishing the closed season and in just 3 days I have recieved 250 likes . I think there are a lot of anglers out there who would like to see it happen.

[joffmiester]

wagglerman i see loads of posts about this topic some big names BUT the problem is social media and websites are not the places for it . often people will agree on social media yet won't speak out in public .I know the Angling Trust read every comment that is written as i would think the EA do yet never respond
It wants looking at for sure but it will take the power of the joined up anglers to do this . we have a election coming up just look at how many people go fishing .public demonstration could be the best way to confront this subject but it would also mean anglers putting themselves out to do it .

[Dr Phil]

Wagglerman …… i will friend your page as you need a weight of lateral thinking behind this and it will alway get my vote .

[Dr Phil]

Joff - Happy Birthday pal .
Agreed Joff that there must a ground swell of support for an end to this archaic law that is ok for naturals yet not applicable to commercials and canals . I heard some people say that one club ( i think in Leicestershire) where you can fish one side of a lock yet the other side is the river where you cannot ? Why the difference ? They say the break is there so the flora and forna and the fish of course can take a rest from the constant use by anglers ? But this is just an opinion expressed by a TV fishing expert or is it a reason from the EA ? AFTER ALL THEY ARE THE PEOPLE WHO DECIDE THE SEASON DATES ??? ……If there was a vote on this it would be carried unanimously !

[Dr Phil]

By the way : You pay £27-00 for your licence and can fish commercials , privates , canals for your 12 months.
But if you fish rivers and some canals only you can only fish 9 months . So in affect you do not get value ! OR ! should you pay 9 months x £2.25/month for your river season ? ….£20.25 ! ?

…..what about sea anglers , why do they not pay a licence ?

[wagglerman]

wagglerman  i see loads of posts about this topic some big names BUT the problem is social media and websites are not the places for it . often people will agree on social media yet won't speak out in public .I know the Angling Trust read every comment that is written as i would think the EA do yet never respond
It wants looking at for sure but it will take the power of the joined up anglers to do this . we have a election coming up just look at how many people go fishing .public demonstration could be the best way to confront this subject but it would also mean anglers putting themselves out to do it .    

Hi Joff I am totally disillusioned by the lack of action being taken by top personalities in the sport to push the case for change to the current closed season . I being one of many thousands of anglers who want to see the closed season lifted felt I needed to do something . I just wanted to see how many other like minded anglers there are and then to write to the EA with the results . There are many anglers and admins in the sport who are happy to take lots of praise for their efforts as well as sponsorship and advertising etc . When it comes to being a voice for issues like this they are not forthcoming . It's a pity when an ordinary guy like myself has to try and do something to change what is obviously an outdated system .

[wagglerman]

Wagglerman …… i will friend your page as you need a weight of lateral thinking behind this and it will alway get my vote .

Thank you Dr Phil we need as many supporters as we can get to get the authorities moving on this .

[wagglerman]

By the way : You pay £27-00 for your licence and can fish commercials , privates , canals for your 12 months.
But if you fish rivers and some canals only you can only fish 9 months . So in affect you do not get value ! OR ! should you pay 9 months x £2.25/month for your river season ? ….£20.25 ! ?

…..what about sea anglers , why do they not pay a licence ?

Good points Dr Phil and if you take into account how long the rivers are unfishable during winter months we get even less for our money .

[daskin]

By the way : You pay £27-00 for your licence and can fish commercials , privates , canals for your 12 months.
But if you fish rivers and some canals only you can only fish 9 months . So in affect you do not get value ! OR ! should you pay 9 months x £2.25/month for your river season ? ….£20.25 ! ?

…..what about sea anglers , why do they not pay a licence ?

Good points Dr Phil and if you take into account how long the rivers are unfishable during winter months we get even less for our money .


[/quote

By the way : You pay £27-00 for your licence and can fish commercials , privates , canals for your 12 months.
But if you fish rivers and some canals only you can only fish 9 months . So in affect you do not get value ! OR ! should you pay 9 months x £2.25/month for your river season ? ….£20.25 ! ?

…..what about sea anglers , why do they not pay a licence ?

Good points Dr Phil and if you take into account how long the rivers are unfishable during winter months we get even less for our money .

It doesnt make sense that we have to stop fishing our local river when it is fishable, and when we are allowed to fish again, is unfishable due to being choked with weed and reeds.

