Simple Match Fishing Forum

As every season finishes this topic comes up and for one minute i don't think this is the right place to air our voices with complaints and disapproval but i'd like to debate the subject a little more between us the angler . plastered all over facebook is the fact that anglers [river Anglers] are not happy with the close season unlike commercial and canal anglers river anglers still have to have a 12 month rod license for 9 months of the year . On top of this they could quite easily loose another month due to rivers being in flood which is happening more and more due to humans encroaching on natural green belt land to build more and more houses . At one time i did enjoy some time off fishing during the close season but back then we didn't have commercials and you couldn't fish canals . It was a time to sort your kit out and a time for fish to spawn and recover time to spend with the family and then getting excited about the golden opening day June the 16th

Now i'm not all for abolishing the close season and i'm no rocket scientist but i'm pretty sure the seasons and the time of year of the seasons have changed . We can have great river fishing up to Christmas before the harsh winter sets in Jan Feb march and more or less April now Which leave the spring even later . Fish have been around a lot longer than us the anglers and will sense when the time is right to spawn May June seam to be very slow for fishing and indicates perhaps this is when fish are spawning now . Before everyone wants to abolish the close season why not try and move it back on rivers we all know rivers in June and July are slow clear and full of weed ideal for breeding fish .while at the other end of the season extend the season by a month . This way we can fish rivers until the end of April which is a good period to catch fish it also be good for the tackle trade as it would be less bad times as May June and July are good times for commercials .
i WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR POINTS OF VIEW ON THIS SUBJECT
Its not a witch hunt i just think its time for a change like i said abolishing the close season might not have the effect everyone will be expecting

What a lot of people don't realize is that when the close was first implemented it had nothing to do with letting the fish spawn in peace, it was to keep the riff raff off the rivers during the best time for dry fly fishing for trout.
so it seams very out dated to me

A time for change Joff is needed to protect the rivers from poaching , evasive species , predators of the 4 legged kind plus the Black menace . As for 3 months of the year we the anglers are not on the bank fishing and observing this menace.
Another major reason is to give the 'tackle- trade' for 3 months a chance of selling maggots , casters , worms and ground baits for river angling , a much needed boost to any fishing tackle shops turnover plus the additional sales of river related products .
The close season is a farce of massive proportions as no other country in Europe maintains a close season. The fish are not affected in breeding and certainly the flora and fawna are not being damaged by the 1000's of incessant walking anglers . That may have been true in the 70/80's but the reality is we will never get back to those days (i hope i'm wrong !)
I say start a campaign to make fishing 12 months for ALL . I also believe that sea fishermen should pay the licence . Lets start the campaign and introduce it to a national level and include all the major fishing web sites and get a ground swell of support to change this fossilised rule.

I totally agree Dr.Phil you've got my vote

still not enough anglers interested in this topic
remember commercials and canal anglers are sorted they get 12 months fishing .To make this work we need the power of votes with a election coming up we might not get a better time

The close season is so wrong. Spawning fish are not interested in feeding. Anyone on here eat a burger at the same time as making love to there wife??

Finance for the clubs and tackle shops is much more important. As for welfare of the fish well predation is the issue there not TRYING to catching spawning fish.

[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 ! ?

Only just spotted this comment, - we are a bit slow on the uptake at Stafford

You actually pay your rod licence fee to fish with your rod for twelve months. This is a very good point to follow up, - no way on earth will the EA reduce the fee.

Just a thought - although you cant do it at the mo because parliament has been dissolved until after the election - has any 'respected name' in the sport ever raised an e-petition on the subject?

I've signed a few others in the past - understand that if the petition attracts X (?) number of signatories it is raised in the houses of Parliament......



https://www.gov.uk/petition-government


http://www.change.org/en-GB/guides/star ... e-petition

More good points TK.

