fines for no licences

[Guest Chris B]

I've had a rod licence ever since the days of the old water authority ones in the 1970s.

 

Since then I have never, ever had anyone request to see it. Not once in all that time.

 

So if I'd never bought a licence (or two licences so I can use four rods when conditions demand...), so what..?

 

I think fines are set by Lord Chief Justices dept and the Home Office, who give magistrates' courts a sliding scale and a set of guidelines.

 

While we might see fishing without a licence as a heinous crime (or not...), magistrates have little insight in to angling issues.

 

Worst of all, the money doesn't actually go to the EA, only costs if these are awarded.

[Guest dave k]

I think you have a very blinkered attitude as to the work the the EA do Kingfisher

 

If you did every own a stretch of water and had anything go wrong who would you call???

 

If you had a polution incident etc, or any problems with the water the EA would be out there at no charge to youand restock the river for you as well

 

If you had poachers or any other problems with your water the EA would be there with Free advice.

 

If you had a pond in your back garden and fished it with rod and line you would need a licence.

 

get a life and pay your way so that people like me who do buy a licence are not subsudising you. how much do you spend on a night out? £20+ a session. how much does your fishing licence cost per session. 50p if you go 40 times a year, value for money i think.

 

rant over apoligies to the moderators

 

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dave kennedy USSC Angling

ANMC Founder Member

[Guest Alan Stubbs]

Hear hear Dave.

 

 

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ANMC Founder Member

[Guest phil dean]

I was fishing without a licence last year as some of you will know. I had just moved house and lost my licence in the move.

 

I was commiting an offence, thankfully I was able to prove that I had a licence within the timescale given to produce it, so no charges were brought, but for me, with a clean criminal record, essential in my line of work, the amount of the fine was irrelevant, more worrying was the effect it could have on job prospects, insurance payments, applications for finance etc.

 

All these people can check various rescources, and a criminal record does not stand you in good stead.

 

The EA do a good job, yes we all have our bellyaches, and rightly so sometimes, but we'd probably be worse off without them. You may not remember but before the water Act which created the old NRA (now within the EA) the waters were controlled by the water authorities, and they were the main polluters, pumping out raw sewage on regular occasions into my local river.

 

Support them and pay your dues, they rely on our licence fees for a good chunk of their monies, and if we don't have an EA our fishing will be the worse for it, but also bear in mind the wider implications of being caught without one, who wants a criminal record for the sake of £20.

 

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phil,

JOIN ANMC TODAY

[Guest kingfisher]

In the 150 years or so my family have owned the land where I fish they have to my knowledge never had to call or been visited by any authority about the codition or the fishing of our river. And as for the ownership of the fish I say they belong to us even if the bloke next door put them in his part of the river. For e.g. If you breed phesants to shoot and they fly on to someone elses field would you tell them not to shoot them????And tell him they belong to you.Huh I don't think so!!

 

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Joeseph King.

Still waiting for the big one.

[Guest blankedagain]

at last an admission that kingfisher has a vested interest in not buying a license, and presumably keeping the rest of the proleteriat away from his land, his river and his fish, well if your attitude to river management and general waterside conservation issues is reflected in your attitude to obeying the law of the land then i'm afraid that your stretch of river will be beyond salvation in a very short time. No one (not even landed persons) is above the law of the land, ask Jeffery Archer, Jonathen Aitken and a few others who thought they were beyond the law.

 

 

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catching fish is a bonus!

[Guest phil hackett]

Now that Kingfisher has admitted that he of the landed gentry class, I wonder whether he owns a gun and has a current firearms certificate for it?

Or is that as he sees it, his right to flout that law as well?

[Guest kingfisher]

Originally posted by phil hackett:

Now that Kingfisher has admitted that he of the landed gentry class, I wonder whether he owns a gun and has a current firearms certificate for it?

Or is that as he sees it, his right to flout that law as well?

 

 

I do own a gun(rifle) and no I hven't got a fire arms certificate for it as it is not required. Can you tell me is it because I fish for food that upsets you or is it that I don't have a fishing license?

 

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Joeseph King.

Still waiting for the big one.

[Guest TheDacer]

Lots of people on here fish for food. I'm sure some people aren't into that - but it's no big deal.

 

I think people are annoyed because you are being tight over a mere £20.

 

This is so much the worse because you clearly have the money to afford to shoot and fish - and now you say you even own land too.

 

You seem to be proud of having the sort of selfish 'Thatcherite' attitude which has done so much harm to this country.

 

Ah well.. it takes all sorts!

 

 

 

 

[This message has been edited by TheDacer (edited 11 December 2001).]

[Guest salvelinus]

"In order to own firearms or purchase ammunition, sportsmen and women need to possess a shotgun certificate or firearms certificate (for rifles). The certificates are issued by the police after thorough investigation." BASC website

 

In addition the laws on fishing rights and access to rivers (and other waters) make it all quite clear about who has the right to throw a line for a fish in a river or any other water.

 

I think Kingfisher is trying to raise some hackles... Someone of his esteemed position is no doubt well aware of the legal matters here and is just stirring the pot.