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Removing fish

Andy Bebbington

Andy Bebbington

Senior Member
Fishing on the bristol avon at Keynsham guy opposite me definitely eastern European as hesrd him chatting on the phone. Empties keepnet of small fish into a bucket just out of my sight so watch for a few minutes and then remind him they need to go back you can't eat them. He says yes i put them back in broken English. Such a problem on are rivers hardly any fish to start with.
 
Here is the mess he left.
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Hi Andy, unfortunately unless precluded by local bylaws he is allowed to remove a number of fish daily, this includes silver fish and barbel. It’s against everything that most British anglers would understand as we fish mainly for sport, however I have seen English anglers doing exactly the same in relatively large numbers to use as baits for predators, most recently on the Trent about a month ago. Local controlling clubs can I am led to believe right rules which preclude this and private waters make their own rules.
 
Screenshot from EA Bylaws. I really don't get it.
In Norfolk we get a lot of East European guys fishing with lures all year, inc Close Season, normally in gangs.
They target remote places which unfortunately is where I like to fish!!
It's amazing how quickly they forget how to communicate in English.

Screenshot_20230912-132923_Gallery.jpg
 
Well there you go always a school day next time i will let them get on with it if its legal.
 
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Andy Bebbington said:
Well there you go always a school day next time i will let them get on with it if its legal.
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I just don't get it though. ALL fish are precious, but if I were to single out one fish that I don't think should EVER be taken and that's baby barbel. I love that species. Pound for pound they fight like nothing else in my experience, but according to the EA you can remove small ones from rivers!! Crazy
 
Kevin Siddle said:
Hi Andy, unfortunately unless precluded by local bylaws he is allowed to remove a number of fish daily, this includes silver fish and barbel. It’s against everything that most British anglers would understand as we fish mainly for sport, however I have seen English anglers doing exactly the same in relatively large numbers to use as baits for predators, most recently on the Trent about a month ago. Local controlling clubs can I am led to believe right rules which preclude this and private waters make their own rules.
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Club rules might state no taking of fish!
 
I am a club bailiff and believe me it’s a frustration. I have to say that most though not all are willing to listen and most will return fish if pressured to do so. Contrary to popular belief not all offenders are Eastern European, neither are they the most difficult to deal with, that award goes to our own nationals many of whom will point the finger whilst poaching, leaving litter and topping it off with the customary abuse, makes the job really satisfying??
 
Should see the carnage that is left after a few weeks of the cod season on the Humber , loads of fishing crap left as well as discarded badly filleted fish often way undersize and even the odd one in size that has been thrown on the Humber mud once the trophy shot has been taken for face ache et al .
 
TBH, those English who breaking the fishing rules are more difficult to deal with than foreigners.

I once tried to stop a English stop fishing during the closed season, the response I got is a nice figure and mind your own fxxxing business…
 
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