I am not sure if anyone has seen them but there are various letters, both for and against, the Closed season on the Angling Trust website. They are inviting letters from interested parties.
You will see some interesting letters on the subject but with the best of respect to Keith Arthur, his thoughts (in parts) do have flaws and read to me (again in parts) that they are almost as antiquated as the theme itself.
He does mention some good points though but using Ireland (years ago) to get a point over for what applies in this country in the 2000 and teens is a bit ridiculous up to the point of 'clutching at straws'.
We do have MPs on the Angling Trust doing a job for angling and I know Martin Salter did state somewhere that it was time to have a good look at the Closed Season issue (or words to that effect).
We are all fanatical about our sport and like to see what is right. I hardly ever fish at this time of the year so there is nothing personal in this whatsoever. I firmly believe you guys are short changed on the rivers. Like 'Rigga' says, 'spawning fish do not feed' - see an early post of mine on this.
Would it be or not be a decent suggestion for somebody to compile a letter and send it off to the Angling Trust on behalf of this site if that was possible. Obviously everybody would have to agree or at least a large majority but it would have a lot more clout than a letter signed by one individual.
Whether anything would be done or if this letter was taken to a further stage is obviously open to conjecture. If nothing is done at least we can all 'live with ourselves' and say we have tried.

I can only offer to help, if we all agree,; there must not be anything personal in this letter. It is worth thinking about.
Just going back to Keith Arthur's letter, - again with respect he does 'suggest' that it is only anglers that want this Closed Season river fishing for themselves. I am quite astonished by this, I haven't fished a river for at least three years, I just want to see fair play, nothing less, nothing more.
Anybody is welcome to talk to me about this, either through this site or call me. I will be missing for most of today though.
I just think it is another idea that may or may not be worth pursuing as judging by virtually every post on this we are all saying more or less the same thing in a round about way.
A point I have always believed in is that you do not HAVE to go fishing at any time but the choice should be there where possible.

Bill
Good point about the e-petition, this would not be able to be started until after the elections according to the site, but believe it would be the right voice and vehicle to let anglers either support the need for a change or leave it at status quo.

Unfortunately I am overseas and therefore not in a position to lawfully start a petition, I may be returning to the UK towards the end of this year and if it is not already started would only be too willing to start it off.

Personal opinion would be to abolish the close season completely as I believe the positives would outstrip the negative aspects. The points raised by other forum participants clearly indicate that no real harm is done with regard to spawning which I feel is really the key issue.

All in all the time is right to attempt to change if we want to, but we need to stand up and be counted and an e-petition gives everybody the opportunity to do this.

You would have certainly got my 'vote' if you raised an e petition Raymond    And I would have done my utmost to promote to secure the no of signatories for it to be 'heard'

As you are out of the country - perhaps a few 'of us' from this forum could 'get together' and agree the wording of such a petition and submit it....?

As well as the points generated above I'd like to (personally) include a separate section to include consideration of SSSI sites  - for these to be reviewed dependent on the 'reason' of their status and their 'impact on angling'.

For example - I'm associated with a local club that leases a stretch of canal from CR&T. This section of canal 'houses' some 'rare' water foliage hence its SSI status.

Canal boats can navigate the canal - but anglers cant fish it because it carries the SSI status.

What's more likely to impact on the water foliage (rare weed) - an anglers hook or a boat travelling along the canal.........? 

Brilliant reading this, and a subject of many opinions and views.

I recently read a brilliant article on it by Matt Maginnes on Dave Harrel's website, which goes into great depth about why it was introduced, what needs to be done to abolish it etc. etc. Worth a read by anyone who is looking at what needs to be done to abolish the close season.

If you go on Dave's website, click the articles tab, then the closed season tab and open up the article by Matt

An interesting read MrV

Took the mountain bike out last night two anglers fishing the river Soar both fly fishing and both catching !! But not Trout mainly Dace and chub how can this be right !!

