Whilst fishing at Raygill on Sunday a Water Bailiff came over and asked for my Fishing Licence (which I had) but he was saying that one bloke somewhere else didn’t have a new licence for that current year which was
11 days into the new season but he showed him the last years licence and was told that would not do, at which stage the bloke threatened the Bailiff and was then told that he would also be done for no licence and threatening behaviour which cost him over £600.00.
Bernard the fishery owner said he calls about every 6 to 8 weeks.
That’s only the second time I have been asked in over 50 years fishing.
Doe’s anybody else get asked often?

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Alan

It's great to be in the right place at the right time,
But when it comes,You need something good at either end!

On my local river and others in central scotland you get asked fairly regulary but its not licences they ask for its our permits for the river. I get asked 6/10 times i go fishing approx . But i dont mind that . It keeps the poachers and trouble makers away if theres regular "patrols" . And its always good to get a blether with 1 of those guys to see whats doing.

Which current year are you refering to then? Bearing in mind that the English & Welsh 2008 licence is valid until end March 2009.


I rather think I smell bullshit!


LP

If the other angler had a licence from last year and it was a full year it's valid from April the 1st 08 until March 31st 09 as this link from the EA website http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk...ing/31497.aspx proves then the water bailiff was wrong.

ive had this out on a few coarse forums ,why dont anglers ask anglers to see there licences,i for one certainly do ,your more than entitled to ask if your holding a current licence ,and after all we then police and help the EA police our waters ,if someone fails to show you there licence ,give the EA a ring tell them which water your at,etc etc ,i have no qualms about doing this we pay(licence holders) to fish as everbody else should , the more we ask as anglers to see others licences the word will get round and less chance of them appearing on your waters poaching as it were,they get everything they deserve and in my mind not enough ,it really galls me with people like that they wont pay for a licence but will go out on the pi55 for one night and blow 40/50 quid without thinking ,ban them alltogether they no the score when they are doing it !!!!!!

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WHEN YOU LEAVE THE RIVER, TAKE NOTHING, AND LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINT'S!!!

THA CAN TELL A YORKSHIREMAN ,BUT THA CAN'T TELL HIM MUCH !!

Do you look Albanian or Polish perhaps?

I am occasionally asked by new club baliffs to produce my club membership ticket for the water i am fishing, but i have never been asked to produce my EA rod licence and thats in 7 years of fly fishing
Come to think of it i cannot remember having to produce my rod licence as a coarse fishing youngster either, and that was 30 odd years ago

I got asked for my ea license twice last year, once flyfishing and once coarse fishing. Don't care one jot................ask away. I always have mine with me.......well we all do, don't we ? ................birdsnest

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Fear not if I steal from your side, as of yore, from paradise streams to fish Teifi once more.
BN based in Wolverhampton

It happened to me just before Christmas at Pendle View (see earlier thread). I was legal, but a couple of guys on the opposite side of the pond had neither licences or tickets. They seemed to accept their fate without resort to violence but I didn't envy the EA bailiff having to confront them. I won't be inviting a smack in the mouth, or a dip in the water, to confront any potential evaders. Fishing is enough of a mini-adventure without the added excitement of crime-fighting, or even fist-fighting.

Can anyone tell me what the penalties are for fishing without a licence? Am I right in thinking tackle can be confiscated or is that just an urban myth from my youth?

Maybe there's an EA hotline we all ought to have on speed dial for when we suspect rules are being broken (and I don't mean 'shop a Pole')? I had a scout at their website but didn't find one.

SharkeyP

I've only been asked to produce my rod license by a bailiff twice. Both times by the 'lovely pleasant and good mannered' chap (see previous rants about him...) who looks after the Swan stretch at Bibury.
Funny really as you need to produce a rod license to buy a ticket at the hotel.
I really don't know why more fisheries don't insist on you producing a rod license before they will allow you to fish. Perhaps they are afraid that they will end up loosing a proportion of their customers and therefore turn a blind eye. It is after all the angler who gets into trouble not the fishery.

Andy

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GAIC Single Handed Casting Instructor

http://www.andygreyfishing.com/