BFW poll on close season lift or extension.

[Graham Elliott]

Hi Jeff.
I think we all have to agree that we do damage fish sometimes.
Through poor handling from inexperienced anglers, to tethered fish etc. This with the best intentions.

Probably more than we realise. I would suggest most of us have seen a fish float by at some stage.

Do we really need to let the fish be caught when they are at their weakest and most vunerable.

Why risk more damage to the precious river stock?

Glad you agree, like so many, that nature needs a recovery period.

 

[Jeff Collins]

Hi Jeff.
I think we all have to agree that we do damage fish sometimes.
Through poor handling from inexperienced anglers, to tethered fish etc. This with the best intentions.

Probably more than we realise. I would suggest most of us have seen a fish float by at some stage.

Do we really need to let the fish be caught when they are at their weakest and most vunerable.

Why risk more damage to the precious river stock?

Glad you agree, like so many, that nature needs a recovery period.

Graham, wise words. Good education about fishing is essential and not just about catching. More so on the fishes environment and breeding. Learning more about these will eventually catch you more fish.

 

[Simon Harper]

I voted for a end to the Closed Season. Why ? The Closed Season is obviously not fit for purpose.
Fish don't stop spawning on June 15th ever.
Anglers have little or no impact on riverside flora or fauna during their piscatorial activities.
Are there any other valid reasons for the retention of the Closed Season?Thirteen pages of discussion on the thread alone suggests not to me.
Last July I caught two particular barbel in a two week period during which time the water levels were quite low. Those barbel took a considerable amount of time to recover compared to norm. Not that unusual I would think. Whether oxygen levels were particularly low or they had just spawned I do not know but I cant help thinking that a two month Closed Season running from mid May to mid July would be more effective in protecting our fish stocks that the current one.
Happy angling everyone.

 

[Neil Smart]

I voted for a end to the Closed Season. Why ? The Closed Season is obviously not fit for purpose.
Fish don't stop spawning on June 15th ever.
Anglers have little or no impact on riverside flora or fauna during their piscatorial activities.
Are there any other valid reasons for the retention of the Closed Season?Thirteen pages of discussion on the thread alone suggests not to me.
Last July I caught two particular barbel in a two week period during which time the water levels were quite low. Those barbel took a considerable amount of time to recover compared to norm. Not that unusual I would think. Whether oxygen levels were particularly low or they had just spawned I do not know but I cant help thinking that a two month Closed Season running from mid May to mid July would be more effective in protecting our fish stocks that the current one.
Happy angling everyone.

Yes perhaps that might be the better dates for close season, but the problem is the purpose of close season was not for the improvement of the coarse stock, it was merely to keep us 'Oiks' off the game beats. If anyone doubts that then why is there no restrictions on canals or still water?

 

[Alex Gowney]

I voted for a end to the Closed Season. Why ? The Closed Season is obviously not fit for purpose.
Fish don't stop spawning on June 15th ever.
Anglers have little or no impact on riverside flora or fauna during their piscatorial activities.
Are there any other valid reasons for the retention of the Closed Season?Thirteen pages of discussion on the thread alone suggests not to me.
Last July I caught two particular barbel in a two week period during which time the water levels were quite low. Those barbel took a considerable amount of time to recover compared to norm. Not that unusual I would think. Whether oxygen levels were particularly low or they had just spawned I do not know but I cant help thinking that a two month Closed Season running from mid May to mid July would be more effective in protecting our fish stocks that the current one.
Happy angling everyone.

I think this post sums up a lot of differing opinions. Most appreciate the need to let fish spawn in peace but as Simon points out, fish don't spawn by the calender. June often produces post spawning weak fish and I have always felt the closed season perhaps started too soon and finished too soon.

 

[Graham Young]

How can it be right to want to keep the c/s for rivers but on the other hand fish still waters for species like Tench with every possibility that they will be near to spawning? perhaps someone could explain?

 

[Graham Elliott]

Simon and Alex. I wouldn't disagree that the close season cant possibly be a catch all date.

So many annual variables according to temperature and river conditions. But it probably covers most species as well as any dates. Being a barbel angler for much of the time I would selfishly extend to end of June.

 

[Craig Hunt]

Yes perhaps that might be the better dates for close season, but the problem is the purpose of close season was not for the improvement of the coarse stock, it was merely to keep us 'Oiks' off the game beats. If anyone doubts that then why is there no restrictions on canals or still water?

But there again in might not. Perch and pike spawn earlier than other species, and they get forgotten during these debates on the moving of the closed season. On my local canals the perch were spawning the first week of the closed season

 

[Joe Fletcher]

If there is evidence to suggest that fish are spawning in to June/July ? and we as Anglers care about fish welfare ?

What is to stop Angling Clubs , Assocations and syndicates from extending the close season on there waters to say the middle of July ?

 

[Graham Young]

If there is evidence to suggest that fish are spawning in to June/July ? and we as Anglers care about fish welfare ?

What is to stop Angling Clubs , Assocations and syndicates from extending the close season on there waters to say the middle of July ?

On all syndicates I have belonged to that is what has happened, as soon as there was any sign of spawning angling was stopped, it worked and nobody complained.

 

[Alex Gowney]

On all syndicates I have belonged to that is what has happened, as soon as there was any sign of spawning angling was stopped, it worked and nobody complained.

Seems a logical compromise if it was universally observed but commercialism would suggest that's unlikely

 

[Paul Bassinder]

What an arrogant post Paul.

