The Broads

[Elton]

Posted on behalf of Simon:

 

quote:

---

I am planning on cruising on

the broads for a week or so next week, I understand that it is close season however are you still allowed to fish with lures / spinners for pike? what licence do you require?

 

Thanks in advance of your reply.

 

Simon

---

[Norfolkdan]

I don't think so mate. You may be allowed too fly fish though.

 

Sorry I can't be of much help

[Peter Waller]

No you can't. To be quite blunt about it, Simon, if you have to ask whether you may lure fish for pike during the close season then I suspect that your angling knowledge is insufficient to be pike fishing anyway! There are a few carp waters accessible from the river. I suggest that you get a copy of John Wilsons Where to Fish on the Norfolk Broads. As has been suggested you may flyfish, with a suitable licence for migratory trout.

 

Broadland pike probably need the close season more than any other species, if only to stop the constant hammering that this delicate species has to endure. Why do you think that pike might be exempt from the close season?

 

Afraid that inexperienced holiday makers chasing 'our' pike is a bit of a moot point amongst the Broadland natives. Mind you, we do, mostly, welcome those who know what they are doing, during the season!!

 

[ 13. May 2005, 08:40 AM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]

[Cpt Si Bli]

Peter,

 

That was rather harse, I have fished since the age of four, now 30. The problem is I live and work out of West africa so I have not fished for probably 5 years or more. I normally fish for carp but my favourite is tench. I wish the fish here bite as much as you. This was my first mail and thanks you have made me feel welcome.

 

A very experianced angler!!

[Cpt Si Bli]

harsh

[j_s]

Peter has put some valid info in there as well Simon. He assumed wrongly and you have now put him straight.

[Peter Waller]

Cpt Si Bli:

harsh

Hi Simon, welcome to AN!

 

I'm sorry that you saw my comments as harsh. Perhaps it was, but I still think my point was valid. As was my question as to why the pike should be considered exempt from the close season restrictions.

 

The holiday trade is part of the Broads, part of the heritage of the Broads. But it comes at a cost, and that cost is the damage to the fishery by people who don't know better, and often don't care.

 

To be fair to me, your question does come over as being from someone who doesn't know the answer to a question that, I think, quite reasonably, shouldn't need to be asked by an experienced, UK based angler.

 

I am sorry that I have assumed wrongly, you have explained your situation, and I stand corrected. But if you saw as many pike killed by ignorance, and often by holiday makers, as I have then you might also 'bite' just as I did.

 

[ 13. May 2005, 05:42 PM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]

[Cpt Si Bli]

Peter,

 

Unfortunately I have only had the pleasure of fishing for pike during my numerous bream fishing holidays in ireland. I am a very keen angler and totally forgot about the closed season when I purchased my boat on the river yare last week. I was looking for any reason to throw in a line as it's been sooooo long. Unfortunately I only get the chance to fish twisr a year and it hurts!! I'm sure you no the urge! The reason I questioned if pike fishing was included in the closed season is I'm sure I can recall that where I was brought up in Yorkshire you still could fish for pike (Not that I did) during close season. I will fish on lakes near my fathers house in staffordshire for carp so my trip to the UK will not be wasted. I thank God that there are people like yourself (I am the same) who care so much about fish and continue to look out for there intrests.

 

I have never fly fished but I am seriously considering it as it is my only option this time in the UK. Any advise on where might be worth a try (Luckily my father is a mad fisherman and has nearly every type of tackle including fly rods, reels and flies).

 

 

Cpt Si Bli

[GlennB]

Cpt Si Bli:

Peter,

 

That was rather harse ...

Hello Simon, and welcome to AN !

 

If Peter's response seems harsh, then maybe it needs to be put in context.

 

We have many debates here about the rights and wrongs of the close season, and to be sure it's a messy and sometimes illogical business.

 

What gets up most noses, however, is people who take the mickey to find ways round the river close season. People fish with worms, lures, mega-flies etc on waters that have barely seen a trout in the last decade and claim they're "targetting" the trout. Some clubs even (I gather) stock a few trout and folks freely catch the pike, chub, perch etc during the close season using those few trout as their excuse.

 

Meanwhile, the EA seem half asleep about such abuses of the close season and fail to police it adequately, if at all.

 

In short, the whole business raises a lot of hackles, and they're easily raised.

 

regards,

 

Glenn

[Cpt Si Bli]

Glenn,

 

It takes this forum and people like Peter, to ensure that the rivers get fished only at suitable times to enable nature to take it's coarse and giving fish time to bread, from a british man who has been out of the country for almost seven years I have seen a massive decline in many things including law, law prevention and policeing. I can assure you that being a fish lover myself, being brought up to unhook and take care of fish properly people found breaking the laws of the river's will be reported and dealt with appropriately (Or just thrown overboard). So long as people continue to care about our river's and the fish stocks we continue to battle the careless. I beleive I have found a forum to discuss the art of fishing, the love of nature and hopefully be able to teach people about the ways of west africa. My wife still can not understand the tales I have of the 3am starts for tench, only to throw them back.