Took the mountain bike out last night

Thought you called your lovely lady the Tank commander

Sorry Mrs Joff...only joking

Mini-Barbel-On-The-Float

The Angling Trust will not take any formal position in lobbying for a change in the river close season until we see what the evidence would be on fish stocks and the views of our members and the various groups of anglers. As an organisation committed to conservation, it would be irresponsible of us to do anything else. However, we do accept that this is a live issue and we want anglers on both sides of this debate to have their voices heard and for the arguments to be tested.

We will be seeking further contributions from prominent voices within angling and will publish them on this page. We've listed ways that you can get involved in the debate on the right hand side of this page and look forward to hearing your point of view. We kick off with the starting point for this round of the annual debate, Angling Trust Campaigns Coordinator Martin Salter's recent blog post...



Statement from the Environment Agency - 29/1/15

EA logo 66x100"The coarse fish close season on rivers remains a complex and emotive issue. We need to make sure any decision to change from the current close season is based on the best available evidence, as it could have a widespread and lasting impact on river fish stocks and the performance of our river fisheries. We need to get it right.
When we last reviewed the close season in 2003, we asked APEM, an aquatic and fisheries consultancy, to propose areas of research that could give us a better understanding of the potential risks to fisheries of removing the close season from rivers. APEM identified a range of studies, all of which had considerable resource implications and given that anglers' opinions on the close season were (and to a large extent remain) divided and that the results from these studies could well be inconclusive, we felt at the time this was not a priority.

In recent months and with renewed angler interest in the close season, we have been looking afresh at the APEM proposals (and other proposals of our own) to see which are most likely to provide useful evidence to help inform the debate. These include examining the evidence of increased physiological stress in fish caught and handled during the close season; comparing the spawning success of fish in waters with and without a close season; and looking for any changes in fish survival rates in rivers where fish are caught and handled during the close season.

None of this work is certain - many of the practicalities still need to be considered and they all cost rod licence money. The Environment Agency will continue to work with the Angling Trust, the England Fisheries Group and other to look at which, if any, are likely to offer greater insight into this issue and whether they offer good value for money. Initial discussions on options, costs and how the issue might be addressed are expected to take place over the next 2 months."



RIVER CLOSE SEASON – IS IT TIME FOR A RETHINK?

By Martin Salter

Martin Salter ThNow I don't deny that issues that divide angling opinion are more tricky for us than those on which there is a broad consensus but that is no reason not to engage with them. The job of a national representative body is to take up important mainstream issues and to see if we can find a way through which would benefit our sport without harming the environment and the resource on which it depends...

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WHY?

By Keith Arthur

Keith Arthur ThFor every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Although the quote from Newton's Law relates to movement, in my experience it relates to every single facet of life. Whatever you do, in whatever context, a chain of events are set in motion. Abolishing the current close season on rivers would do that, without doubt. The debate must be who or what would benefit from it and who or what would suffer...

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THE CASE OF THE CLOSE SEASON

By Jeff Woodhouse

Jeff W ThSome want to call this debate the "silly season" and it is a subject that comes up every year at this time; naturally, who'd bring it up in the full season when everyone is out fishing on the rivers?
Fact is that not everyone agrees with it and by debating it, we might just happen on a solution that will please all, or almost all. If you are a 'supporter' of the close season, then all is fine as it is, but if you're an abolitionist, then you are not a happy chappy and believe the law needs amending. However, it is not right in a democracy to have 50% (if that's what it is) of the anglers upset, but how do we find an alternative and is there one?...

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MATT'S ANGLE

By Matt Maginnis

Matt Maginnis ThThe river fishing season comes to an end for three months on March 14th, but do we really need the break? Matt has been researching the subject and has uncovered some very interesting facts. I talked a bit about the close season this time last year and didn't intend to do so again this year but after another really dire winter with very few opportunities to fish on many of our rivers the close season has become more of a talking point than ever...

