So who has fished a river in the close season?

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

After the Bob threads , who amoung us has fished a river in the close season
I have
Once

I was fishing a still water that supposed to hold some good chub that had escaped fro mthe river in a flood (the river was about 10 ft from the stillwater) after fishing all day one day in June and blanking I spend the last 1/2 hour fishing the river

I felt uncomfortable doing it and have never repeated the act

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

Yes, I have, with flies and spinners, all perfectly legal on the Thames after April 1st.

 

[Bluenose]

Never fished a river in the CS, but as a young lad, on the estate we grew up on there was no such thing as the NFA, Water Authority, Closed Season or owt else. We used to fish the local pond all year round, in fact all of the local free ponds were routinely fished by young and old alike. Only 'club or 'private waters' had rules.

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

Ah well, now you remind me. As a kid we were in the North West area and they never bothered with a licence even, so no bailiffs and therefore fished the local boating lake whenever. We didn't know any different and I only found out about the CS when I was 16 and read the Angling Times.

 

[jack sprat]

Years ago (mid 80s) it was legal to fish the Exe in Devon so we fished it with maggots; didn't catch much just a small bream or two. There was no closed season at all in Devon and Cornwall then.

 

[Bluenose]

Jethro, same here lid, that mirrors my experience, totally oblivious 'til I started reading the AT.

 

[peter crabtree]

As a young boy I had a spinning rod and reel and was fishing on the Wye until someone on the opposite bank shouted at me...
I had no idea about the C. S.

 

[dangermouse]

Not me. I almost did last year because I`d forgotten about the CS until another angler reminded me.

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Having fished for over 50 years I have never fished a river during the close Season for Coarse fish.

As most people on here know I don't fish for Coarse fish in stillwaters or canals either during the Close Season, as to me it is just not the 'right' thing to do.

I am content enough to fish my local chalk streams for Trout though during the Close Season.

 

[Titus]

As a lad it was Martini (any time any place anywhere). That changed when I was made aware of close season and private waters in my teens. Since then I have fished for eel's and caught barbel on the Severn during the close but never felt comfortable even though it was perfectly legal if you used ledgered worms and a 1/2 inch gape hook.

 

[sam vimes]

I've fished for trout on rivers during the coarse closed season. However, I'll only do so on the upper reaches of said rivers where there is very little but trout (minnows and bullheads being the other species) present. I don't like the prospect of fishing worms in the lower rivers where you'll be lucky if one fish in five hundred is a trout. That dislike is increased when people bend the rules further by fishing alternate baits which aren't allowed.

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

I have, with flies and spinners, all perfectly legal on the Thames after April 1st.

That was for trout, btw, and I never did catch one. Not until this year at the start of the close season and nearly everyone in our syndicate has had small brown trout on maggots with small hooks. Weird...

I wish there were more of them, superb little fighters.

 

[markv]

Used to be taken to the Lugg back in the seventies, when I was a kid to fish. The only river coarse fishing that was allowed on Birmingham AA water in the closed season (apart from eel fishing with worms).
There was a rule exemption, or some other such thing. Heady days in May.

 

[terry m]

Yes, many times, though only when I was a kid and knew no better.

I actually think that the close season gives the anglers, as well as the fish a welcome break. I wouldn't be too perturbed if it was reintroduced across the board, although that is never likely to happen.

 

[Fred Bonney]

Nope, not ever!

 

[mick b]

When I was a river keeper I removed quite a few Chub with air injected worms close season or not, but it was not for sport, they were just hauled out asap.
I also shot many pike with a rifle and snared those that were too deep for the bullet to reach.
But none of the above was for sport, it was a job, and that, I think, is the difference.

Whatever any other members beliefs I cannot fish for sport within the close season, take a fish without holding the correct licence or use an illegal bait.
Yes, I'm a bit old fashioned, if that's what you want to call it.

 

[chav professor]

When I was a river keeper I removed quite a few Chub with air injected worms close season or not, but it was not for sport, they were just hauled out asap.
I also shot many pike with a rifle and snared those that were too deep for the bullet to reach.
But none of the above was for sport, it was a job, and that, I think, is the difference.

Whatever any other members beliefs I cannot fish for sport within the close season, take a fish without holding the correct licence or use an illegal bait.
Yes, I'm a bit old fashioned, if that's what you want to call it.

Thats alright then mg:

 

[Paul Boote]

Only once. Aged 8 or 9.

Scene of Crime: The perfect and very large lawn of the rivergarden of a minor mansion on the River Thames at Bray belonging to one of my Dad's business pals.

Date: hot early June lunchtime.

Reason for Fishing: Handed a wreck of a cane rod by the owner with a "Here, do some fishing, lad...", who then went off to pour another round of drinks for himself, his wife and my Mum and Dad.

Then a Thames Conservancy launch complete with two uniformed officers slowed and came in to the bank.

The owner waved a Havana-ed hand at the pair in friendly fashion and they back to him. Owner then sauntered across the lawn, a long glass in each hand, handed them to the T.C. men, and chatted with them about his very fine, wooden, Thames 'Slipper' motor launch moored next door to this little fishy miscreant until they had drained their long glasses (which did NOT hold lemonade).

Not a word was said about me and my rod from the potting shed.

 

[Lord Paul of Sheffield]

Only once. Aged 8 or 9.

Scene of Crime: The perfect and very large lawn of the rivergarden of a minor mansion on the River Thames at Bray belonging to one of my Dad's business pals.

Date: hot early June lunchtime.

Reason for Fishing: Handed a wreck of a cane rod by the owner with a "Here, do some fishing, lad...", who then went off to pour another round of drinks for himself, his wife and my Mum and Dad.

Then a Thames Conservancy launch complete with two uniformed officers slowed and came in to the bank.

The owner waved a Havana-ed hand at the pair in friendly fashion and they back to him. Owner then sauntered across the lawn, a long glass in each hand, handed them to the T.C. men, and chatted with them about his very fine, wooden, Thames 'Slipper' motor launch moored next door to this little fishy miscreant until they had drained their long glasses (which did NOT hold lemonade).

Not a word was said about me and my rod from the potting shed.

nice anacode Paul and nicely written

 

[tortoise100]

My brother did it this year but only as he got the date wrong by 2 days .
Personally i think the close season is a load of balls just makes it easy for the people who steel fish to get on with it when no body is around to stop them .
The seasons are so unpredictable at the moment there is no way anybody can use the excuse of fish breeding between those exact dates any more .
I didn't know there was a closed season when i was a kid .