Closed season, what's the point?

[Neil G]

The closed season was brought in to project stocks at a time when it was common to take fish for the table. These days the situation is very different with the vast majority of stillwaters being grossly overstocked and thus not needing such protection (and I'm not talking about just commercials here). Thus there's no scientific reason to have a stillwater closed season to protect the fish themselves. I'll come back to the other issues later.

 

On the other hand the stock density on rivers is much lower. In fact, unlike most of their stillwater cousins, these fish need to breed to sustain their populations. They therefore need protection at spawning time, especially as on many rivers the fish travel to the same areas each year, where they're particularly vulnerable to angling pressure.

 

For the above reason I'm in favour of a closed season on rivers.

 

Additionally on rivers the fishing rights on adjacent stretches, or even opposite banks, may be owned by a multitude of different people/organisation, and what one does will effect his neighbour. It's therefore impractical to have different closed seasons imposed by different owners. Thus there's an argument for a national closed season with fixed dates on our rivers.

 

With the exception of large waters like the Broads, stillwaters normally have just one owner. Moreover there's a wide variation in stocking policies, angling pressure etc. On some waters a closed season would be beneficial, on others it wouldn't.

 

Therefore on stillwaters I'm very firmly of the opinion that any decision on whether to have a closed season should be decided by the fishery managers themselves - and certainly not the government.

 

For instance, on my own gravel pits at Wingham there's so little pressure by anyone, let alone anglers, that a closed season has little practical benefit to the fish, the bankside or the wildlife. I know this to be true because when the statutory closed season on stillwaters was abolished I kept it for the first year. The second year I had a winter closed season on one lake, a conventional closed season on the other. There was no measurable effect on either the fish or the wildlife. Indeed, there was a benefit in not having a closed season as, although the overall population remained unchanged, birds didn't nest in the few popular swims and thus didn't have a sudden disturbance on June 16th.

 

Having said this, I did impose a short closed season on the Coarse Lake at Wingham as from last year. The dates will vary from year to year but will be always be for the 2 weeks immediately after the bream spawn. This is because at this time (not before they spawn), big bream are especially vulnerable, and there is always some natural mortality at this time. The problem though doesn’t seem to happen with other species.

 

All of the above is based upon science rather than emotion.

 

Of course there’s the emotional argument in favour of a closed season from those who like the romance of opening day and the break itself. If they choose not to fish then that’s their loss and their choice. It’s one I have some sympathy with and certainly respect.

 

What I won’t tolerate though is any attempt by them or anyone else to change the law so that my own choice is restricted. In particular I’ll fight tooth and nail to be able to manage my own fishery in the way I think is best. In fact, such interference is one of the few things that gets me hot under the collar!

 

I feel that the present situation is a very workable compromise, as well as being good science. The romantics have a closed season on the rivers, whilst most stillwaters are open for those of us who want to coarse fish through some of the best months of the year.

 

Some good points there

 

I agree a lot of commercials are grossly overstocked but it still doesn't stop the same old pasties being caught over and over again.....but i suppose that is a different issue.

 

I live very close to the Avon so it is a bit of a shame when the close season comes round but that's just the way it is.

[dant]

'Closed season, whats the point?'

 

Apparently a sentiment shared by a couple of chaps I encountered last Friday.

 

On a trip to Derbyshire to visit my mother, I decided to take have a walk along the two D's, The Dove and The Derwent....

Walked for a mile or so along the Dove at Tutbury and didn't see a soul, not even a dog walker...

Drove up to The Derwent at Whatsandwell by the Derwent Hotel to find two fella's packing up at about 2 p.m... They didn't look like the types to be able to successfully pull off the 'oh sorry I didn't realise there was a close season e.t.c e.t.c being as they were loaded up with pretty flashy seatboxes, holdalls and all the kit...

 

Bad News... Rules are rules for all..

[GlennB]

Chris - I think one thing that continues to fuel this particular debate is the absence of one shred of hard evidence that the closed season is beneficial to the fish as coarse angling is done in the UK these days.

 

Agreed.

 

Also, here's a little quiz - consider a very decent coarse river (for example my local, the Bristol Avon). What %age of the "coarse" section (i.e. non trout-preserved) is :

1. Theoretically available for fishing (free, or an AA has the rights)

2. Accessible (as above, plus you can - reasonably - get to the waterside and people bother to hike that far)

3. Actually fished (as above, plus people find that swim fishable)

 

My wild guess is roughly 20, 5, 2.

2% of the water on the 'coarse' Bristol Avon actually gets fished?

[jimmyh]

Closed season gives me the chance to make up lost time from my wife and kids!