Questionable off season activities by certain Cape anglers?

[Kingfisher]

An extract from a recent CPS newsletter reads as follows.

The closed season and some questionable activities of some of our anglers.

The closed season, is as I am sure you are all aware no longer a matter of the law, which it actually used to be many moons ago with designated trout rivers throughout the country under separate regulation. However the CPS in conjunction with the department of Nature Conservation have always maintained this window of R and R for the trout on our streams. It is important to do so, this is when the fish are breeding and given that we no longer stock the streams, such activity is all important, along with the catch and release management system if we are to keep the fishery in good health.

Most people, and that includes some old hands who used to claim “that it’s not really fishing if you can’t take a frying pan with you”, have come to see that the management of the steams has in fact improved the sport despite the increased utilisation and if there was only one negative it is that the fishing gets harder as a result and the fish get smarter. Perhaps the fact that the closed season offers some respite to the fish and that they get just a tad less wary after being left alone for a few months is an additional plus.

Which is why I find myself so concerned that rumour, and some fairly hard evidence, suggests that there are those out there who are determined to flaunt the rules and if not the rules precisely at least the spirit of them. Claims that “this section of the river” is under the control of the “roads department” for example, or that the CPS don’t control this section are all red herrings in my book, and self serving and unilaterally selfish views which are not in line with the spirit of angling in the Cape.

Here we are fussing about the eradication of trout as an alien species and all manner of worries about Rotenone projects and the like but there are some anglers who are happy to get out their and annoy and further educate the fish during their breeding cycle whilst most of us stay indoors, tie flies and accept that a break is necessary for both the fish and the angler.

To my mind I don’t really care if the waters are on public, private or roads department sections, it doesn’t really matter to me even if the society doesn’t control certain sections or certain rivers. The fish are breeding over this period and the little fish that such activity produces, in case it should escape you, are the ones that grow up to be the bigger fish that we all enjoy catching later on.

For my money I hope that the society will investigate these activities and take action against those who seem happy to flout the rules or the spirit of sensitive angling.

If you are one of the transgressors here, I would suggest to you that fishing during the closed season is an act of complete selfishness and you should very carefully consider if you honestly believe that it is reasonable to do so when others with as much passion and desire to go fishing abide by the regulations for the benefit of us all.

I hope that the ultimate penalty will be along the lines of the biblical eye for an eye, that is to say when you are “in flagrante delicto” I really do hope that you will be constantly interrupted.. seems very equitable punishment that...


Tim

I'd like to hear the views of the members of this forum in this regard