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Environment Agency Licence Check

Have You Had Your EA Licence Checked

  • Yes,in the last 12 months

    Votes: 17 12.9%

  • Yes,in the last 2 years

    Votes: 23 17.4%

  • Yes,in the last 5 years

    Votes: 34 25.8%

  • No,I have never been asked for my EA licence

    Votes: 58 43.9%
  • Total voters
    132
Steve Walker

Steve Walker

Senior Member
I was fishing on the navigable Trent last october when a semi rigid inflatable containing 2 EA bailiffs came down the river.They moored about 20 metres upstream of me and one of them got out of the boat,walked down to me and checked my licence.
I thought at the time what a good idea it was enabling them to cover large areas of the river in a short time,much more efficient than walking miles of river bank.
I got into conversation with him,he was a decent informative chap and told me that the EA were having a crackdown on licence evasion and they had caught quite a few anglers fishing without a licence when using the boat to patrol the river.
It made me wonder how many other anglers have been checked recently so I have done a poll for our members.
 
Hi men ,

I first fished as a kid on the GUC at Tring , and fished over 50 years since. I bought a license every year , never been asked , not once .


Hatter
 
I didn't have mine checked last season,(though the EA had been down the bank earlier in the day on two occasions last year.) they walk the bank (3-5 EA) opening day every season near me. The season before license was checked twice, year before that opening day only.
 
The only time I have ever been asked was as a kid - it was a prerequisite for fishing a junior match. I didn't have one, I was about 9 or 10......
 
In 40 odd years ive been fishing i have been only asked twice to show it. Last year on the Arun. It was a Sunday and two blokes approached me. I wasn't until they were within 5 foot of me that they said who they were. To me they looked a bit shady, so my hand was in my bag holding a heavy priest i carry everywhere whilst fishing.
Going by ive only been asked twice, it's even my Camo suit where they can't see me or I've been paying for all these years and needn't have bought a licence.
 
I must look a bit shady, as I have been asked several times in the last few years. Mainly by bailiffs of the club waters I fish, but last year by an EA official.
 
Last check for my license was 2007 at Belmont on the Wye.
Thought they were the bill,... white short sleeved shirts, black strides and stab vests plus tee batons.
 
Varies so much in my opinion, on the Trent where I think there are a few issues then I have my licence checked in about 25% of visits. On some Yorkshire rivers probably 10% of the time, other Yorkshire rivers never. Not had my licence checked when in Wales.
 
Had mine checked on a remote part of Hants Avon at the end of last season - bit of a suprise - first time since the early 80's.
 
Mark Anderson said:
Hi men ,

I first fished as a kid on the GUC at Tring , and fished over 50 years since. I bought a license every year , never been asked , not once .


Hatter
Click to expand...

That's because the could never find you Hat :)....Me? plenty of times, on average once every two years or so.
 
I always consider it money wasted if I am not asked for my licence during a season, might as well have not purchased one in the first place.
 
I got checked on the Lower Severn in February, via boat. I do like this boat idea, they can cover miles and miles or river, probably catch more who haven't got licences also.
 
Do the bailiffs ask for details whilst still in the boat? They have there electronic checkers so could punch in the data and query your details. If so, it makes it safer for them too....a speedy getaway!
 
If there had been an option of over 5 years ago, i would have chosen that. ( its actually been over 10 )
 
If you didn't purchase a rod license, would you be able to fish comfortably? Every voice and noise could be that one time you got caught. Then imagine the Sympathy that would be indulged from the BFW members. Anyway purchased mine 3 months ago. Always remember the 5P's.
 
I have had mine checked twice. Once at Farmoor reservoir and once by a policeman! Many years ago I had done an overnighter and was leaving a club carpark very early in the morning. It was soon very obvious that I was being tailed by a police car that eventually pulled me over. I was asked what I had been up to and I pointed to the fishing tackle in the car. The policeman told me there had been 'suspicious' activity in the area and then asked if I had a license. Showed him my club book and rod license and he sent me on my way. To this day I don't think he knew what he was looking at when I showed him the rod license!

Steve
 
Been checked once and that was at least 20 years ago
 
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