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Why bother buying a EA rod licence?

Craig Wood

Craig Wood

Senior Member
Is it just me or does anyone else think we anglers are being taken for complete idiots by the EA?..Does anyone actually believe rod licence money is being spent to improve our waterways?..Does anyone else know that rod licence money was used to reintroduce otters?..As everyone knows there are some serious cuts being made by this government and the enviroment agency is going to have to suffer also..So where is our licence money going to be going?..certainly not on improvements to our rivers but more than likely going straight into the government coffers and pensions for management in the EA or for pathetic useless surveys and lets not forget the otter..The rod licence fee is nothing more than another tax..Anglers need to re-think as to why they should pay for a rod licence and more importantly does the revenue raised actually benefit angling?..In one way i think that by paying rod licence fees ive actually contributed to many rivers downfall when the clever people at the EA used rod licence money to reintroduce the otter..In my opinion the EA is a complete sham and anglers are paying tax to enjoy to fish..
 
Does make you wonder if its worth it, in the time since they were introduced in the Thames region, and then made national, I,ve had mine checked 4 times, all when fishing still waters, never on a river, either course or salmon fishing. At times I will fish with 3 or 4 rods, so thats 2 licencses, one of which is a game licence, £99 the pair this year, ouch, but cheaper than the fine, if your luck runs out!!!!
The last few years have seen the Ea destruction barges, ruin many miles of the lower Thames, the 2007 floods did the rest, what was, even 4 years ago being hailed as the best mixed fishery in the country, is now a shadow of its former self. The survey results are a secret, probably because they make very poor reading, the results from myself and many other regulars are dismal compared with 4years ago, the shoals of decent chub and barbel, and a lot of the bream are apparently missing, some undoubtedly BB Qed, but the rest??????
peter
 
i'm very anti EA, they've been taking anglers for mugs for years.
down with the EA.
 
Clive Kirkman said:
because i dont want a bloody big hefty fine,:D
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This is most people's reason for paying it. Road tax doesn't all go on the roads and NI contributions don't all go where they were supposed to. The biggest irritation about the rod license is how frequently the money seems to be spent against anglers interests.
 
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The next brainwave the EA have is to install hydro electric plants on many rivers..In countrys where this has already been done they have realised the devastaing damage it has caused and are scrapping hydro electric plants all together..so why are the EA looking to go ahead with such a destructive proven idea?..and guess where the funding to carry out surveys on the rivers ear marked for such plants is going to come from?..The angling trust recently contacted various clubs across the whole country asking them to ask anglers for their EA licence aswell as their various club licences..and why you may be thinking?..simply because the EA will have no bailiffs to enforce such an unfair and unjust tax..none of the licence fee is going to benefit angling and in fact in most cases especially on rivers its going to cause more damage than there already is...My local angling clubs have indeed decided not to ask anglers for their EA licence because they know how the EA have contributed to the rivers downfall..I wont be buying another EA licence and i would urge other anglers to re-think..Nothing will change unless people make a stand and by not supplying the EA with funds perhaps someone will sit up and take notice and change the whole set up so at least funds raised by anglers are actually put to good use to benefit angling as a whole..
 
Here is the alternative scenario: a private outfit (call it a "Trust, but it is still private) takes on the management of rivers and their catchments (but only if the river concerned is desirable and potentially profitable, the rest being ignored and left to go to Hell; rest here meaning most of our coarse waters) with the result that the "Boo! Hiss" EA-haters in our number end up paying £100-plus per annum for a rod licence on a NAMED RIVER and with an emasculated EA (or, more likely, a contracted, private, Waste - er, Environmental - firm) barely managing and clearing up the endless pollutions and tippings on the rest. Careful what you wish for - you might get it, and you certainly won't like it.
 
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What i cant understand is if i fish i privately owned lake why i have to buy a rod licence when the EA have absolutly nothing to do with it
 
Its a con, and i hate paying for it, but unfortuatly the price of getting caught with one outweighs the price of getting caught without one.
 
Paul is right Craig, the EA is not up to much in most peoples opinion, and as you say, it has some very frustrating traits from an anglers point of view. However, it is still better than any foreseeable option at this point in time.

Were you to stop paying your licence as you propose, you stand a risk of paying substancial fines which would put even more of your money into the EA coffers, which rather defeats your object. The fact that the EA may have less staff to check licenses due to their budget being slashed by the government may in fact mean that you are more likely to be caught , rather than less.

When your TV licence is due, you get a reminder....obviously because you and your licence are now on a database. If the EA budget cuts mean less staff on the ground to check physically, then perhaps they may resort to using this system. That would mean that they would be looking at people who have consistently bought licences in the past, and wanting to know why they have now stopped....bingo! Again, unfair...but in my opinion, distinctly possible.

I would think that the tried and tested method of fighting from within, rather than breaking the law and being heavily fined is the way to go. As can be seen from previous posts, most people will continue to pay the fee, precisely because they wish to avoid said fine and breaking the law...which would leave you and any others out on a mighty fine limb.

Cheers, Dave.
 
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Paul Boote said:
Hmm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExWfh6sGyso

And what have we done (or will ever do) for ourselves (unless the water is valuable and / or commercially viable)...?
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I know Paul's posts can prove a little (very) challenging to comprehend at times but this one says volumes.

James, if a stillwater has a serious inexplainable fish kill, where do they go for answers??
(I'll give you a hint, most will go to a government funded set up, often abbreviated to two vowels;);))

If you don't like paying the EA's licence levy/tax and don't relish the thought of a hefty fine (and being a white indigenous male, it'll undoubtedly be excessively high:rolleyes:).
My advice is take up sea fishing or if you must have barbel head for the river Clyde (you might catch Scotland's first double;))
 
Paul that sounds like the current EA..letting our rivers go to hell..:D..what you have said paul will probably happen anyway..and if recent reports are anything to go by..no one will be fishing rivers in years to come anyway due to nearly none exsistance fish stocks...My point is this..our rivers are already in a bad state and getting progesively worse despite the government and EA recieving millions in revenue off anglers licence money over the years so what difference is it going to make if no one buys a rod licence?
 
Ive no problem paying a rod licence fee but i do have a problem as to where that money is being spent or not spent..Mr boote is indeed quite right when he says that another angling body will replace the EA because i think thats going to happen anyway..;)
 
Two certainties about a great many British Anglers:

1) They're an apathetic "It's going to happen anyway, so why bother..." bunch.

2) They're Masters of the Hard-Done-By Whine at and about whoever is running the show.

I would be careful about the Ring Masters who will be running the future, Brave New, You Pay, We Take and Still Look Down On You, Angling Circus World, however - today's set-up with the EA and its many imperfections might very quickly begin looking like a lost Golden Age. Cue the Whiners.
 
I dont think the current system is fair or indeed benefitting our rivers..The EA are hood winking all anglers and it seems acting against angling interests..I wouldent mind paying more money if it improved our rivers..I also dont see why canoeists shouldent pay a licence to use the river as i cant see the difference between them and anglers who after all are using a natural commidity which cost nothing in the first place...I personaly would welcome a whole shake up of the current system so for once our rivers recieve the income generated to improve them not just recieve a very small percentage..
 
That would depend on what improvements or who is control of the funds raised fred..;)..Theres a nasty little rumour natural england will be getting involved..:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
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