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WHY WE NEED A RIVER CLOSE SEASON STUDY

By Dave Harrell

Dave Harrell ThThe close season on rivers was introduced well over 100 years ago and it has never had any basis in science.

The restriction it places on anglers and the many businesses they support is very significant and it is about time that we reviewed whether or not this is really necessary...

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THE "COARSE" CLOSE SEASON

By Mark Everard

Mark Everard ThNo time for a lengthy reply to Martin's article but, yes, the coarse fishing closed season on rivers is, well, coarse, but that is the way it was intended by its progenitor: Anthony John Mudella.

It does not cover the precise spawning time of all coarse fish species within the broad scope of natural variability every year and regionally...

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ABOLISH THE RIVER CLOSED SEASON FOR COARSE FISH? NO WAY!

By Rod Sturdy

Rod Sturdy ThTwo words which are frequently used in an environmental context are 'responsible' and sustainable'. Doing away with a statutory lay-off period for coarse fishing on rivers would be neither responsible nor sustainable.

It would affect adversely the fish themselves as the quarry we depend on for our sport and enjoyment, and it would certainly tarnish the image of angling, and hand over ammunition to the antis, who would dearly love to ban angling altogether...

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CHANGE IS LONG OVERDUE

By Jim Baxter

Jim Baxter ThRef the closed season debate (press release 10th March), as a lifelong angler who fishes all year round, I'm delighted that Martin Salter has seen the light. I think that enforcing a 12-week time close in Spring 2014 is ridiculous, and that some of the angling brotherhood are acting selfishly over this issue. I'd have made your headline bolder, if you don't mind me saying, along the lines of: 'surely an end to the river close season is long overdue?'...

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MY CLOSE SEASON VIEW

By Gary Newman

Gary Newman ThI've always been a big fan of the Close Season on certain waters to give the fish and the banks a chance to have a break.

On the club lakes that I'm involved in running we still maintain a traditional three-month shutdown, as do a lot of my other local venues, and I believe that the fish and bankside vegetation benefit from this.

This doesn't mean though that I won't go and fish other waters during this period as there is no way that I could go three months without being able to go fishing - I find it hard to go three days without wetting a line!...

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DO WE REALLY NEED A CLOSED SEASON?

By Jimmy Sallis

Jimmy Sallis ThWith no closed season on still waters and canals then why should it still apply to the rivers? Most anglers will argue that, due to unpredictable and uncharacteristic seasons, fish like barbel and chub will often begin spawning early or even late, which will fall into the end of a season or the beginning of the new one. I myself have witnessed fish in spawn as late as July, a great sight to see but certainly not a time to drop a bait in the water.

There are highly pressured rivers and meadows which, in my opinion, deserve a break from all the human presence. On the flip side I have a stretch of water which I rarely, if ever, see another angler on....

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LETS PUT THE WILDLIFE AND COUNTRYSIDE FIRST

By Martin James

Martin JamesI must ask where does the six months come in reference to the river close season? It's three months March 15th June 15th both days inclusive. Just because rivers were flooded there was always some places to fish on river. The River Wye was for instance over 17 feet above normal, the Avon was well, over the fields but it was still possible to fish if one was prepared to make the effort. I do not agree with the AT getting involved in writing to the Prime Minister ref tackle shops and fisheries suffering through rivers being flooded. The countryside needs a close season to give the rivers and streams a chance to repair the damage we anglers do.

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LEAVE WELL ALONE

By Neville Fickling

Neville FicklingI'm afraid it has started again. I know we have been washed out this winter and I'm sure we will be washed out again. However it looks as if member clubs of the Angling Trust are pressurising the Trust into doing something about the close season. The debate hinges on the lack of scientific data on the effects of close season fishing on rivers and drains. The EA adopts a precautionary principle suggesting that they do not know if close season fishing will damage fish stocks, but rather than find out the hard way and with no resources for meaningful research, they have decided to keep the status quo. That is exactly right. Let those that want to fish rivers and drains fund the research themselves, but via an independent organisation such as the EA.

