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BFW poll on close season lift or extension.

Would you like to see the close season remain?

  • Yes, keep it as it is.

    Votes: 101 41.2%

  • No, a complete lift on ban.

    Votes: 79 32.2%

  • No, but a new one put in place with more suited start and end dates. (discuss options)

    Votes: 65 26.5%
  • Total voters
    245
mark, i still stp fishing whether its stillwater or canal or river and have done so since te 1st year the fisheries in the colne valley started trout fishing as a get around the problem of all year fishing, i enjoy the anticipation of tench fishing
on june 16th:)
 
Roger Carswell said:
I’d just like to reply briefly to Howard Cooke’s comments about my earlier post.

Howard, I think you’ve somehow got the wrong end of the stick. If you re-read what I wrote, you will see that I did not say that the closed season should be done away with so that the presence of anglers will act as a deterrent to predators.

The point I was trying to make, was that the E.A. presents the case that the closed season effectively protects spawning fish, but it conveniently turns a blind eye to, and therefore produces no legislation to control predation which is responsible for far more damage and fish deaths than anglers could ever inflict.

My personal opinion is that the closed season is for many reasons flawed (my earlier post explains some) and should be rescinded.

I see that the total number of votes cast so far, is 135 and yet the total number of views on the subject is 1,916 – so it could be argued that the poll is not truly representative since only a small number of anglers have actually voted.

More sensibly though – I’m sure we all appreciate that this whole debate is never going to be resolved in any realistic manner. It has however, given us all something to mull over whilst we wait in anticipation for the new season in June.
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Thanks Roger and I see where you are coming from. I couldn't see the direct relevance to the debate on whether or not the close season on rivers should be retained. Issues of predation are in many ways more complex involving other interested bodies and quite frankly I have no idea what level of resource the EA commit each year to ensuring adherence to the close season law- resource that might otherwise be deployed on other matters. The answer may be not much perhaps offering no major incentive for them to seek a change to the existing law.

Howard
 
Thanks for your reply Howard.
 
The closed season first started in the 1900's. It was an agreement between the Sheffield fishing clubs and the London fishing clubs that no coarse fishing would take place during fish spawning times to protect stocks..
In those days keepnets were not used and all fish caught in contests had to be killed to be weighed and in some cases probably eaten..
Well that's the original reason behind the closed season. I think we can safely now say, that things have moved on a bit in the last 100 years..
IMO it serves no purpose at all, it does not protect wildlife or more important protect fish stocks..
If you believe that the 16th is magical that's your choice, but again it is not a valid reason to keep a closed season..

Interesting fact, there are currently 2 groups of people who have strongly protested to the EA about scrapping the closed season, Canoists and boat organisations..
 
I love the way that people choose their own intrpretation of the results. I voted for the third option. I'll accept the retention of some form of closed season if it's proven to benefit fish. Most of the rest of the considerations are very minor or "smoke and mirror" irrelevances.

However, I'd rather it was abolished completely than retained for the sake of it. My vote is not one that opposes the abolition of the closed season, no matter how much people want to try to spin it. If politicians tried this kind of nonesense, people would be up in arms.;):D
 
I just like the closed season irrespective of the scientific evidence not yet collated, when fish such as pike or dace start to spawn, which nobody appears to pay any attention to, or nesting birds. Its great; a walk with the family, me pointing to chub, a shoal of dace or roach picked out by my eldest, a big perch skulking about or a huge barbel doing its thing. None of which we would witness together if it was not for the close season on rivers; except for spawning time.
It is a time for reflection and preperation by the true river angler. Lets leave the punishing schedule to the lake layabouts that have constant time to fish their chosen water.
The closed season is also a great leveller, with those putting in the effort during the layoff generally reaping the rewards, especially at the start.
As this is mostly about barbel, does anyone know what would happen should our splendid river fish be angled at full time? Think about it.
 
