Hi guys

I caught a 'poacher' this afternoon

Having had a natter for five minutes to establish some sort of a story I asked to see his licence.With a beaming smile he produced his 'purchased this morning' one day rod licence
Then I dropped the bombshell that unfortunately he was fishing out of season....with maggots....and no day ticket.
The young man in his mid twenties was quaking like a sh@tting dog as his details were taken.

It was obvious that he was a 'newbie' in the five minute conversation I had with him.....and he had made the effort by waiting for the post office to open.
So with a cheery smile I let him go home with his tail firmly between his legs in the knowledge that no further action would be taken in this instance.

The point of the posting:

If you know a 'beginner' then please take five minutes to explain the rivers closed season,bait bans and licence byelaws........If YOU actually know them

It may save them an awful bad experience and stop them being put off angling forever......even though the onus is on them, to find out the information, they never do until its too late.


Forgive me Warren for I have sinned
You'd probably have been dining on testicles tomorrow night if it had been Haddon.... and rightly so for some of the scum raping our countryside.

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Two things to have in life - A good bed and a good pair of boots -and if you aren't in one you should be in t'other

Fair play to you mate,
That young man will have a lot more respect for you and fishing in the future for what you did.
Would pushing it any further have done anymore. NO

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I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,9 bean rows will I have there and a hive for the honey bee.

well done sedgeking,and some sound advice thrown in to boot !!!

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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 !!

So a person who doesnt know better, can buy a license for 1 day out of season without being educated by the seller. No wonder "Your" system is exploited

I saw a bunch fishing the thames on saturday on my run. I then told the EA lock keeper at bray lock and his response was a Oh really then went back to his paper.

I don't know what it says to you but if you know a beginner EA agency person who doesnt understand he should do something when malicious people are fishing a closed season water. Educate them.

He could have quite easily been going quite legitmately to a commercial fishery though, or canal. It is not the fault of the system, but a shame that people taking up a sport do not bother to familiarise themselves with the rules. I guess it is also easy with the internet etc to get to the bank for the first time, with the equipment you need, and to have not encountered anyone who can set you straight or answer basic questions.

Bit worrying how many who should know better are posting questions on coarse forums at the moment such as "tackling the river x for the first time next week, what bait and tactics?"

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Around the steel no tortur'd worm shall twine,
No blood of living insect stain my line;
Let me, less cruel, cast feather'd hook,
With pliant rod athwart the pebbled brook,
Silent along the mazy margin stray,
And with fur-wrought fly delude the prey

a sound thrashing would have sufficed........

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I HATE BUNGS.........

Pretty simply he shouldnt have to rely on his friends to educate him. While unquestionably he is in the wrong. The issue on rivers is not a local 20 something chap who is trying out fishing. Think the innitial big boy post was a bit much. Glad there is an officer out there doing his job, perhaps you could share some of your success to the salty chaps so they can get prossecution of bass fishing in nursery areas. There, there is a real problem.

[QUOTE=codenamemilo;387404]He could have quite easily been going quite legitmately to a commercial fishery though, or canal. It is not the fault of the system, but a shame that people taking up a sport do not bother to familiarise themselves with the rules. QUOTE]

The primary point of the closed season is to protect the river spawning etc - Ownership is on the EA to educate the rules of their license. The fact that they force the need for a license at a private coarse fishery or still water is a totall different kettle of "fish". Sorry but if you can buy a license to fish for 1 day out of the season with a date to match on the license you should be informed amicably by the seller. There should be signs up on the river too - saw some this weekend - good progression, but there are nowhere near enough to get the point out.

The onus is not on the EA, for it is not them that sell the ticket. It is the post office counter person, who is neither employed by the EA or familiar with all of the variations in regional byelaw. We also could not expect them to know all the variations based on a given water - most canals for example do not have a close season, some stretches and extensions with SSSI status do. Licenses are therefore sold in good faith.

If I choose to go and fish somewhere, it is my responsiblity to be sure I am doing so in accordance with the law, and noone elses.

As for private waters and day ticket commercial fisheries, rather than having the conditions forced upon them it is my understanding that an EA rod license would technically be required if I wished to fish in my own garden pond.

I like having the close season for rather romanticised reasons, in practicality though rivers are so seldom fished I doubt the break is required to protect coarse fish.

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Around the steel no tortur'd worm shall twine,
No blood of living insect stain my line;
Let me, less cruel, cast feather'd hook,
With pliant rod athwart the pebbled brook,
Silent along the mazy margin stray,
And with fur-wrought fly delude the prey

so your saying youve all never been there... fished somewhere out of season when you were young