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RIVER TRUSTS ARE BEST PLACED TO TAKE ON THIS TASK

By Mike Storey

Mike Storey
I have been knocking my head against this brick wall now for more years than I can remember, and the key point that virtually everybody misses is simply this; the key word is STATUTORY.In other words, the desire for users, owners or lessees of a particular river system are imposed on all others in this debate as a statutory requirement- if this were removed, those who prefer to impose a closure of their fishery can do so, at any time and for any duration, without imposing this on other rivers that may be different in nature...

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CLOSED SEASON VIEWS

By Bob Roberts

Bob Roberts ThIt's that time of year again when folk like to make a lot of noise but ultimately do nothing. It will probably be just the same this year and in the closed seasons to come. Unfortunately talk is cheap, especially on internet angling forums. But this year we are told things are different. Some who were previously opposed to change have had a Road To Damascus moment and it's making headlines. Big deal. Forgive my cynicism but I remain unconvinced that this will have any bearing whatsoever. I'm pleased to be able to report that I haven't changed my mind one iota. I remain utterly convinced that the current CLOSED season is a farce. Always has been, always will be...

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CLOSED SEASON THOUGHTS

By Nick Simmonds

Nick Simmonds ThI believe that a rational investigation into the coarse angling river closed season is worth pursuing, to try to ensure that a closed season fulfils its intended purpose in affording a relief from angling pressure on fish gathering to spawn, spawning and recovering from spawning. If the outcome is to shorten, lengthen or move the period of the closed season then so be it, if the basis for doing so is sound. In my opinion the arguments for abolition of the river closed season are all about the desires of the anglers and others who favour abolition and nothing to do with the welfare of fish...

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THE COARSE CLOSE SEASON

By Dick Clegg OBE

Dick Clegg ThFor sure the close season debate will go on for many years yet with each side going to great lengths to point out their own reasons for retaining or abolishing it. After being in the angling trade for 40 years and being based in South Yorkshire I do have a greater overall view of the situation than most of the people passing comments. The main issue surrounds the spawning of fish and retaining the environment required for them to succeed. The Yorkshire season always closed and opened 2 weeks earlier than the rest of the country and how that benefited some species is beyond me...

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AMBIVALENT ABOUT THE CLOSE SEASON NOWADAYS

By Jan Porter

Jan PorterRe the closed season I'm pretty ambivalent about it really, the nostalgia of the glorious 16th has been deeply ingrained in my psyche for over 50 years. Maybe it's not as magical these days for most me included since it's only rivers, some canals & a few stillwaters that are out of bounds. I like the idea of allowing swims/pegs flora on rivers that are heavily fished some respite. I understand and appreciate that for many species of fish it serves no purpose in terms of preventing them from being caught during spawning. As has been well documented in any instances fish spawn well before the end of the season and after the season recommences. There will never be a calendar period post Xmas and well into July that will ensure certain fish aren't caught as they spawn.

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CLOSE SEASON - TIME FOR A RETHINK?

By Steve Pope

Steve Pope Th.jpgLet me put my cards on the table straight from the off so that there is no confusion, I am a supporter of a close season (CS) and these are my personal views. My reasons for supporting a close season are very much in line with what I would term old school thinking. Pro CS supporters would empathise, those against would say I'm out of touch so this is as good a time as any to, as Martin suggests, have a revisit and a rethink. Being pro close season does not mean I have a closed mind and I take a view that it is always sensible to revisit "laws" every so often to ensure they are still in keeping with the current situation, common sense I would have thought...