Julian Peacock said:
As this is mostly about barbel, does anyone know what would happen should our splendid river fish be angled at full time? Think about it.
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Come to the north east (the old Northumbria/Yorkshire water authority areas) with the dodgy old worm fishing for trout bye-law and barbel that frequently spawn after the opening day, you'd find out soon enough.
 
I am actually beginning to rethink my ideas on the closed season, purely because so much hot air gets blown around every year at this time, it must surely contribute enormously to global warming.

In fact, so many folk get SO hot under the collar at even the faintest whiff of criticism of their views on the issue (or, horror of horrors, make tongue in cheek comments about their thread on the subject :p)....I fear that a very real danger of spontaneous combustion exists :D:p

Cheers, Dave.
 
Robert Beal said:
they still allowing the trout /worm thing to go on then ?
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Yes, the bye-law is still extant. It's no real problem on the upper rivers, but people still extract the urine by fishing lower reaches where, though the odd one exists, it's a minor miracle to catch a trout. Naturally, many riparian owners, clubs, syndicates etc on the lower rivers write their own rules to stop it happening. Unfortunately, a few prominent ones don't. It does demonstrate that there doesn't have to be a law for the closed season. Riparian owners can make their own rules if they so wish.

It's a similar story to the misty eyed romanticism of June the 16th. I'm afraid I can't go with it because my nostalgic equivalent was June 1st. June the 16th didn't become a significant fishing date for the north east until the NRA and the single rod licence came into being. I'd not argue for one moment that unifying the dates, purely for clarity and ease of policing, wasn't a fine idea. However, the very fact that opening day used to be 1st of June up here highlights just how much of an unscientific fudge the closed season is.
 
dave, if you know the secret of spontaneous combustion please share the secret mate then i can get all the tax men to flare up:D:D:D
 
Leave it as it is. It was mentioned on here the other day that it's good to give the banks and the wildlife a rest, I totally agree with this. It's great when you get back out on opening day to fresh green cover on the banks and not trodden down vegetation and mud!
 
Hatter is right its not all about barbel.Steve give wild life a rest ? what about the walkers boats in fact every one else who uses the paths of the rivers not to mention the rivers had a rest all winter with the floods. Half the fish don't even spawn during close season its very dated. Has it made the canals and still waters worse ?.I bet the poachers having a field day
 
At least anglers 'pay' to be excluded from the rivers for 3 months of the year whereas most other users don't. Get shot (as I've said before).
Close season madness and the temple of stupidity!
Just a thought.....

Bob
 
We don't need anymore proof that a closed season on Rivers protects fish stocks.
What ever the real reasons are for Rivers declining the one conclusion I think we can safely say, is that it has nothing to do with closing Rivers from March 15th to June 16th..

At the very least IMO trials could be carried out over say 5 years..

Or better still let Angling clubs/owners of Rivers manage their own waters, in most cases this would only involve shutting down 100yrds max of river around where they are spawning. It cant be that hard, its not like theres multiple spawning grounds on many Rivers..:eek:
 
Craig Wood said:
Or better still let Angling clubs/owners of Rivers manage their own waters, in most cases this would only involve shutting down 100yrds max of river around where they are spawning. It cant be that hard, its not like there's multiple spawning grounds on many Rivers..:eek:
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Would that include after the 16th because it's not always the case now.
Really the hypocrisy of some anglers astounds me, how many would be happy to lob a bait into a shoal of spawning barbel at 12.01 on the 16th but are quite happy to keep a closed season.
Spawning fish need protecting whenever they do it and that's a matter for clubs and river management.
Can i just add there is also the question of third party interference of spawning beds.
 
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Im not jumping the gun am i or missing something But for those who voted for an 356 day fishing season do you think fishing while spawning is taking place is wise ?i thought the 3 month break covered mostly all species.

Quite suprised some folk who have posted on here for years now would vote for a 356 day season..perhaps minds have changed over the past few years.

Thoughts please -
 
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