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The Coarse Fish Close Season

The coarse fish close season - background to the coarse fish close season byelaw

The Salmon & Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975 sets out the coarse fish close season as 15 March to 15 June inclusive, but makes provision for this to be altered or dispensed with through fisheries byelaws. The coarse fish close season was dispensed with in a piecemeal way during the Water Authority era (1976 - 1988). Some Authorities dispensed with the close season on stillwaters and/or canals. Historically, some areas, notably Devon and Cornwall, have never had a coarse fish close season on stillwaters or canals.