New Years resolution.

[Graham Elliott]

My resolution this year is to report to the EA anyone who I see fishing for coarse fish on rivers during the Close season.

I will always ask for a log number and follow up within 3 days to see what action has been taken.

We could all do this......

 

[David Hall]

My resolution this year is to report to the EA anyone who I see fishing for coarse fish on rivers during the Close season.

I will always ask for a log number and follow up within 3 days to see what action has been taken.

We could all do this......

sounds like a good idea, better save up for the phone bill if it's not free.

 

[Will Smith]

better save up for the phone bill if it's not free.

The EA's 0800 807060 Hotline is a freephone, 24 hour service (the number is printed on the back of your licence).

However, calling 0800 numbers from mobile phones can be expensive so now a new app will work out the landline number and use that instead. The app is called 0800 Wizard and is free to download from the iTunes store HERE.

 

[Jon Whelan]

Hi Graham,

Nice call on that. Just a few pointers, anticipating subsequent posts...

The system they record incidents is known as 'National Incident Recording System', an acronym known as NIRS. When the incident is logged, ask for the NIRS number - the number can only be given once the incident is logged.

When they log the incident, within NIRS there is a prompt whereby they record that the incident reporter has requested feedback. They cannot / should not close the incident down until the feedback lozenge has been populated with an additional field being populated as to when & what feedback was given.

As you detailed Graham, I'd always take the NIRS number but as an additional check I would take the persons details who has taken the call. The call center was moved from the regions to a centralised office in Rotherham so I understand approx 8 years ago.

As for the free phone number David, your pretty much bang on if your calling from a mobile. As we all know, its 0800 807060 so is only free from land lines - I have never managed to find an alternative. I have contacted the EA a few times now asking them to ring me back - for the most my request was honored without objection, only once I had to get a bit adamant to get them to call me back.

The trickiest bit when reporting an incident is to give them an accurate location. NIRS principally works on addresses and/or national grid references - these two details are not exactly on the edge our tongue when we want to report info.

One final pointer & sorry to teach those to suck eggs an all that, given the above as well - the person who takes the call will be forwarding the incident onto respective Officers. These are responsible for actioning the incident details. Sometimes, by the time they have logged the incident, NIRS should (mostly) inform as to whom that Officer should be. That Officer is mainly responsible for seeing it through to resolution. As with all so called Public Servants, there are some good, dedicated individuals but then there are some that consider that monitoring of the environment can be undertaken from an office!

Cheers, Jon

PS just seen Will's post - apologies on any duplication

 

[Andrew Boyne]

My resolution this year is to report to the EA anyone who I see fishing for coarse fish on rivers during the Close season.

I will always ask for a log number and follow up within 3 days to see what action has been taken.

We could all do this......

Some delightfull bnb's up in the north west if you fancy a change of scenery Graham - see if you can tell the difference between an angler trotting worm for trout and an angler trotting worm for barbel.

 

[Hurgen Akindji]

I asked the EA about that difference Andrew. They couldn't give me a proper answer!
All the guy said was that as long as i didn't look like i was fishing for Roach then its ok.
So i could fish for Trout/Barbel/Chub/Roach/Trout, with a worm and it would be acceptable.
Bloody ridiculous!

 

[David Gauntlett]

I asked the EA about that difference Andrew. They couldn't give me a proper answer!
All the guy said was that as long as i didn't look like i was fishing for Roach then its ok.
So i could fish for Trout/Barbel/Chub/Roach/Trout, with a worm and it would be acceptable.
Bloody ridiculous!

A nightmare scenario for sure. Thankfully, the waters I fish tend not to have significant numbers of trout, so the situation doesn't exist. Gawd knows how you handle the situation in the rivers you lads fish.

Anyway, my new years resolutions must include getting out and doing more fishing....number one on the list. The second one must be to go back to more generalised stuff, different species. Single species fishing has it's merits, but one way or another I have been doing that for too long, and it can cause loss of enthusiasm, just at a time when other problems require that enthusiasm to be at it's highest levels!!!!

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Andrew Boyne]

I asked the EA about that difference Andrew. They couldn't give me a proper answer!
All the guy said was that as long as i didn't look like i was fishing for Roach then its ok.
So i could fish for Trout/Barbel/Chub/Roach/Trout, with a worm and it would be acceptable.
Bloody ridiculous!

Daft isn't it, so here's a few simple tips to disguise yourself - swap the bait apron for a fly vest, the baseball cap for a wide brim ranger type ( stick a few flies in it for good measure ) and swap the rucksack or carryall for a nice satchel type trout bag. Hey presto - instant 'trout' angler. While you're doing that during the close season i'll be causing no disturbance to any wildlife whatsoever while raking my Tench swim.