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STRONGLY IN FAVOUR

By Pete Reading

Pete Reading Th.jpgI remain strongly in favour of the retention of the current close season dates, for a variety of reasons, but the main reason is, in my view,based firmly on conservation grounds. Although the current dates are not perfect,and never could be, they do offer some respite,protection and respect for our fragile wild river fish populations, which are under increasing pressure, and not only from anglers. Riverine fish have to be naturally self-sustaining in order to form stable populations, and catching and handling fish before, during and after spawning must put them under stress at a very vulnerable time, and is likely to affect spawning success and recruitment, especially on smaller rivers...

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IS IT TIME FOR A RETHINK?

By Ray Wood

Ray Wood ThIs it time for a re-think on the river close season, some celebrity anglers think so. One could be forgiven for thinking that for them it is all about money. Not one of them has put forward any real reasons to support this call based on facts or sound sense. Floods have been put forward as one reason due to the exceptional ones we have had over the past season. That is exactly what they were exceptional, they are not the norm, and in all honesty they did not affect my season. I still managed to get my full season on our rivers it just meant travelling to different areas. Which in turn took me to some rivers I had not fished before and with some outstanding results to boot...

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SIX COMMON SENSE REASONS
WHY THE RIVER CLOSE SEASON NEEDS REVIEW

By Mark Berry

Mark Berry-smThere is a common misconception that the debate surrounding the close season on UK rivers is a complex one. On the contrary, the issue is remarkably simple. And it's all about common sense...

Many other countries run festivals on the strength of fishing being excellent due to spawning migratory fish, Ireland and Holland to name 2 that I have fished for over 20 years. Does / has this ever been at the detriment of fish stocks, the simple answer is no. Do you see thousands of dead fish - simply no, yes an odd one but this could be due to spawning damage as much as it could any angling pressure. Do the fish fail to produce due to the angling pressure, again simple answer is no. since the removal of the closed season on canals has there been any change in fish welfare, yet again the answer is no, they are better now than ever before. If it is so obvious to see that there is no proven reason why a closed season is needed why do we still have one? As many of you have already posted, all this does is take revenue off clubs / and local tackle dealers. Time it was removed

The actual very old reason why there is a close season in place which is carried historically by the EA is because , and its this reason only:
That the river bank needs time to recover its flora and fawna , can you believe that ? The breeding season has nothing to do with it , its an old law which means nothing but the hardliners have evolved it to mean that the fish breed in that time and we should be part of that period of breeding. They believe that thousands of anglers are trampling down all the grasses and thats why there should be a close season . The reality is that the banks continued to be walked on by ramblers and mountain bikers and runners ! THE EA NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO A MEETING AND EXPLAINING THEIR REASON WHY THERE IS SO MUCH DISPARITY BETWEEN THIS CLOSE SEASON AND FISHING A COMMERCIAL AND A CANAL . THIS RULE NEEDS TO BE ERADICATED FROM THE SENSIBILITY OF ANGLING . MY ANSWER TO ALL YOU FOLK ON THIS WEB SITE IS ; START A CAMPAIGN AND GET THIS RIDICULOUS CLOSE SEASON DISSOLVED FOR GOOD , FOR THE SAKE OF THE STOCKS AND THE TRADE IF FOR NOTHING ELSE.

Following on from Dr Phil.

