fishing in rivers

[gareth1234]

the local byelaws pdf won't open on the EA website...nuts...i'm getting conflicting reports now that the river in question has provision for fishing from 25th march to 10th october for trout seasoon, fishing is suspended only from 10 - 25 th march inclusive!!!! whats bloody going on? the EA don't know for sure because i've rang them back...too much bloody red tape and rules me thinks...why not just say everything is banned or nothing is banned...don't make any sense to me.

 

so the bottom line is deffo no maggots, feeder etc...only fly/spin if it's permitted....correct?

Edited March 28, 2008 by gareth1234

[Jeff S]

Mine comes down to the local level where you can fish the river for trout (with the proper license for sea trout) with fly only during the close season. Have heard rumors about fishing with worm but then you have to prove you were only targeting non coarse species.

[lutra]

so the bottom line is deffo no maggots, feeder etc...only fly/spin if it's permitted....correct?

 

More or less, but i think you will find worming is permitted as well.

[Rusty]

so the bottom line is deffo no maggots, feeder etc...only fly/spin if it's permitted....correct?

Yes correct. It is confusing, I'm trying to establish which Regions byelaws apply to my area but if I'm correct the following applies.

 

6. Annual Close Season for Non-Migratory including Rainbow Trout

The annual Close Season for fishing for non-migratory trout with rod and line on all waters shall be the period between October 31st and April 3rd following. Dates not inclusive.

 

7. Prohibited Modes of Fishing

During the annual Close Season for freshwater fish (the period between March 14th and June 16th) no person shall fish with rod and line for salmon, migratory trout or non-migratory trout (including rainbow trout), other than with an artificial fly or lure, without the previous consent of the Agency in writing.

 

So after the 3rd April presumably I can go back to my local free stretch of river and fly fish or spin for the same brown trout I was catching three weeks ago on trotted maggot. I can also trot the river with a fly tied to look like a red maggot (not really in the spirit of the law that one).

 

I could see this leading to an awful lot of hassle, most people associate the close season with simply no fishing at all and I bet even the local Feds aren't totally clued up.

 

I'll stick to lakes for the next 11 weeks I think.

[Chris Plumb]

It's even more confusining in my neck of the woods (and 'nearly' yours Rusty) in that the Kennet and Avon Canal is classified as a river (strictly speaking The Kennet Navigation) and as such has a closed season - but only up as far as Kintbury. Same thing applies to part of the Lea Navigation too....

 

 

C.

[Peter Waller]

But won't you need a game licence for salmon and sea-trout etc?