Petition to keep the close season on rivers

[Anderoo]

I went for a walk along the river Cherwell in the University Parks this lunchtime. (If anyone visits Oxford, it's worth a little wander: http://www.parks.ox.ac.uk/ ) Rather a public place as you can imagine. Two anglers (white and British, with proper tackle and even camo trousers) were enjoying the spring sunshine, trotting their floats down the pretty river. They must know it's the closed season.

 

I also spotted a float in the margin, bent down to pick it up, and saw it was attached to about 10ft of very strong mono, about 15lb. There was still a hook attached (by a couple of granny knots). Plenty of young and adult coots, moorhens and mallards were swimming around it. You can imagine how that could have ended up. It's no wonder anglers are often unpopular. I'm an angler, and at times I have nothing but contempt for us.

 

Whoever said we need to be whiter than white is spot on. If that inconveniences us, that's tough.

[Worms]

I went for a walk along the river Cherwell in the University Parks this lunchtime. (If anyone visits Oxford, it's worth a little wander: http://www.parks.ox.ac.uk/ ) Rather a public place as you can imagine. Two anglers (white and British, with proper tackle and even camo trousers) were enjoying the spring sunshine, trotting their floats down the pretty river. They must know it's the closed season.

 

I also spotted a float in the margin, bent down to pick it up, and saw it was attached to about 10ft of very strong mono, about 15lb. There was still a hook attached (by a couple of granny knots). Plenty of young and adult coots, moorhens and mallards were swimming around it. You can imagine how that could have ended up. It's no wonder anglers are often unpopular. I'm an angler, and at times I have nothing but contempt for us.

 

Whoever said we need to be whiter than white is spot on. If that inconveniences us, that's tough.

You should have gone up to'em and said in your best Polish accent:

 

Ahh, my frinds, how arre we fishink tode yes no? I will buy your fishes and my frinds are comink up now with my uncles and cousins, we will help you net our rivers won't you?........... start lobbing in a few sarnies ..... to brink the fishes end the yummy duckses close by to us for the netting yes no?........ and hopefully watch them scarper

[lutra]

Thanks Worms for putting so eloquently, what I have struggled to find a way of posting.

 

There seems to be many who think that just saying, "right, we will do away with the closed season on rivers", and it just happening. As you have posted, there is a lot more to it than that.

Maybe, but it went on still waters so why not so easily on rivers? (Its not what i would like anyway).

 

For those who think we could synchronize the closed season to suit each species in each river.

Can you tell me when each species spawned last year, and the year before?

Better still, tell me when they are going to spawn next year.

There are too many variables to predict in advance, when it's going to happen.

 

The only answer I could see to that, would be a greatly extended closed season to cover the whole of the country. (That would go down well....not!).

Its just a shame we have all this bureaucracy or angling might be able to come up with most of the answers its self with a bit of will and a kick up the butt.

 

As it's been said, things could be a whole lot worse. (Better the devil you know, and all that).

 

John.

I'm not going to try and think up a smart ass answer to this last bit (tempting fate and all that).

[Peter M]

No, keep mum and live with the close season. After all, as long as you are not 'deliberately' fishing for coarse fish, most rivers can be fished with natural baits with a few tackle restrictions for most of the year. I can leger worms and maggots for 363 days of the year on several rivers if I want to

 

I did toy with the idea of going down to my local river with a fly rod to "fish for trout". the thing is that there are no trout in the stretch i fish and somone told me (might have been on here a few years ago) i could not say i was fishing for them and catching chub was an accident and i could face prosecution for coarse fishing in the close season?

[Worms]

I did toy with the idea of going down to my local river with a fly rod to "fish for trout". the thing is that there are no trout in the stretch i fish and somone told me (might have been on here a few years ago) i could not say i was fishing for them and catching chub was an accident and i could face prosecution for coarse fishing in the close season?

Pretty much right. Most bailiffs are up to speed on the fish on their patch so if it's known that the river isn't a trout river and you are using trout methods but catching coarse fish then you could be done. Much the same as swimfeeding maggots in a trout stream and saying you were fishing for barbel!

 

You could always plead ignorance but then again ignorance of the law is no defence!

[lutra]

Pretty much right. Most bailiffs are up to speed on the fish on their patch so if it's known that the river isn't a trout river and you are using trout methods but catching coarse fish then you could be done. Much the same as swimfeeding maggots in a trout stream and saying you were fishing for barbel!

 

You could always plead ignorance but then again ignorance of the law is no defence!

Could you not try arguing that you were trying to find out if there are trout in there?

[Worms]

Could you not try arguing that you were trying to find out if there are trout in there?

It was research m'lud

[Guest tigger]

Could you not try arguing that you were trying to find out if there are trout in there?

 

 

Brian, do you know if you can spin as well as fly fish on your local river the during the coarse fish closed season ? Also if your spinning for non migratory trout .....then you don't need a game lisence ?

[Worms]

Brian, do you know if you can spin as well as fly fish on your local river the during the coarse fish closed season ? Also if your spinning for non migratory trout .....then you don't need a game lisence ?

Some game areas even allow the use of maggots if they are hooked onto an artificial fly!.......................never could get my head round that one

[lutra]

Brian, do you know if you can spin as well as fly fish on your local river the during the coarse fish closed season ? Also if your spinning for non migratory trout .....then you don't need a game lisence ?

I think so Ian, but i would check your club rules first or maybe Alan will know. There certainly is a few browns in the lower river Ive caught a few on the stick float of late. There are a lot more as you go higher up the river, but I'm not sure what water is on your ticket and it may all be fly only anyway.