Late Spawning time.??

[David Gauntlett]

I wouldn't disagree with most of what you have said there Ash.

I don't think anyone has ever said that the current close season covers all fish spawning periods...certainly I have never met an angler daft enough to claim anything of the sort. Neither do I think it possible to set times that will achieve that objective perfectly. However, I wouldn't disagree that something of the order of the timings you suggest may come closer to that objective than the current one does.

Also, I don't think the Korda generation thing will be much of an issue. The closed season on rivers has no affect on them either way, in fact on average, their only knowledge of rivers is that they vaguely recall crossing over one on their way to their favourite commercial. So, I can't see them being drawn into voting on an issue that bothers them not a jot. I hope not anyway.

What I feel we must avoid is being dragged into the chaos that would result if we ever gave the nod to the harebrained idea that locally set closures, with variable timings, could ever work.

Whatever is decided democratically, I would go along with, of course I would. But, what I feel is imperative is to set up some sort of practical and effective bailiffing and enforcement scheme, with far greater police involvement and cooperation. The AT are already doing good works and setting up the groundwork in that direction, and with better support from us, they WILL get it sorted.

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Mike Hodgkiss]

Very true Mike, nature IS very inconvenient, which is the club many people use to batter the current closed season (or rather it's timing) as though that 'inconvenience' somehow renders it an impossibility, or even irrelevant. However, if you ask around, there is a fairly large percentage of anglers who, like yourself, agree that in principle, having a closed season to allow fish to spawn in peace IS a good idea. Sadly, thinking seem to get a bit muddied and confused from then on, undoubtedly as a result of the pressure applied by the rather more excitable group who wish to see the close done away with.

Secondly Mike, I cannot see how you arrived at the logic behind your claim that the act of getting rid of the closed season on still waters renders the actual principle behind a closed season 'meaningless'. In my opinion, getting rid of the closed season on still waters was wrong, simple as that, but of course others hold the opposite view. However, all of our opinions on the rights or wrongs of that act are irrelevant in this instance. Those opinions don't affect the basic principal that allowing fish to have a period of peace and quiet to increase the likelihood of a successful spawning event is rather a good idea.

All the ranting about how fish in still waters 'Still seem to manage ok' is also irrelevant...because we don't know how well they would now be doing had the closed season not been removed, especially when you factor in the sometimes secretive restocking that takes place. I was quite chuffed last year when very small barbel started showing up on my stretch of river. I felt a nice warm glow of satisfaction (not to mention relief) at the thought that these fish were now spawning successfully, despite the numerous problems that increasingly beset them. I felt devastated recently when I discovered that actually these fish were the result of an EA stocking, one of several that mysteriously, club members were generally not informed about. How many times do you thing THAT happens, influencing our opinions on how well our fish breed?

I think it is surely a case of being in denial for anyone to claim that if the closed season (as it stands, or after minor adjustments) manages to allow a fair proportion of our fish to spawn in peace....and that results in a higher success rate for those lucky ones, then it is well worth having one. It is never going to be perfect...by the very nature of things, it cannot be....but what kind of weird, twisted logic can come up with the claim that not having a closed season will allow just as many fish to spawn successfully?

It has been said before on this thread that if there IS a closed season, then any angler seen on the bank at that time IS a poacher. Does that not hugely simplify the policing of our rivers during that period? And does that not make the claim that not having anglers there to keep poachers away is a nonsense? The answer to the poacher problem is surely more efficient policing of our rivers, and I feel strongly that we should not allow them to add insult to injury by allowing them to force us into overriding our principals on this issue.

Cheers, Dave.

Sorry David , didn't express myself clearly ,I mean't that retaining the close season for rivers supported by the argument that it is protecting the spawning fish ,seemed a bit of a dual standard when it is apparently OK to let people fish all the year round for stillwater species which obviously spawn as well

 

[Jon Frisby]

Im all for the 3 month closed season and it should stay imo. Rivers need a rest even if some species havent spawned its the rest for the fish and environment that matters. The argument ref commercial fish coming to no detriment is a non starter for me they will just stock more. Maybe take a leaf out of the carp anglers who shut all lakes down when spawning is taking place. Weirs pools should be closed by controlling clubs but i probably don't think this could happen.