I definately agree with keeping the close season, it keeps the excitement and magic of the glorious 16th.
Better for the enviroment, and technically fish welfare. The down side is less anglers on the bank, potential for more fish poaching, and mindless vandalism and rubbish.

Definitely agree that we should have a closed season of some form for pretty much for the reasons stated above just not necessarily as it is now, however, the spawning issue is a contentious one as when do the fish actually spawn? I have witnessed it going on after the 16th and before it, there are so many factors that can influence this.

For me the season ends to early, we are just coming out of the winter which brings all the difficulties associated with it for the angler and the rivers are generally just coming back into some sort of form and then we are denied access when in fact most species will either have spawned (pike/perch) or are not yet ready.

For me I would like to see the rivers shut for the whole of May and June which I think would see most spawning activity completed and allow sufficient time for the banks to recover and offer the fish a bit of respite from anglers. To be honest the closed season is good for me too in as much as that I am usually fished out river wise and it gives me the opportunity to experience the stills for a bit and recharge the batteries so to speak.

Good luck all for the new season.

Danny.

well said that danny

If you start moving the dates or the months of the closed season then it won't be long before the closed season on rivers will be scrapped completely

Keep it as it is

Not too sure about this to be honest. I agree in principle with having a closed season, but only if the rivers can be bailliffed properly when they are closed. The river I fish is getting poached to death when it's closed and god only knows how many of the fish caught get returned safely to the river. At least when other anglers are there the rivers are being policed to a certain degree so to speak.