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The river closed season debate

they seem to get it right on throop beat 2, even though some anglers moan about the weed.
 
Paul Boote said:
It's a bit like how Neil The Hippy in The Young Ones would have dealt with having a haircut - "Just a trim, a bit of tidying-up, man. Not a total scalp. Yeah?" - this is how well-managed bits of chalkstream (usually expensive trout beats) are cut even now, sometimes privately by the owners and their staff, but, just as often, I have been told, in close on-the-bank association with the people operating the E.A. cutting boat. Having said this, it does seem that the larger, broader, deeper Avon really does get a scalping, whilst its neighbours, the Test and Itchen, are given much less of an "all off" treatment.

It's a big problem - too much off and you mess with the river and its occupants, too little and you could have a much-feared, multi-property, millions of pounds, flooding incident on your hands.
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If they want to build on natural water meadows and flood plains then they will feel the consequences at some time. However this is not the problem on the Avon and the EA have only cut the weed 'once' in 20 years in 2009 to help avoid a couple of houses being flooded at Braemore.
The reason for the weedcuts is to dry out natural water meadows and benefit farmers income, even though they are receiving EU subsidies to leave them as natural 'wet' water meadows for the benefit of declining protected wading birds etc etc.
Thankfully to the EA and NE who have now seen common sense, as mentioned before, the EA mechanical un-sympathetic weed cutting has ceased at the end of 2009, after 57 yeas of continuous rape and destruction of the Avon. A recovery of fish species, the river and its inhabitants should follow if left alone for 5-10 years. However, there are still a few on the river who disagreed with NE/EA decision of the cessasion and have taken it in their own hands to continue on certain areas, for the benefit of 'salmon fishing' and not 'salmon conservation' as Paul touched on.
 
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Colin Gordon said:
Stupid question time:

Is it the ranunculus weed that is protected, or the fact that it is growing within a SSSI area?
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I will have to consult my notes but i believe that even if ranunculus itself is protected, the EU/UK protected species laws can be 'bypassed' and a permit granted by the relevant authority if the development is in the interest of public health and safety, or any other important public, economic, or ecological reason. This still does not normally allow the killing of a protected. Although if the relevant authority say its okay...then its legal.
I think in this case they would claim it is in the interest of public health and safety. Basically humanity comes first at the cost of everything else, no matter how highly protected.
 
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Colin Gordon said:
Stupid question time:

Is it the ranunculus weed that is protected, or the fact that it is growing within a SSSI area?
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The ranunculus is a protected species that adds to the conservation importance of an area.
 
I think there is definite case for it being shortened, say 14th April or even upto the 1st of May.

When fish are spawning it is a waste of time fishing for them anyway, and that goes for rivers or lakes, so the fish would dictate their own close season on their own stretch of river at whatever time they please.

But I do think there is a case for shortening it, it's out dated and if they can abolish it for commericals, it's quite unfair you can argue that river clubs must have 3 months off.

There should be a close season, but not for 3 months, 6 to 8 weeks is suffice.
 
Crabtree.jpg



"Great, Dad! And when we can't fish, can we p*ss and whine about Close Seasons and otters?"
 
Indeed, Mike, ones in which serial malcontents (formerly known as pub bores or people you'd happily hop off a bus to escape from) didn't have the means to keep branding perfectly contented fishers and people "discontented". But then pots have always called kettles black, people accused others of the very thing they're most guilty of.

Much of the calm, clear-eyed, square-jawed Crabtree in me, still, I very much hope.
 
Paul Boote said:
Indeed, Mike, ones in which serial malcontents (formerly known as pub bores or people you'd happily hop off a bus to escape from) didn't have the means to keep branding perfectly contented fishers and people "discontented". But then pots have always called kettles black, people accused others of the very thing they're most guilty of.
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Paul, that's on a par with:

I know you are but what am I...
 
Paul Boote said:
Indeed, Mike, ones in which serial malcontents (formerly known as pub bores or people you'd happily hop off a bus to escape from) didn't have the means to keep branding perfectly contented fishers and people "discontented". But then pots have always called kettles black, people accused others of the very thing they're most guilty of.

Much of the calm, clear-eyed, square-jawed Crabtree in me, still, I very much hope.
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Indeed Paul , but I bet old Crabtree was a devil if roused .Gaff you soon as look at you if he didn't like the cut of your jib :D
 
Jeff Edisbury said:
Hi lads,

An interesting topic this one and bound to cause a lot of debate.

Personally, i'm for a closed season but the dates seem a bit arbitrary at the moment and Ian has some good points to make on this. The water birds are nesting at this time of year and, i believe, need the peace and quiet plus, the regeneration of plant life is always quoted when discussing these things. all very good. But................................there are still people fishing, both legally (salmon and trout) and illegally (our eastern european brothers and the idiot fraternity who don't give a ****). The EA don't seem to care about those though? So I can clearly understand why people get miffed as do I.
With regard to spawning, and considering myself to be mainly barbel oriented, I've often wondered what the barbel think on 15th March? the weather is warming quite quickly, their metabolism is getting into full flow then all of a sudden, the bait dissappears!
Just coming up to spawning when they are at their most hungry and desperate to feed and we stop feeding them!!! On the other hand, I've seen people fishing for carp and tench when they are quite clearly spawning. As a group of people, we have some issues with self policing and i think most would agree?

Regards,
Jeff
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You have a PM. Check the PM Box...Cheers..Ray
 
And yours is full Ray! Delete a few or create a folder to move them to! Anyway, back to the point - i think your post on the landing net thread is worth repeating here:

"I know a couple of barbel have been foul hooked by salmon anglers this year and with salmon spinners now zipping about in the low water levels on and near spawning grounds, a few more barbel and other species will undoubtedly be caught to where they may drop the eggs on the bank or elsewhere.
I also hope they stop wading and stomping all over the critical spawning grounds where the barbel and chub are spawning or have laid their eggs, to where future year classes will be trashed and destroyed again, as was the case for the past 2 years..The EA even 'Electrofished' the Royalty last week all through the spawning grounds from the top of Trammels down to the Roadbridge. I am sure that helps fish recruitment not also! "
 
Thanks...Sorted
Possibly lost a couple of new ones if they were backed up while it was full. Please send again as there are no new ones. Thanks...Ray
 
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No need now Ray, my PM to you was basically asking your permission to repeat your post which i have now done regardless! :eek: Sorry!

It does, however, highlight a problem with the 'closed season' argument.
 
The Chairman on Thursday


Which only goes to prove the sense of our removing all trout, sea-trout and salmon from our own rivers: take away the blasted spotties, both resident and migratory, and you remove a draw for all sorts of undesirables - flyfishers, poncy guides and sporting agents and their unspeakable like.

As ever,

B.B.


"The Chairman - Tough on Flyfishers, Tough on the Causes of Flyfishers"
 
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