What do you guys think about the closed season, should it be scrapped or kept?

Me personally think it should be scrapped, bearing in mind the canals & stillwaters are open all year round & there hasnt been any scientific detriment to those waterways or any coarse fish.

What kind of effect do you reckon it would have to our rivers if they were open all year round, apart from certain stretches getting hammered?

Will

Hi Will i'm in favour of the close season the main is ithink the fish need a rest also give the banks a chance to recover. Also it's like a kid waiting for xmas day!
Larry

THEY ARE OPEN ALL YEAR MATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RULE BREAKERS DONT GIVE A FLYING F*CK ABOUT US RULE KEEPERS ITS A JOKE,read some of the ribble threads on here will, they get away with it coz if theres more than 1 the ea wont come unless they have 2 bailiffs which is nigh on impossible by the sounds of what i read on here, so for that reason i say SCRAP IT.

Although I personally think the fish and the banks should be given a rest in the growing season, there is maybe a valid argument that maybe decent angling presence might deter those that take fish away with them.

i,m in favour of keeping it although i do think it should be moved a month to cover the spawning period properly. the close season is also good for letting the vegetation and other bits of wildlife time to rest and develop properly during the spring time. unfortunately someone need explain this to all the poachers and rule breakers
cheers
jerry

these people need nothing explaining to them jerry they know the rule weather they understand why its in place or not they're just going to go ahead and break that rule because they know there is little or no chance of them being caught,at the end of the day its always the decent anglers that suffer as well as the banks,if guys are going on PM doing weekenders then they are geared up for it so they know full well they're give us and the ea the finger.i do agree with the close,but its time to get rid so as jayzs says at least the club members can police their own bits of water.

cheers

kev.

In an ideal world i would keep the close season to rest the fish and although we all know that spawning fish wont take ,what effect does stressing them by capture have just prior to spawning?
Problem is,as previous posts,there is no control on the banks to stop the illegals.We may as well have proper lads on the banks looking after what goes on.I cant see any reason why a controlling club suspends fishing for a couple of weeks once the fish are spotted getting ready to spawn.
Another problem,especially with barbel,is with post spawned fish and low oxygen levels that go belly up on realease.It can happen to the best of anglers even when fish have been rested correctly.
Last summer was heart breaking in june/early july watching double figure barbel float past on the Ribble

Originally Posted by gudgeonboy

In an ideal world i would keep the close season to rest the fish and although we all know that spawning fish wont take ,what effect does stressing them by capture have just prior to spawning? Problem is,as previous posts,there is no control on the banks to stop the illegals.We may as well have proper lads on the banks looking after what goes on.I cant see any reason why a controlling club suspends fishing for a couple of weeks once the fish are spotted getting ready to spawn. Another problem,especially with barbel,is with post spawned fish and low oxygen levels that go belly up on realease.It can happen to the best of anglers even when fish have been rested correctly. Last summer was heart breaking in june/early july watching double figure barbel float past on the Ribble

Good points about the illegals, if there were a presence of genuine anglers year round this would curb most of that problem.

Fish going belly used to happen on the Trent regular between june/early july aswell, but once after all the young & inexperienced were taught this rarely happens, i think the longer you can rest a fish the better it will be recovered.

I also think there is a valid point made in another post aswell about changing the months of the closed season.

Trouble is like has also been said in other posts regardless of the rules, there will always be rule breakers, wasn't the closed season originally enforced so all the posh toffs could fling their fluff & not be disturbed by us lower class barbel/coarse anglers?

Will

Call me old fashioned or an old fart!!
I rember when there was a blanket closed season,
in the days before Eastern European Migrants.
When most of us obayed the rules of our sport!
The only people who gain on having no closed season
are Fishery Owners,Tackle Producers and Shops, ETC.
I think the dates should change say April / July.

Giving the Fish, Wildlife,and Plantlife a chance.
If caught fishing in the closed season then we should
throw the book at them!!!
The people who want to ban the closed seasonI think
are verry narrow minded.
Next it will be NOW WE HAVE NO CLOSED SEASON lets
stock BARBEL INTO STILL WATERS!!!
If that is the way it is going i think i would give up our
beloved sport.I say bring back the blanket closed season
on all inland waters.

i walk the banks of the goyt.tame.and mersey in stockport.about3 times a week.i have seen many anglers fishing with magots .meat.ect. when i have pointed out its closed season most times all you get is abuse. i think if the canals and still waters were closed as well the river problem would be alot worse.i fish the closed season.but only use flies or worms.and i see lots of things in them 3 months that i mite miss. like flytipping. and pollution. its when things start growing . and its only my opinion.? that you get most problems. the amount of rubish i have picked up you could fill a skip with. the worst area is the paintmaster stretch of the goyt i think unless you know any other areas.???