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  There are several points raised above by folks who don't go fishing so are a little confused. Buying a rod licence (I get mine automatically by direct debit) makes it legal for you to fish in freshwater, either rivers or lakes and publicly or privately owned, but isn't necessary at present for sea fishing or in Scotland.
  
  It also provides funds for the Environment Agency to spend on maintaining and improving rivers, and having a lot of weed in doesn't always mean that's a problem, rivers are largely self regulating unless they are interfered with.
  
  The need for a licence is fairly clear and unambiguous but what is also needed to fish is permission from the owner of the riparian rights - in the case of rivers the owner of the land on the bank of the river owns the rights up to the middle of the river, and if you fish without permission you are guilt of theft. However, who owns the rights can be unclear in areas of public access where the land isn't in ownership, and it seems from Howard's example above that the Chief Inspector was saying it's OK to fish from there provided you have a licence as we don't know who owns the fishing rights.
  
  It's time DDC put up no fishing notices on the areas of public access where they own the rights, so it is obvious if there are no signs in areas of public access that fishing is allowed there with a licence. Members might not like that but it is the law, and if the river was properly managed and stocked if necessary by the EA then it would not be a problem to have controlled fishing in the river.

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