[Snaggletooth]

My first question is does anyone know where the cut off point on a river is for coarse and sea fishing. If you are fishing the mouth of the river do you need a licence?

My other question is, what happens to a garden worm when you fish with it in the sea (apart from death). Does it maintain its shape and therefore can be fished on the same basis as frozen rag etc.

 

[Tozer]

i'm not sure about the cut off point froma licensing point of view, but the seafish end at the tidal limit, coarse matchmen often catch flounder, and mullet goa long way up even into more or less fresh water, i don't know about lobworms in the sea, but they might work, i doubt they would die instantly, probably th next flounder bait there.

 

[Drew]

Hi Snaggletooth,

Very difficult question to answer.

Technically speaking you can fish a river up to its tidal point without a licence, but you must use sea angling tackle. Now having said that, to fish Christchurch harbour and the river I am told that you must have a licence and a day ticket. There are other rivers with the same restrictions, but as I have said in most cases up to the tidal point.

Cheers

Drew

 

[fishingrhod]

They are certainly not dumb questions.

The first one is very tricky - I don't really know. You don't need a licence for brackish and salt waters, unless you're after sea trout and salmon. In some cases this cut-off point between fresh and salt is clear. For instance, the Western Cleddau is brackish up to the weir in Haverfordwest and therefore you don't need a licence. In other cases it may not be so - check with your local EA offices for bye-laws/restrictions.
Don't assume that all TIDAL waters are regarded as sea fisheries. The Severn is tidal up as far as Tewkesbury Weir but is definitely a freshwater fishery - though I did catch a flounder on worm there once while "eel fishing" during the coarse close season.

Earthworms in the sea? Can't comment as I've never tried them.

Rhod.

 

[bigfish]

I use earth worms when eel fishing in the tidal Thames,and they do work but don't seem to be as good as rag.

 

[Scrudgy]

As a youngster we used earthworms for flounders in an estury. We did catch some fish with them, but they were the least successful bait.

Dead very smelly lug worms were the best thing I have every seen for catching flounder by the way - outfished fresh rag, fresh lug and fresh mackeral. We had some given to us by a guy who cancelled his fishing trip and had left them in his garage for a few days. Well past their best.

 

[paid4]

Used to use earthworms fishing for eels in my local pond as a lad and they were far and away the best bait for the slimey little buggers don't know about the sea though

 

[swelleyman]

Can someone clarify the position regarding the need for a Licence if you catch Salmon or Seatrout IN THE SEA! I was told in a fishing tackle shop that sells such licences for the river that I'd need one in the sea if catching the aforementioned 'game' fish. Seems far fetched to me as surely it would be difficult to prove who 'owned' the particular fish.

They'd have to be particularly GAME to take my baits anyway!

 

[Rob85Dav]

my gfd's grandfather told me before that he was down porthcawl fishing and nobody was catching, and this woman turned up and cast in and straight away caught a whiting, cast in agen and caught another whiting then agen and so on. so he asked her wot bait she was using because nobody else was catching anything and she was using garden worm so maybe it does work at times.

 

[Drew]

Hi Swelleyman,

At Mudeford Quay you are permitted to fish without a licence, but if you catch Salmon or Sea Trout they must be returned, (HA HA HA).

However if you fish inside the two yellow buoys on the Christchurch Harbour side of the quay, you require a licence and Day Ticket to FISH IN THE SEA.

Cheers

Drew

 

[swelleyman]

So there is somewhere else other than the offices of Chief Constables where they work out ways of taking money, legitimately, from people!

I can understand paying to USE the 'facilities' (harbour?) etc. but not to presume owner ship of someone elses fish (unless I suppose they also own the rights etc. for the whole river. Bet they charge to park as well!!!!!

 

[fishingrhod]

I'm not sure whether the ownership thing applies to sea trout and salmon as they are migratory fish. I think the logic behind it is that by paying for a licence you are contributing to the management of their spawning/juvenile habitat by the EA. Seems a bit funny but you definitely need a migratory fish licence if you want to keep the above species wherever they're caught.

Rhod.