well I will go against the grain here...article SPECIFICALLY SAYS casting AND retrieving...so mum wasnt just helping them let line out in a boat(which they could do via bail arm while under way..... lots of folks will get a free kids licence to avoid paying for licence themselves,,at six and nine both my kids were fishing for themselves.I had family licence so could cast lure out then hand over rod for them to wind lure back in.... grew old pretty fast but neat when they hooked trout.
I recall as a ranger in wagon on way back from canals with two other rangers in wagon seeing man casting out rod,and winding it in.... as we pulled in he quickly handed rod to child...... no way that child was fishing..dad was fishing and only kid had licence...
its never clear cut as it first looks
its always going to be hard call as no one wants to put kids off but the law is the law and if people dont buy licences...there would be zero complience as nobody to enforce it..either we need rules or we dont.
worm fishing removes a LOT of barriers to getting kids going... they dont have to cast far,then sit n wait... but far better for parent to have licence too....
as for spying from afar..that was speculation in article..may or may not have happened and actually its sometimes the only way to do the job
when I ranged the canals I had higher enforcement rate than other rangers cause I would fish with family till spotted two or more folks breaking law...then would put gear away and put ranging gear on and start licence n gear checks
its shocking some of the stuff you see happening to fish,PERSONALLY I would like to see a zero release policy on canals at certain times of the year,WHY to stop the salmon being rocket launched up onto shore flap around then chucked back in after hook yanked out and carry on fishing.often dad n three kids all hauling out fish when they are running hot.fish flapping around all over the show and floating dead fish all over the place.... havent taken limit so carry on till sick of it and go home...that carry on might be considered ok for sprats in the sea but not trout n salmon....
I gave warrent back as it spoiled my fishing and never got anything back at all ,no licence discount,no fuel vouchers and bugger all support either even though the numbers of convictions were higher than most full time staff.
Bookmarks