why do you need a rod license?????????

[nightriderm]

I know that rod licenses are issued to help with the upkeep of fisheries(or supposed to be).BUT what I do not understand is why one should need a license just to fish in one own private lake!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ds mansworth]

in as much as the idea of a license system is good it is open to abuse in many forms. much better to put the liability on the bank side bailiff. no license then either no fishing or pay an extra fee. rather than leave it up to the agency bods to catch and fine. in my case I was sitting with my seven year old son. the bailiff was fishing the same lake and was happy that the lad was fishing and I was there as company. Agency chap came along and issued me with a charge for no License. even though we had one rod and I was sitting over 4 Mtr back from the bank reading. told him I would challenge it after he wrote out the ticket. then caught him wandering around and looking into my car, so told him to go forth. Bailiff agreed that I was not fishing. and added that he was given a presenter notice as he also had no license on himself but after finding it a few mins later in his box the agency bod just said dont worry and tear up the notice to present. case first came up without me being informed and was fined in absence. appealed and second case date was set. Case came up in court even though I contacted the Agency the same day notice was received to complain. I presented full details, ticket to fish in sons name and statement from Bailiff. the agency rep stated that we had several rods and that I was fishing. I showed a photo of the swim and tackle. and pointed out that his statement was untrue even to the point of him listing the wrong lake address on summons and my details incorrect. and the Court (harlow Essex) found in the agency fav and slapped a £250 fine. appeal would have cost more in breif fees so had to swallow it. Complained to Agency and was told that the Agency inspector had retired before the court case and no action could be done towards him. as he was not liable to answer for any actions following his leaving their employ. result being myself out of pocket and with a record, and he got to retire with clean record.
pal of mine was pulled up at his own lake by the agency who had entered the private land without permission (shoot wood) to check the lake thats used as a flight pond. he was "let off" as they agreed they should not have entered the wood.

[NICK R]

Originally Posted by nightriderm

I know that rod licenses are issued to help with the upkeep of fisheries(or supposed to be).BUT what I do not understand is why one should need a license just to fish in one own private lake!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you need one mate to even fish down a grid ,,,

[nightriderm]

Originally Posted by Devon Born & Dorset Bred

I have to disagree with this comment!

The company I work for, works closely with the Enviroment Agency in providing Habitat Improvement along the River Frome, funded by money gathered from the rod license.

Some stretches were excavated out with machines in the 70's to provide flood relief for Dorchester, which turned them into a canal like state, void of fish and inverts.

Your money is now being ploughed back into projects to improve spawning which improves fish stocks, that leads to better fishing!

I can understand your feeling regarding this (I felt the same once), but without this money, Landowners could'nt afford the work. This leads to stagnent rivers that would support the odd Pike, and very little else.

Many other good projects are born from the money, this is just one small example!

I noticed just the other day how the Environment Agency was bragging about how clean many of our rivers are now,NOT one mention about how Anglers have paid for it though the ludicrously high rod licenses.
The license is but another rip off.

[Portland Pirate]

Originally Posted by nightriderm

I noticed just the other day how the Environment Agency was bragging about how clean many of our rivers are now,NOT one mention about how Anglers have paid for it though the ludicrously high rod licenses.
The license is but another rip off.

But then do the local councils of Blue Flag beaches mention the local council tax payers have paid for the cleanliness of the beach? Or the new bypass was paid for by the road tax? NO!

Compared to road and council tax, the rod licence costs next to nothing, and with current government spending cuts without the income from rod licences, you can guarantee that the EA would be one of the first agencies hit from the cut backs.

Portland Pirate.

[flydog]

Originally Posted by Maurice

Its another government tax just a way of ripping us off

got to disagree with you there mate,the EA does a great job, two rivers which run through our village were heavely polluted, but thanks to the EA both hold a good stock of fish, the banks & trees are looked after, and by doing all this a lot of wild life has returned and the people who walk along the rivers now follow the country code and take their litter home, we now have two lovely clean rivers and lovely walks

[nightriderm]

My final comment on this is: I pay my license because I am obliged too but this does not mean that I have to like or approve of it and I still think it is too much for so little.

[geejayy]

Originally Posted by johnboyj

once purchased does it permit you to fish anywhere? and do you still need one to fish a fishery so you pay twice.

pretty much, english government sticking it up yer twice as per usual

there is currently no licence requirement for sea angling unless its specifically for salmon/seatrout then migrateory licence should apply

[covlad1987]

Originally Posted by geejayy

pretty much, english government sticking it up yer twice as per usual

there is currently no licence requirement for sea angling unless its specifically for salmon/seatrout then migrateory licence should apply

not if your 12 miles of the main land ?

[barbelblanker]

OK my pennysworth .

It does not seem to make sense that you have to pay a rod license even if you own the lake . You don't need a license to drive your car on your own property UNLESS the public have access (the old "I am pished occifer , but it's a private road " thing as an example). Course I am not a copper so could be wrong there. If I had a pond on my land then do bailiffs have a right to enter to check my license without a warrant ? Don't know.

If you want to drive a car , you have to pass a test to get a license (I do sometimes wonder if we should do this in angling but then the reality of trying that strikes home and I change my mind again). This now means that you are legally able to drive a car.

So, you want to drive a car, you turn up at my house and take my keys and drive off. It is not your car. I didn't give you permission to drive my car.

But why shouldn't you? You do have a license after all.

So you are halfway down the road and a policeman pulls you over because I just told them you drove off in my car. They can't always get you but this time they did. You get nicked and I get my property back.

Even better , if you do not have a license you will get clobbered once for nicking the car and at least once for not having a license (plus a load of other offenses, potentially).

Is that fair ? Of course it is . You are licensed to drive but can't just go round driving whoevers car you like. You pay for the license to get the right to fish and the ticket for the permission, two seperate issues.

As for club membership and day tickets, it's like driving someones car off without permission. If you want to drive a car go and hire (day ticket) or buy (club membership) one.

Personally I pay to protect my fishing legally (license) and volunterily (angling trust), the relative cost for a years fishing is peanuts, less than a months smoking 20 a day.

Without licensing inland there would be chaos. I appreciate that in some places it does feel like chaos is indeed in charge but just watch. The EA (with others) will address the issues of illegal fish removal and stock depletion.

The sea license though is a bloody silly idea with far too many problems to even begin to enforce. Apart from which the EA can act to preserve waterways that originate in these shores, not so possible when a japanese super fleet is offshore and in international waters.

As for wanting to know how the money is spent and hold someone accountable, this IS an issue that needs addressing.

Can we keep the English/Irish/Scottish/Ulster/Welsh/Dwarf/Elf thing off this forum please .

"Taff" Lewis