 

[Andrew Boyne]

Should also mention if you have green waders you'll have to get some new light beige ones and you must leave the Preston Innovations landing net at home - that would be a dead give away. Don't worry though - you can make your own 'trout' net by tying an onion sack to a tennis racket frame, make sure you take the racket strings off though otherwise netting fish will be tricky.

 

[David Gauntlett]

Andrew, I can use age and more years than I care to remember experiencing the worst traits of human nature as an excuse for my Victor Meldrew persona. Being as cynical as you at such a tender age is very worrying, even to an exponent as time sharpened as myself

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Ian Crook]

Good call Graham, however I do feel very dissapointed as I was expecting your post to say you had finally quit the fags!

 

[Graham Elliott]

Jon. Thanks for that very useful information. and Will for the heads up.

My phone has a grid reference app on it so that would help, I guess a few others have if they cant be specific on the area.

Andrew. As Dave says, very little river trout fishing this part of the world. But given all the previous comments over the year by many about fishing out of season, EE's and the given the law as it stands, it would help if those that can, make the effort to protect their fishing and those of others.

Those abusing the law are often poachers anyway.

Graham

 

[Andrew Boyne]

Jon. Thanks for that very useful information. and Will for the heads up.

My phone has a grid reference app on it so that would help, I guess a few others have if they cant be specific on the area.

Andrew. As Dave says, very little river trout fishing this part of the world. But given all the previous comments over the year by many about fishing out of season, EE's and the given the law as it stands, it would help if those that can, make the effort to protect their fishing and those of others.

Those abusing the law are often poachers anyway.

Graham

Absolutely Graham. You are doing the right thing, my appologies for making a joke of the situation but as things stand in my local area it is just that - a joke. To be honest as a mad keen youngster i used to do the same thing - ring the hotline whenever i saw someone fishing out of season. That came to an end around 2000/2001 after calling the hotline regarding anglers balatantly coarse fishing ( full match set up, box, platform, matching holdall and carryall ) outside the EA's regional head office on the banks of the Trent, next to the City Ground near Trent Bridge in Nottingham. The EA literally had to look out of the window to see them - several hours later they were still fishing when i crossed the bridge again on the way to work. Sort of lost the faith since then.

Now living in the North West i see many anglers on the rivers during the coarse close season. Plenty of game anglers but a fair percentage that are deliberately targetting coarse fish - legally. Well, i say legally - if asked by an EA officer they are targetting trout, make no mistake, but even the EA chaps know that's probably not true - but legally, there is nothing they can do about it.

Hopefully you can see why i think the situation is a joke as it stands but if not - how about this - you can come up here and fish for Salmon on your normal coarse licence if you wish. There is nothing to stop you trotting or bouncing a nice big lobworm 'intended' for brown trout - should you happen to hook a Salmon or a Sea Trout by accident you must return it - simple as that. The only way you could be accused of Salmon fishing is if you crack one on the head and take it home and get caught doing it!

There are restrictions on hook size and line strength i believe - not looked into too much as i don't fish the rivers when they are 'closed'.

 

[Graham Elliott]

No Problem Andrew.

You see I would say that if enough law abiding anglers targetted the local EA with their concerns and action on checking was duly taken (even if nothing proven) and the local cheats realised they were being targetted (and a few exposed/fined) it might, just might, make a difference.

Its something that should possibly be highlighted to all local coarse fishing clubs for them to progress with the EA as a group to protect their rights.

Just a thought.

 

[Andrew Boyne]

Its something that should possibly be highlighted to all local coarse fishing clubs for them to progress with the EA as a group to protect their rights.

Just a thought.

Now there's another thing! Lot's of the North West river stretches are actually controlled by game clubs that allow coarse fishing - you'ld never get worm fishing banned - but coarse fishing might well get the Boote if the game fishing improves. Sorry about the name drop but he had a point.

 

[Graham Elliott]

Andrew.
Well they stopped worm and prawn fishing on the Wye.......and the number of fish (salmon) are back at record catch rates....just a thought.......

But I can see you have a problem.

G

 

[David Gauntlett]

Now there's another thing! Lot's of the North West river stretches are actually controlled by game clubs that allow coarse fishing - you'ld never get worm fishing banned - but coarse fishing might well get the Boote if the game fishing improves. Sorry about the name drop but he had a point.

The only 'Game clubs' round here are called casinos Andrew The name drop is fine...the guy had a lot of points. Just a shame he had so many hang-ups, paranoias and bad habits (cough) that made him the way he was. His behaviour got him banned from several forums, and apparently upset a lot of people in more than just those areas. Very sad.

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Wayne Glossop]

The only 'Game clubs' round here are called casinos Andrew The name drop is fine...the guy had a lot of points. Just a shame he had so many hang-ups, paranoias and bad habits (cough) that made him the way he was. His behaviour got him banned from several forums, and apparently upset a lot of people in more than just those areas. Very sad.

Cheers, Dave.

At this point Dave i think its fair to say, i know your posts without even looking whos wrote it first, and thats on any thread lol haha