[bill yards]

This is a pet subject of mine that I have written about many times :surprise

Many years ago I must admit I was against the opening of canals in the old 'closed season'. I was wrong, completely wrong and after all these years can anyone prove the fishing has taken a turn for the worse on the canals, - the answer is a big NO. In fact the canals are better than ever and due to some of their geographical locations they have helped keeping tackle shops and associated businesses ticking over.
One of the commonest reactions I have come across is that, "I don't like the idea of catching spawning fish".
Well, to be perfectly honest I have caught many more 'spawning' perch in the old outdated season than in the three reclaimed months. I would even go as far to say that I have caught more of these perch from November onwards than all the other species 'in spawn' during the reclaimed three months. In fact I have caught hardly any 'spawn' canal fish in the extra three months because they just don't want to feed. I am sure many on this site will bare this out.

There is no reason, except for antiquated tradition, that the closed season should now be retained except for very few reasons, eg access, - eg National Trust sites and SSSI sites and indeed if the owner wants it closed for his/her own reasons.

Why should it be any different for the rivers and lets not forget the drains etc in this debate.

At the end of the day nobody is forcing anybody to go fishing, you don't have to go, - it is as simple as that.
I have often said that the conversation in 50 years time will be something like &quot id you know you couldn't even fish the river on a pleasant spring day 50 years ago".
It really is as laughable as that.

On a slightly different theme why should a 12 year old have to have a rod licence? By law a 12 year old is not allowed to even do a paper round so who pays? This is yet another antiquated system. The rod licence should be free to all under 16 year olds. As a sport angling can only gain in numbers with this giving it more 'clout'.

[joffmiester]

It also remains to be seen whether health and safety step in about flooded rivers and prevent anglers from fishing them . This is one to watch out for by clubs and where they stand insurance wise plus rise factors now play a massive part if your club allows anglers onto a flooded river . Even to the extent Match Organizers being reasonable for there decisions to put a competition on a flooded river .
For anglers that think this is a joke start taking a interest in the ever changing laws and take a look at what work has to go into all aspects of running a club and there waters .

something to consider if you have a family it's not all about you the angler .God forbid if anyone is killed i'm sure they would want the best for there family .I wouldn't blame any mother or wife to sue the socks off a club that has allowed there husband or son to take part in a competition deemed a dangerous or flooded river        

[NoCarpPlease]

The only other factors to consider
1.  allows times for natural banks to recover
2.  allows anglers time to do DIY :-)
3.  a break can help prevent you becoming jaded and disillusioned

[daskin]

The only other factors to consider
1.  allows times for natural banks to recover
2.  allows anglers time to do DIY :-)
3.  a break can help prevent you becoming jaded and disillusioned

The only other factors to consider
1.  allows times for natural banks to recover
2.  allows anglers time to do DIY :-)
3.  a break can help prevent you becoming jaded and disillusioned

Those were the points stated when there was a blanket close season on all waters, but dont apply any more.

[wagglerman]

The only other factors to consider
1.  allows times for natural banks to recover
2.  allows anglers time to do DIY :-)
3.  a break can help prevent you becoming jaded and disillusioned

First point viable other two don't think so 

[bill yards]

I don't go along with the debate on 'giving natural banks time to recover'.
When you think about it who puts the swims there in the first place?

Who destroys the natural banks? Is it the angler, could it be boats, could it be skiiers????

[Dr Phil]

Anybody know if other european countries have a close season ? The Sensas challenge is on over in France and they have NO close season .

[joffmiester]

No Phil France has no close season Ireland doesn't either i really would like this topic to expand . If i could of had the Sensas Challenge at the end of March A the fishing would of been ten times better B most of the sections we could of got in the fields with ease . The competition generated a lot of money in the Local area Hotels B&Bs Tackle shops yet the fishing was so poor . Its happened the last three years if we are not careful the biggest team match could loose its interest .

[Dr Phil]

Who decides the season beginning and end ? EA ? What about Angling Trust , have they a say ?
Agree with you Joff , this needs to expand as its stupid to assume all fish will breed in that period plus also the period from mid-march to mid-june is wasted for the promotion of natural river fishing . Still do not understand why commercials and canals can continue ? so there is no problem with breeding fish there ?
rENEWED MY LICENCE TODAY TO PAY FOR MY 9 MONTH RIVER SEASON

[bill yards]

Now is the perfect time to get more involved in this. We all have prospective 'councillors' hammering on our doors for votes in the forthcoming elections.
Put the boot on the other foot and raise the problem with them on your doorstep, it really is a good starting point. If they don't want to know just tell them that is votes from your household they have just lost.
It really is worth the effort, - if you feel as strongly about this stupid 'Closed Season' issue as I do there is absolutely nothing to loose (think I have just realised why they never stop long on my doorstep!!!).
Like I said before it is a bit like watching TV, you can always switch off if you want to; if you don't want to go fishing you are not forced to.