• You need to be a registered member of Barbel Fishing World to post on these forums. Some of the forums are hidden from non-members. Please refer to the instructions on the ‘Register’ page for details of how to join the new incarnation of BFW...

E A. can they be bothered

The last two posts illustrate perfectly why the close season is totally out of date.
The only people who could possibly police that amount of water are the anglers themselves, i.e. those with a vested interest in protecting the stocks from the unscrupulous and the unlicenced. However; as it stands at the moment we are left with a situation where the very people who could be the guardians of the fish stocks are prevented from doing so at the time when the fish are at there most vulnerable to being taken.

Anglers should/could still police this as you say...but why do you need to take a fishing rod to do it?
Obviously, there is nothing in it for them, so they won't do it volunteerily!
 
We're not all like you Ray, some of us have other priorities and find other things to do during the close, like fishing a lake or a canal or even, God forbid, for another species like a trout or salmon which is in season. You could just as easily say why don't golfers just go for a walk?
 
We're not all like you Ray, some of us have other priorities and find other things to do during the close, like fishing a lake or a canal or even, God forbid, for another species like a trout or salmon which is in season. You could just as easily say why don't golfers just go for a walk?
why don't golfers just go for a walk?[/QUOTE]


er..:confused:
why would they!
 
We're not all like you Ray, some of us have other priorities and find other things to do during the close, like fishing a lake or a canal or even, God forbid, for another species like a trout or salmon which is in season. You could just as easily say why don't golfers just go for a walk?

So really, the rivers are not a No1 protection priorty in the coarse close season.... unless of course...you can fish them! :)
 
ive stirred a hornets here havent i, this was honestly not my intention, but its great to see other peoples thoughts though.
 
So really, the rivers are not a No1 protection priorty in the coarse close season.... unless of course...you can fish them! :)


Those are your words Ray not mine.......And a poorly presented bait as well if you don't mind me saying so.

Tell me what good you think the close season actually does and what relevance it has today and I might be drawn into a debate with you.
 
I have never been challenged by an EA bailiff, but have been regularly challenged by my club bailiffs, including at the most far flung waters that they have (and long may that continue). However, the latter never ask to see my licence, only my membership card. On many occasions, (and more so in recent years) I have witnessed people being thrown off club waters for not being a member (hurrah). BUT do they have a valid licence as well? Probably not. It seems to me that the EA could, reasonably easily, collaborate more effectively with clubs in order to target resources more effectively by linking club membership to licences. For example if clubs were only able to accept new/renewal memberships/day tickets upon presentation of a valid licence (or even paying for the licence at the point of sale of the club membership/day ticket), both club membership and licences could be checked by jointly approved bailiffs. Those fishing without a membership card have the option on the bank of paying for an annual membership and licence in cash there and then, or get ejected AND reported for possible licence evasion. If it turns out they do not have a licence then they get the added benefit of a great big fine and an accompanying criminal record. If a percentage value of the fines levied were then directed back to those clubs that actively assist the EA (i.e. those reporting the incidents), then perhaps it becomes a win win position with the EA, clubs and honest members getting something back into the coffers from those committing the offences rather than costing us all money.
 
Dont see what its got to do with the merits of the close season, not that I agree with it.

The close season is no reason for anglers to stop being the guardians of the river. Its debatable if anglers are actually the guardians of the rivers, if it was the case peoples reasons for going fishing would be 2 fold: to catch fish and protect the river environment. I dont think most anglers think like this, just like golfers dont go golfing with the intentions of a) having a walk and b)hitting a nobbly little ball into a little hole. They just go to hit the ball in the hole.

Most anglers couldnt give a damn about guarding the welfare of the river or the fish, they just want to go fishing and catch fish- some of them all year. And why not!
 
