Closed season, what's the point?

[Guest Ferret1959]

Well seen two 'anglers' fishing the river near me today.

There's bound to be more just carrying on throughout the closed season.

 

What can be done to educate folk about closed seasons on rivers or is it not worth it?

[Chris Plumb]

Hope you reported them to the EA!

 

 

C.

[lucky_]

Depends were they were on the river. If they were on the seaward side of the NTL line (Normal Tidal Limit) I don't think any restictions apply as this section of the river is not subjct to EA regulations as regards the closed season.

Edited March 16, 2007 by lucky_

[Anderoo]

Must be eel fishing!

[Guest Ferret1959]

Must be eel fishing!

 

 

Mmm spinning for eels..............maybe.

 

Hope you reported them to the EA!

 

 

C.

 

 

As say................?????????

 

Done it before and never heard a thing afterwards.

Even reported to the police and got the pi55 taken out of me.

 

Depends were they were on the river. If they were on the seaward side of the NTL line (Normal Tidal Limit) I don't think any restictions apply as this section of the river is not subjct to EA regulations as regards the closed season.

 

 

I think looking at my location may point to a clue.

 

 

 

The tide don't quite come in that far.

[Amodoro]

If you read the byelaws for Thames Region on the EA website carefully, there's nothing stopping you fishing for trout during the coarse close season with fly or lure (including spinners). Granted the trout season doesn't open until 1st April so there's no excuse for being on the river now. Although I have to say that in 30 years of fishing the Thames with lures I've caught only a handful of trout.

[Guest tigger]

What can be done to educate folk about closed seasons on rivers or is it not worth it?

 

 

It's not worth it. Personally I can't see a problem with fishing the year round. It just means there's a flood of fishermen hammering the rivers when the season opens. If the fish are treated as they should be when caught then it won't do any damage to them.

[Leon Roskilly]

Depends were they were on the river. If they were on the seaward side of the NTL line (Normal Tidal Limit) I don't think any restictions apply as this section of the river is not subjct to EA regulations as regards the closed season.

 

 

It's not where you fish that matters, it's what you are fishing for.

 

For coarse fish, eels, salmon and trout, EA regulations apply out to the 6mile limit.

 

See correspondance below (although it refers specifically to the need for a rod licence, it also applies to all other EA fishing regulations including close seasons).

 

A Rod Licence is required when fishing for freshwater fish, eels, Salmon or Sea Trout anywhere in England or Wales and out to 6 miles at sea.

 

Any angler deemed to be fishing for these whether in marine, tidal or freshwater will need to ensure they are licenced for them, whether or not they have caught.

 

For enforcement, the Agency will consider whether the angler is fishing at a location and with a method liable to catch these species.

 

If so they will enforce the licence requirement.

 

Regards

 

William Fawcett

Environment Agency

Public Enquiries Co-ordinator

Head Office Operations, Executive Office

01454 624411

We the NFSA fought for years on this front, because as you rightly interperet there is no distinction in the Salmon and Freshwater Act 1975 between eels, Anguilla anguilla a or Conger conger caught in the sea or in fresh water.

 

However in July 1996 after much pressure from us, the EA secured a piece of legislation which in fact created Excusals from the Licensing of Eel fishing in tidal and Estuarial Waters in England and Wales.

 

These are predetermined lines set, where suitable, in most estuaries at the High Water Mark but others are at predetermined lines for each river and generally are where the salt water and freshwater meet and we have a list of these.

 

In practice this means that any angler fishing for eels in the sea will be excused the need for a licence

[zedhead]

The point of the close season is that it gives the fish some time to recover from the pressures exerted on them by modern angling practices, I personally feel that there should be a longer close season every 3rd or 4th year perhaps with the fishing on rivers restricted to a few months in an extended close season year. Im sure we would see the benefits of such a sanction, I know I would be willing to have a short season occasionaly for an overall increase in fish numbers, health and catches.

 

What do you think guys, would you miss a season every 3rd or 4th year and fish on stillwaters for that year?

[flumpy]

reading the post ill be alright fishing in river humber then it only applys to freshwater does it as r/humber is for sea fishing