Eels in keepnets

[jonsykes]

Is it against EA laws to keep Eels in a keepnet? I’m aware that local bye-laws may come into it - I’m in Yorkshire (classed as northeast region). I’ve had a look on the EA website - but ,as usual with any government source of information, it’s not easy to follow.

[Mike J]

Who would want to do something so daft?
Just means you'd have to burn the net afterwards, unless it was a friends net you'd borrowed.




Offhand Id say as they are a protected species - zero retention unless authorised,
Next time I see our Enforcement Team I will get you the definitive answer.

[jonsykes]

Cheers Mike

[jonsykes]

The reason I ask is that someone posted a pic of their days catch from a local river & there was Eels among them (in a keepnet). I informed him I thought it was illegal - but then started checking if I was right - before the inevitable fallout.

[Cyprio]

Found this on AT 's web site.
Don't know how current it is.

image.jpeg

Andy

[Daniel]

They're certainly retained in keepnets in matches and I've fished in matches with an EA bailiff present at the weigh in and nothing was said about it.

[Jason Skilton]

I couldnt find any national bylaws that stop you keeping eels in a keepnet, there certainly is some regional bylaws that cover eels, but none about retention that i can see.

[David.F.Scobie]

By the rule of law here in NI the match guys can’t put them in Keepnets and the don’t count to the weight your meant to put them back into the water after you unhook them. The match fellas I fish with were doing epic amounts of complaining about this it was something they were very emotional about.

Personally if I catch Eels when I'm out fishing they go in the keepnet with the rest of the days catch I'm not a match angler anymore and saying as I've never been asked for a licence or permit on the places I fish it's unlikely I'll be in the poo for doing this, the only time in my life of fishing on places like the Erne system I've seen bailiffs a tiny handful of times and these times were at launches round about the may fly hatch so the fella was checking the Troutists, one occasion he waived at me as he went past on his nice big shiny boat it's clear I was fishing for Pike so clearly not worth his time checking.

[Rosemary]

Except during match fishing I don't know why people would want to use keep nets, horrible things. I have seen anglers in Norfolk having to ask for assistance to lift a net out of the water, the fish ac the bottom of the net may not survive . The main purpose of keep nets is to enable the angler to tip the fish out on the bank for photographs a big white hunter. It is also not true that returning fish to the water promptly ruins the swim. I am 85 and tot used a keep net since I was about ten and I still catch fish.

[Chris Hammond]

Nothing wrong with keepnets if used sensibly, for eels or anything else. Nothing wrong with wanting to photograph your catch for future memories either.

I have to wonder why some people fish in the first place at times. John Bailey is often quoted as being angling's worst enemy with his sanctimonious preaching about fish 'conservation'. The best way to preserve fish is to ban angling and I don't suppose this forum's members would want that.

[GAVIN H]

Nothing wrong with keepnets if used sensibly, for eels or anything else. Nothing wrong with wanting to photograph your catch for future memories either.

I have to wonder why some people fish in the first place at times. John Bailey is often quoted as being angling's worst enemy with his sanctimonious preaching about fish 'conservation'. The best way to preserve fish is to ban angling and I don't suppose this forum's members would want that.

Did you see John Bailey featured in mr crabtree in the latest Catchcult?

[Chris Hammond]

Nothing wrong with keepnets if used sensibly, for eels or anything else. Nothing wrong with wanting to photograph your catch for future memories either.

I have to wonder why some people fish in the first place at times. John Bailey is often quoted as being angling's worst enemy with his sanctimonious preaching about fish 'conservation'. The best way to preserve fish is to ban angling and I don't suppose this forum's members would want that.

Did you see John Bailey featured in mr crabtree in the latest Catchcult?

Yes. Nail on head!