It Actually Happened - My Rod Licence Was Checked!

[Leon Roskilly]

Jim Gibbinson:

Thanks Graham and Leon. As I said, it's purely an academic question in my case, and in practical terms probably irrelevant anyway because I doubt that the situation would arise in brackish or estuarine waters (let alone "up to six miles out to sea!") Interesting, though.

But then having a licence doesn't cover you for catching roach in the river during the closed season!

 

Tight Lines - leon

[Jim Gibbinson]

True, Leon! But as the roach to which you are referring were caught by accident while fishing for mullet, and were returned unharmed to the river, I'm not expecting a late-night knock on my door from the paramilitary wing of the E.A.!

[Vagabond]

It could be even worse if you are flyfishing for mullet in an estuary known to contain sea-trout.

 

No EA bailiff is going to believe you

 

As I hold one salmon/seatrout/trout/coarse licence and one trout/coarse licence the question does not arise - but it could be awkward for those that do not.

 

BTW those two licences entitle me to use up to four rods for coarse fish -

 

Question - by the same reasoning, would that entitle me to use two rods for non-migratory trout ? (not that I want to - just curious)

[Guest sslatter]

Hi Vagabond..my local river Itchen is one such river: mullet, bass, salmon, and sea trout all share the estuary. While mulleting last April I saw the biggest freshwater fish I've ever seen in the flesh: a salmon or sea trout kelt that drifted slowly past my float about 6 feet from the edge. I had a really good look at it for about a minute as I walked along with it. It was in a really bad way, half the skin from its flanks had gone, and there were bloody cracks in the flesh, but it was every inch of 50 inches long. Had it been in prime condition, it would have gone 30-35lb I'm sure. Probably a salmon, but not out of the question to have been a sea trout.. they do grow very large in the estuary, and the british record of 28 lb-odd was caught not a million miles away along the coast.

The only time I ever heard of the EA checking anyone on the tidal side of Woodmill was when some very naughty childish anglers ( ) saw a friend of theirs flyfishing for salmon (fully licenced I might add) about three hundred yards downstream of the dam. So these very naughty anglers found an EA Bailiff on the freshwater stretch and told him there was someone possibly poaching just down river.

If only I could have seen this bailiff's face after he'd shot off downstream and rushed up to said angler, to find..the recently-retired Head Bailiff for the area!

 

Jim G.. thanks for the thanks but I can't claim credit for the 6 mile info. I cadged it from an earlier post by Leon R, so it's all his credit. Aren't I honest?

 

BTW Can you lend us a tenner? I'm good for it..really.

 

[ 16. February 2005, 11:10 AM: Message edited by: Graham X ]

[Vagabond]

Graham X:

every inch of 50 inches long. Had it been in prime condition, it would have gone 30-35lb -

...and the rest! A 50" salmon if fit, fat and full of spawn should weigh over 40 lb. Any vacancies for salmon fishers down there ?

 

Loved the story of the ex-head bailiff.

[Brian Carragher]

I've had my licence checked five times as the EA baliffs are (when the money is available to pay the part time staff) quite busy on the Tees and surrounding areas. When I was fishing one of our local wier pools someone came down and engaged in casual conversation, Have you caught anything,whats in the water , how long have you been down ,have you got a rod licence.

Yes I replied 'why'

I'm a baliff he responded,so I said if you're a baliff you'll have your warrant card with you then , can I have a look at it. Same fellow had to look in every pocket before he found it and then I produced mine. After production of my licence I told him that he's supposed to produce his warrant card before asking for mine ,needless to say he didnt stay long after that.

Got to say that the part time EA baliffs seem to have a better approach to the job than the full timers Ive met

[Jim Gibbinson]

Re. sea trout. I've seen them in the Medway - a couple of salmon, too (I'm assuming they were salmon because of their size). I've tried fly fishing for mullet. Mullet aren't classified as coarse fish (are they?) so presumably I don't need a licence to fish for them; that said, I have a licence (two actually) for "coarse fish and non-migratory trout", so I'm okay whatever the mullet's classification. An E.A. bailiff could, I suppose, argue that by fly fishing I am fishing in a manner that could result in the capture of a sea trout or a salmon, notwithstanding the fact that my chances of hooking one are the poor side of zero! Be an interesting situation, I reckon! I'd welcome the opportunity to argue that one in court!

[Dick Dastardly]

"Got to say that the part time EA baliffs seem to have a better approach to the job than the full timers Ive met "

 

I didnt know the EA employed part time bailiffs.The ones that used to be employed by the old NRA were in general nothing more than glorified dog walkers! had a lot of problems with them on a private syndicate I used to run.

[Brian Carragher]

Funny enough budgie the full time baliff reffered to above was from the old NRA. In the North East region the EA do employ part time baliffs but they do seem to have a problem allocating money to them, some years they employ part timers and the following year there is no money in the budget so therefore no licence checks. One of the part timers is a fireman in his real job

[Steve Burke]

Elton, I expect the EA read that you hadn't been fishing for so long that maybe you'd forgotten to buy a licence!

 

Jim, a Justice of the Peace in court. Whatever next?