Equally as important boats. I live right in the hub of the Midlands canals. The 'big three' are the Staffs-Worcs, the Trent and Mersey and the Shropshire Union. The nearest points to me are 1 mile, 3.5 miles and 7 miles respectively. All these canals have reedbeds although in some cases they are slowly disappearing. Fish need these type of features as do the many other kinds of water based wild life, insects and so forth.
We as anglers need boats and boats as boaters need anglers; between us problems do get sorted by the respective authorities. However, both parties unfortunately have a very small percentage of dissenters, trouble shooters, show-offs - call them what you like. Thankfully by far the biggest percentage are used to each other (I would say well, well above 90%). The other few percent never will for whatever reason.
However, the boats are permitted to use the waters all year round - the anglers, in many cases are not. This can not be right, - I have seen (admittedly the very small minority) inexperienced boats just plough through these reed beds without any thought of what damage they are doing as I have seen anglers (again a small minority) giving boats untold and pointless abuse. As time goes on I must admit these instances are thankfully getting less which is a step in the right direction.
I remember going to a 'water-users' meeting on the subject of the pending lifting of the closed season on canals The meeting was at the Moat House, Acton Trussell; I had arranged to meet Billy Turner there. It was very well advertised. I went and I think the register accounted for four anglers and countless boat owners. To be honest I was so embarrassed at the angling following I signed my name in the register and put "Press" after it. I remember there being a heated discussion about the closed season should not be lifted because anglers poke there poles into hedges behind them and will disturb the many birds nesting!!!!!!!!!!!!
What chance of reply had four anglers got with 40 odd boat owners present. I am just highlighting a problem that angling has still got here, the majority leaving the minority to sort it out, - it just doesn't stack up.

I must admit when it comes to the 'crunch' will too many anglers 'sit on the fence' - 'can't be bothered' or hope the minority of caring anglers 'sort the problem out for the rest.' That, unfortunately will a great concern.

As several have muted on here a government petition is probably the best way forward. I only wish in a way you had to put your name and address on these petitions for the sake of authenticity. There are so many 'thrown out' for reasons of 'discrepancies'. Having said this I consider this to be our (all anglers) best move though.

My thoughts on closed season are pretty simple. We should have it. It should cover all fishing including commercials. If it doesn't apply for one it shouldn't apply for the other. But I think that commercials should have a different closed season to rivers canals etc. carp tend to spawn later on than the official closed season. So maybe make the commercial closed season may-end of June I know this means they will lose revenue but maybe just maybe it will make people want to fish a river or canal a bit more rather than a puddle full of cap that are spawning and getting fouled and ripped open and the risk of infection and consequently dying. I think it is time to modernise the rules in line with today's modern fishing and I much as I prefer a river or canal. Others don't. Modern angling means heavy usage of commercials put the rules in place to reflect the angling that's being carried out

Rant over

For what it's worth I thought I would add my comments.

When the close season was originally introduced it likely would have been a very good idea. At that time fish (of all species) were being caught and eaten. It follows that by preventing the taking of fish at this time it could be said that fish were being allowed time to spawn and as such increase the fish stocks - brilliant idea!

However, the current arguments for the retaining of the close season are now wearing thin. The suggestion that the fish need time to spawn has been proven incorrect - proven by the flourishing species in canals where 365 day fishing is allowed.

The suggestion that 'the banks need time to recover' is somewhat farcical. The floods, of which this country has had many over recent years do far more damage to river banks that a 100 years of fishing could ever do yet each Summer the banks return to their pristine condition! I think that's called nature?

A consideration that most people tend to overlook is the predation that takes place at this time of year - and I am not refering to natural predation! While there are no anglers on the bank policing their club waters I wonder how many fish are removed / stolen that find their way onto the dinner plate of people who are allowed to do this in the country from which they originated. (My attempt at being PC!). I am sick of being asked if I have caught any fish and when I reply yes (as I do sometimes catch something) being asked if I would give the fish to the person asking so that they can have their dinner on me!

One has to wonder if the fish stocks are thriving in Canals is in part due to anglers baits supplementing the natural food available during spawning times thus allowing fish to build up their reserves at a time when this is likely depleted due to the riggors of spawning etc.

I would totally agree that we do need to handle fish with care at this time but many of us do so anyway and one suggestion I would advocate is the banning of keep nets when pleasure fishing during March - June.

I am no-one. But I take the time to write many letters to enforcing bodies with suggestions as to why the close season should be abolished and to date not one single body has took the time to reply. A cut down version of one such letter has been published in the Anglers Mail this week.

I think that the close season will be lifted in the future but as common sense seems far from the thoughts of the powers that be it is unlikely to be in my lifetime.

Just stepping down from my soap box now...............