Anyone that doesn't agree with your view (and some others) is apparently wrong and can't see the sense of others opinions.

Yet the poll clearly shows that by far the majority don't agree with the lifting of the close season.

So arrogantly....in the same vein....

Maybe the simple view is that those that want it to be ended have motives including being a sponsored angler, making tackle to sell or simple selfishness.

No doubt in the future you'll be happy to go back to that muddy, grassless patch of earth you call a swim, that never recovers, then you can make the mistake of foul hooking that shoal of spawning fish as you cast over them. And of course, pop any gravid fish into a keepnet and watch the spawn sink to the bottom of the net.

Once upon a time anglers on BFW didn't want barbel in muddy puddles, once upon a time the majority on here supported a river close season. I'm glad they still do.

The I want it now, and sod the consquences boys still have some time to wait. And thank goodness for that.

Graham

Graham,

Yes it was an arrogant post and it was meant to be to see if I got the typical replies form those people who take such arrogant words literally.

The point I'm making is that if TOTALLY IRREFUTABLE evidence could be put before you that the c/l did not harm fish or the environment, and that it had an overall beneficial effect supporters of the c/l would STILL want it kept as is.

Paul

 

[Alex Gowney]

Graham,

Yes it was an arrogant post and it was meant to be to see if I got the typical replies form those people who take such arrogant words literally.

The point I'm making is that if TOTALLY IRREFUTABLE evidence could be put before you that the c/l did not harm fish or the environment, and that it had an overall beneficial effect supporters of the c/l would STILL want it kept as is.


And of all those who want to do away with it I wonder how many of them would change their stance if TOTALLY IRREFUTABLE evidence was put before them that the closed season benefited fish and the waterside environment? You can safely bet just as many of them would STILL want it done away with

 

[Paul Bassinder]

Alex,

WRONG!!

If someone could present irrefutable evidence to me that doing away with the c/l would have a net detrimental effect on fish and their environment then I, and many like me, would accept it as fact and comply.

Paul

 

[Graham Young]

Graham,

Yes it was an arrogant post and it was meant to be to see if I got the typical replies form those people who take such arrogant words literally.

The point I'm making is that if TOTALLY IRREFUTABLE evidence could be put before you that the c/l did not harm fish or the environment, and that it had an overall beneficial effect supporters of the c/l would STILL want it kept as is.


And of all those who want to do away with it I wonder how many of them would change their stance if TOTALLY IRREFUTABLE evidence was put before them that the closed season benefited fish and the waterside environment? You can safely bet just as many of them would STILL want it done away with

Alex I doubt if that would be a safe bet, I would like to think that if there was evidence that the c/s was beneficial then most anglers would accept that.

The problem is that there is no evidence either way, the only thing that is definite about the c/s is that the reason for it coming into being is no longer there as the vast majority of anglers return their catch.

One thing is for sure that the c/s has not done anything to arrest the decline in the quality of river fishing although I have a feeling that if everything else that is wrong with our rivers was corrected abolishing the c/s would have very little effect.

If all other problems were corrected ( not going to happen though) would any of the pro c/s anglers change their views or would they still want to hold on to the c/s purely for sentimental reasons?

 

[Graham Elliott]

Graham. Yes the rivers generally are in a pretty poor state regards recruitment. Thats one of the reasons I believe allowing fishing when they are spawning would only hasten the decline possibly.

It certainly couldn't improve fishing could it!

I have a certain bias as being retired I have plenty of time to fish so the 3 months isn't a real problem to me.

But I also love to watch fish spawning on the gravels and the thought that someone could be fishing and disturbing them abhors me. I appreciate on some rivers this is not possible so a voluntary code would be impractical.
Graham

 

[Graham Young]

Graham. Yes the rivers generally are in a pretty poor state regards recruitment. Thats one of the reasons I believe allowing fishing when they are spawning would only hasten the decline possibly.

It certainly couldn't improve fishing could it!

I have a certain bias as being retired I have plenty of time to fish so the 3 months isn't a real problem to me.

But I also love to watch fish spawning on the gravels and the thought that someone could be fishing and disturbing them abhors me. I appreciate on some rivers this is not possible so a voluntary code would be impractical.
Graham

That's my biggest problem with the c/s, the fact that its only anglers that are stopped from doing what they enjoy most. others are allowed to carry on doing their thing whether it disturbs spawning fish or other flora/fauna or not.

 

[Alex Gowney]

Alex,

WRONG!!

If someone could present irrefutable evidence to me that doing away with the c/l would have a net detrimental effect on fish and their environment then I, and many like me, would accept it as fact and comply.

Paul

Paul

You are missing the point. It seems you are allowed to make assumptions about people but nobody else is. How do you know I'm wrong? If the situation hasn't arisen you have no way at all of knowing who's right and who's wrong. In opinions Paul, there are no rights and wrongs. They are simply opinions.

 

[John Walker]

i have spent around 60 years fishing and have never once regarded the close season as being too much to bear and know full well that most wives look forward to it to get their husbands doing things that get neglected during fishing season, to me its selfishness to want to do away with it, the only reason the fisheries got the close season done away with was for pure financial greed and also got the weight of the tackle manufacturers behind them for their financial concerns too, any other reason given was/is pure twaddle it was money talking out loud

 

[Craig Hunt]

the only reason the fisheries got the close season done away with was for pure financial greed and also got the weight of the tackle manufacturers behind them for their financial concerns too, any other reason given was/is pure twaddle it was money talking out loud

I agree John