Should you need a license to fish on a beach?

[Salisbury Nick]

Well, a bit contentious this, and I'm not seriously backing it as an idea, but you sometimes wonder.

I was on Hive beach yesterday and had the rare privilege of catching a fish. However, attached to my rig in addition to the Plaice was a set of 'pre-owned' mackerel feathers that had tangled in my rig. It was easy to work out why the hapless angler had lost them - a 6oz sinker at one end of the mackerel trace, a snap swivel at the other and about 20 feet of mainline - (about 10lb breaking strain) and no shock leader.

I think it was lucky it had snapped off in a seawards direction.

Now, I know no one on this forum would be guilty of that kind of thing, so the question is, how do we, as responsible fishermen, do some thing about it?

Hive is so popular with tourists - and I rescued a small child from a stray rig of mackerel feathers that it had found and was waving around - apparently with the blessing of its mother right up to the point it got one of the hooks imbedded in its leg - so if anglers keep losing shiny, pointy, bits of tackle in the surf line, we are going to have to answer to the National Trust sooner or later when an innocent child gets badly caught up in a set of hooks.

What do you think?

[captain chaos]

Originally Posted by Salisbury Nick

Well, a bit contentious this, and I'm not seriously backing it as an idea, but you sometimes wonder.

I was on Hive beach yesterday and had the rare privilege of catching a fish. However, attached to my rig in addition to the Plaice was a set of 'pre-owned' mackerel feathers that had tangled in my rig. It was easy to work out why the hapless angler had lost them - a 6oz sinker at one end of the mackerel trace, a snap swivel at the other and about 20 feet of mainline - (about 10lb breaking strain) and no shock leader.

I think it was lucky it had snapped off in a seawards direction.

Now, I know no one on this forum would be guilty of that kind of thing, so the question is, how do we, as responsible fishermen, do some thing about it?

Hive is so popular with tourists - and I rescued a small child from a stray rig of mackerel feathers that it had found and was waving around - apparently with the blessing of its mother right up to the point it got one of the hooks imbedded in its leg - so if anglers keep losing shiny, pointy, bits of tackle in the surf line, we are going to have to answer to the National Trust sooner or later when an innocent child gets badly caught up in a set of hooks.

What do you think?

The same could be said of all kinds of rubbish, ie glass beer bottles, can pulls etc etc, how can you Police such a thing, I went and dug some bait at Brighton two weeks ago and you should have seen the garbage left behind by what I can only describe as complete morons, Quick barbecues just left on the beach with surrounding beer bottles food wrappers.
The way Mackeral feathers are designed these days they decompose in my tackle box very quickly...so at sea probably quicker!

[andystone]

license for all, pay one fee and fish any water you want (obviously within reason and accordance to club membership etc

[bulletproof]

No. You shouldnt need a license to enjoy any recreation on a beach. You dont need one for having picnics, flying a kite, surfing, playing cricket - all of the above have as equal potential to cause injury, damage, and litter so why should anglers be the skapegoat?

[andystone]

so why should coarse anglers pay when people use the rivers etc for sailing, boating etc?

[tonybolton]

I've lost plently of sets of feathers, rigs, hooks, weights and leaders. I'm afraid its part of the sport and i don't see how my having a licence would stop me "cracking off" or snagging the only rock for two miles on a beach.

A licence is not an effective means of fixing poor practice as buying a licence doesn't mean the holder of it has a brain or particularly gives a toss.

It'll always come down to other anglers bothering to clear up behind them.

but then on the upside you can pick up a small fortune in tackle on a decent tide

[gullyworm]

No

The taking of undersize Bass can not even be stopped on Southsea Pier so what chance would there be of policing a licence

[captain chaos]

Originally Posted by andystone

so why should coarse anglers pay when people use the rivers etc for sailing, boating etc?

Because your a course angler of course!

[lazy hooker]

Originally Posted by andystone

so why should coarse anglers pay when people use the rivers etc for sailing, boating etc?

lets see.....

maybe because the Environment agency...

do lots of work on repairing and making bank sides safe and fishable.

they stock waters with fish.

they provide spawning grounds for coarse fish.

Clear water courses which have become overgrown,

they monitor and employ bailiffs to check licenses.

monitor for pollution and press charges against companies.



think thats why a coarse license has to be paid off the top of my head.

[geejayy]

no no no!