Rod license

[mrlennie]

I know this doesnt affect us here but I just saw an advert telling people in england and wales and the scottish border (elk?) that you need a rod license to fish in freshwater....What?!

Does anyone know when and why this started?

[mrlennie]

and also why it doesnt apply in scotland?

[NickInTheNorth]

Don't know exactly when it started, but certainly pre 1950 which is the earliest one I've seen.

Does not apply in Scotland 'cos the law on freshwater fisheries in Scotland is totally different.

And the rod licence only makes it legal to fish, you still need the permission of the owner of any body of water before fishing

[nightspirit]

The rod licence in scotland is only for the border rivers

[northener]

It's a bit like the cat licence, only enforced in England and Wales up until recently.

[J C Denton]

You've needed a rod license to fish in England and Wales since I can remember. Baliffs in the society I used to be in insisted on seeing both your membership card and rod license if asked. The money paid for the license goes to the Environment Agency which invests a proportion of that money in maintaining, and creating, stretches of water which are habitable for fish. It doesn't apply in Scotland because the Enivronment Agency doesn't cover Scotland.

[mrlennie]

Thanks for clearing that up J C I feel much less enraged :)

[Amy-Winehouse]

They were going to make the licence for sea fishing in England & Wales & there was talk of it being introduced into Scotland :eek:

But sense saw through & now we wont have to fear some bloke coming down to Longberry to ask us if we have permits- for now anyway!!!

We pay enough for the priviledge to fish from the boat in the firth, I dina fancy havin to pay to fish places Ive fished from since a wee boy