I have never been challenged by an EA bailiff, but have been regularly challenged by my club bailiffs, including at the most far flung waters that they have (and long may that continue). However, the latter never ask to see my licence, only my membership card. On many occasions, (and more so in recent years) I have witnessed people being thrown off club waters for not being a member (hurrah). BUT do they have a valid licence as well? Probably not. It seems to me that the EA could, reasonably easily, collaborate more effectively with clubs in order to target resources more effectively by linking club membership to licences. For example if clubs were only able to accept new/renewal memberships/day tickets upon presentation of a valid licence (or even paying for the licence at the point of sale of the club membership/day ticket), both club membership and licences could be checked by jointly approved bailiffs. Those fishing without a membership card have the option on the bank of paying for an annual membership and licence in cash there and then, or get ejected AND reported for possible licence evasion. If it turns out they do not have a licence then they get the added benefit of a great big fine and an accompanying criminal record. If a percentage value of the fines levied were then directed back to those clubs that actively assist the EA (i.e. those reporting the incidents), then perhaps it becomes a win win position with the EA, clubs and honest members getting something back into the coffers from those committing the offences rather than costing us all money.

like it, joined up thinking, but ...:D
 
Dont see what its got to do with the merits of the close season, not that I agree with it.

The close season is no reason for anglers to stop being the guardians of the river. Its debatable if anglers are actually the guardians of the rivers, if it was the case peoples reasons for going fishing would be 2 fold: to catch fish and protect the river environment. I dont think most anglers think like this, just like golfers dont go golfing with the intentions of a) having a walk and b)hitting a nobbly little ball into a little hole. They just go to hit the ball in the hole.

Most anglers couldnt give a damn about guarding the welfare of the river or the fish, they just want to go fishing and catch fish- some of them all year. And why not!

Most anglers couldnt give a damn about guarding the welfare of the river or the fish, they just want to go fishing and catch fish


the same people who then moan about no fish left in the river, coarse anglers pay tiny amounts for a club card compared to game anglers, £200 a day, then expect the clubs they join to do all the policing, all the maintenance work, i walk the river when i can, other members do so to, some have found long lines, some have told poachers to bugger off.
the EA and clubs cannot do it all.
 
I'n all the years on the teme Severn warks Avon and midlands pools
I have never laid eyes on one,
And last year I went on a friends boat from stourport to upton and counted 23 anglers fishing I'n the closed season ,
Unbelievable really
 
I'n all the years on the teme Severn warks Avon and midlands pools
I have never laid eyes on one,
And last year I went on a friends boat from stourport to upton and counted 23 anglers fishing I'n the closed season ,
Unbelievable really

Not necessarily illegally though, possibilities:
Migratory trout
Salmon
Non-migratory trout
And of course Anguilla anguilla (eel).:rolleyes:

Not sure about the legalities of purposely targeting shad??
 
And last year I went on a friends boat from stourport to upton and counted 23 anglers fishing I'n the closed season ,
Unbelievable really
So that would be directly passing through the major Salmon fisheries for the spring run Salmon, which are in season. The various spots from Holt Fleet, Diglis, down to Tewkesbury weir are pretty much the most likely places on the whole river you can go to meet a bailiff whilst fishing in the coarse close season, for the reason that just about the most likely people to ring up and report illegal angling are Salmon anglers who will be out and about at this time. The EA also get lots of calls from anglers who clearly don't understand the river seasons on this strecth every year reporting "illegal" fishing at Digliss and Holt fleet, which does waste some of the EA's time.
 
Last edited:
I thought most salmon anglers fished fly rods etc
Not rods on pods off of stagings which most were doing this type of thing
 
So who did you phone and what happened , you did phone didn't you ?

If anyone wants to know how many licences are checked, where, when etc ask the EA , they will happily tell you.

But that's no fun , not like mindlessly moaning.
 
Never

I've never been asked once for my licence and I've always had one. I've been fishing ever since I was a kid:eek:
I've phoned the EA up probably 3 or 4 times to report people fishing out of season on river near work and not once have they turned up:mad: It makes you think its a waste of time reporting in the first place.
 
I didn't bother phoneing,
What's the point???
I have phoned I'n the past only to feel like I'm wasting the EA,s time,
I'm sure there going to want to venture out on a Sunday afternoon,
 
No need to worry mate, the whole idea of being part of a forum is to debate [albeit heatedly sometimes] the very subjects you choose to post, ok sometimes it may spill over a little, but its good to see there is still a little fight left in us, shame it does not get channelled it the right direction, ie to the Environment agency H.Q, wherever that damned place is!!


Call centre I'n the middle east probably
 
Back
Top