Can I see your Rod Licence ?

[Lastcast]

Just a follow on from the guy being fined/banned, I was trying to recall when I was last asked to produce a Rod Licence or when I saw any Environment Agency enforcement officers. It has to be at least 20 years ago, now I know Suffolk is not a hot bed of angling but that's a long time. Have I just been unfortunate !!? What are your expierences ?

[kleinboet]

But this is par for the course! I have had a licence every year for the past 20 years and have been asked for it ONCE! BUT don't have one and...............

[oneillbox]

we cant complain too much about the cost anyway, 20 odd quid is good value for the year, although i do think the rod licence should last for 1 calendar year after it was purchased.

[terry t shirt]

For some of us that remember when you had the different water authorities its meant the license for me is cheaper than it was 20 yrs ago. I use to buy 2 anglian rod licenses (single rod back then) £6

and 2 thames think that was £10 for 2 rods , where i fished was on borders (which changed depending which guy came round) so needed both areas and if you fished away from your area on holiday etc a 14 day license.

Now 20 odd quid for 2 rods anywhere in country.

 

Btw i havnt seen an ea official other than at a national for about 18 yrs since i started fishing club waters which werent day ticket, On that point i think it should be part of the ea law to purchase a club book you produce rod license.

[UK-Fishing-Tackle.co.uk]

Bout time they pulled their finger out and allowed Direct Debit payments - I admit micro-payments of £2 per month are unecomical, but quarterly payments should be do-able, and for some people this would be a welcome break on the 'up-front' fee.

 

Take a family with three kids and a dad (sexist I know), kids being 13,15 and 16 - it's basically about 70 quid up front. True, EXCELLENT VALUE for a years entertainment, but some people don't have that much money to lose all at once. A quarterly direct debit system would be beneficial for them AND also very benefical for the EA, since it takes out the need to remember to renew, hopefully increasing revenue over time.

 

Then again, maybe I am just thinking like a businessman and not a government body designed to look after the environment WHO I personally feel treat fishing as a bit of a 2nd grade priority. If you check my posts it's probably the 100th time I've said this but we need a FISHERIES BODY responsible for licensing both coarse and sea angling (don't moan sea anglers, if done properly revenue generated could be used to buffer commercials OFF the coast making which would certainly improve the sport). Their remit should be fishing, fishing rules, fishing research, fishing education and river stocking.

 

The EA should take their responsibility to manage the rivers in terms of cleanliness JUST AS PART OF THEIR REMIT - because frankly it is what they are there for anyway. Rivers are used by boaters, fishermen, water companies, farmers SO it's a nationwide responsibility for their upkeep.

 

Ho hum....

[UK-Fishing-Tackle.co.uk]

OH

 

And commercial venues should be forced to operate site wide licensing where you can fish without an EA license (before anyone starts these do exist, there is one in between Paignton and Totnes, but thats the only one I know of off the top of my head, and I live 300 miles away).

 

By doing this it takes the responsibility away from baliffs to police commercials (i.e. less work) meaning the same amount of people can police rivers (i.e. more productivity). The licence for fishing could be renamed a 'rivers/canals licence' effectively. THIS WOULD ALSO BE GOOD FOR TOURISM since it means commercials can let people fish without any license required (also good for one off fishermen, teaching etc). Before any lake owners moan, this could be done through some registered pay as they fish (I'll patent PATF now), effectively charged as a quid or so on your average day ticket.

 

Again, when you do the maths a guaranteed pound off every commercial fisherman each day would probably amount to more over the year than licensing the same volume of anglers, because the facts are at most venues upto half the people may not have a license at all!

[poledark]

Only one problem with making fishery owners responsible, assuming they will add the cost on to the ticket price.......................................that would mean I have to pay extra for every different place I fish, and that WILL end up costing us all a damn site more than the one off licence fee.

 

 

The sensible answer is to do away with licencing fishing altogether and funding water management from general taxation. Bl####y gov't, they will licence dog walking if they thought they could get away with it!

 

Den

[merlino bill]

OI OI,

Funny that poledark i can remember when we had dog licence's 7s 6d, not dog walkers you understand but a licence to keep a dog not now i dont think many people bought them so the goverment just gave up, i would like to see ALL dog's microchipped & bring back the old dog catchers not 1 to cover the whole of newcastle & dogs roaming get picked up & if they have a chip take them back to the owner & fine him £60-00 no chip put them down there & then, kids will be safer & it would get some of the crap of the pavements.

sorry i went off topic there a bit well rant over.

 

[bluerinse]

funny thing happened to me in October.

 

I had not had mine checked for about 15 years.

I woke up one sunday Morning and told my wife, I just dremt I will have my rod licence checked today.

 

I got to the bank and had not even set up when I heard good morning sir Im from the EA, can I see your rod Licence.

 

weird or what?

[chesters1]

1969 ish in the kent championships ,and that probably only because there were plenty of anglers to check ,they did visit the pond last year which was surprising as its pretty hard to find. i wasent fishing at the time and arrived just as they left.

even out of the 4 anglers one old chap had "forgotten" to renew his!

 

they could stop those unlicenced anglers most of the time if they had to produce their licence on buying a permit or day ticket ,but on the other hand why should they thats what the EA has to do after all its their money their losing.

Edited February 14, 2007 by chesters1