Closed season or not ?

[jimlad]

It amazes me how often I hear that the long term future of rivers doesn't look good, or that they are on the downturn. River stocks fluctuate dramatically over seasons, and if I'm honest I've seen little impact due to otter predation. Ale the Swale - the dace and roach population seemed to disappear for a couple of seasons, nobody could explain where they were. Now, a day on the stick this year and last can produce a fine bag of dace. I've heard a lot of people say that there are only big chub on the Swale, it can't last. Yet this year, I've had one or two fine bags of very small chub (8oz class) on Maggot. Promising for the future, definitely.

If you put the effort in, rivers can throw up surprises left, right and centre. I tend to only fish rivers, and it amazes me how high a fish stock a river can maintain - most pegs will be capable of throwing of fish, be it chub, pike, dace, barbel. This goes one for miles and miles, and as the nature of the river changes from source to sea, the type of fish to target changes. And the good thing is, you really never know if your next fish will be a huge specimen.

A close season doesn't really bother me, I just get the fly rod out!

[av1nbarb3l]

yes that makes total sence i agree for whatever reason fish stocks in rivers do come and go 20 odd years ago i could go to kilgram bridge and get 30- 40lb of chub no probs now your looking for single fish or maybe 2-3 from one swim then move on to next these days though ive not fished it for a couple of years so it may have changed its stuffed with brown trout

[grayson]

There is very little wrong with our rivers if you actually bother to fish them; however an easier option is to cry into your beer and bemoan the fact that the Poles/Cormorants/Otters have eaten all the fish and convince yourself that the reason you don't fish rivers is not that you are too lazy to walk (as if !) but that commercials are the only places where you can catch . Having been brought up in the Castleford area I find it astonishing that the rivers of my childhood (which were devoid of any life at all) are now thriving .

[wrighty29]

The river aire around shipley and Apperley bridge was devoid of fish as I was growing up due to pollution but now it improves year on year. The barbel that were stocked will only add to this already flourishing river