Minnow for trout

[Ian]

Ian - North East Region Bye Laws:-
Yorkshire area - river trout starts - 25th March.
Northumberland - river trout starts - 22nd March.
Close seasons also differ!

Confused? Welcome to English & Welsh fishery regulations - every region seems to differ!

Thanks olly,I thought the 15th of March was a uk wide thing.even more time to practise then.
When does your season close olly?up here is the 15th of Oct.

[Olly]

Depends upon how far I go from home!

I fish mostly South East Region waters (either Thames Bylaw Area or Southern Bylaw Area) and South West Region (Wessex area rivers).
River Trout close seasons as follows:------
Thames Area Close season: - 1st October until 31st March
Southern Area "" "" : - 1st November until 2nd April
Wessex "" "" : - 15th October until 16th March

Fully enclosed waters: - no close seasons for brown or rainbow ----- I think.

These are also different for salmon and sea trout for each area!!

Confused -- yep! Always have to check the Bye Laws when I go anywhere!
So on the 17th March I can fish Wessex waters - 1st April Thames - and 3rd April Southern!

Don't get me started on WHAT you cannot do & use!

I try to avoid river brown/rainbow trout fishing - salmon seasons are much simpler! So are most stillwaters.

[Ian]

Thankfully things are far less complicated up here.i can fish for brown trout from next Friday,even though I won’t bother til some time in April when the trout have moved back into their summer lies.march trout are still pretty washed out and lethargic,especially over the past few years.the southern area close season would be suitable for more of the uk.ive found October to be a very productive month for trout too,usually when targeting grayling.

Going back to the original post,minnow fishing for trout is a truly deadly method.fishing a minnow a couple of days after a big summer flash flood when the river is still a bit coloured.the trout have to use a lot more energy to fight against the current and there’s no where near enough insect life to sustain them,add to that their predatory instincts and they are the top bait for big trout.i haven’t used the minnow jig for years and years.minnows are thin on the ground and I don’t kill fish any more.

[DaceAce]

Depends upon how far I go from home!

I fish mostly South East Region waters (either Thames Bylaw Area or Southern Bylaw Area) and South West Region (Wessex area rivers).
River Trout close seasons as follows:------
Thames Area Close season: - 1st October until 31st March
Southern Area "" "" : - 1st November until 2nd April
Wessex "" "" : - 15th October until 16th March

Fully enclosed waters: - no close seasons for brown or rainbow ----- I think.

These are also different for salmon and sea trout for each area!!

Confused -- yep! Always have to check the Bye Laws when I go anywhere!
So on the 17th March I can fish Wessex waters - 1st April Thames - and 3rd April Southern!

Don't get me started on WHAT you cannot do & use!

I try to avoid river brown/rainbow trout fishing - salmon seasons are much simpler! So are most stillwaters.

My local Dorset (Wessex) river trout fishing has always started 1st April. This is from the byelaws:
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... _10141.pdf

[Phil Arnott]

Here in Yorkshire, the rule was that you were only allowed to fish with artificial or natural fly or artificial or natural minnow during the close season. This left us wondering what qualified as an artificial minnow and so we, at first, only used a Devon minnow. Eventually, probably when we lost the 1st June start, we were allowed to use the certain baits as stated below. As stated previously the trout season starts 25th March.

"On waters where the close season for freshwater fish applies the only lures or baits which may be used during the close season are natural or artificial fly, minnow, worm, shrimp, prawn, sandeel or artificial lures."

[Olly]

Ah! Just shows how confusing it all is!

Does it come under -- " All waters in Wessex Area" OR "All other waters in Wessex Area" ???

They are different --- but which is which?

[DaceAce]

If it's a river like the Avon, Stour, Frome or Piddle the 'All rivers in Wessex area' which open from 1st April for brown trout.