The question was asked in the Oxford Mail’s “The Issue” recently: “Do we still need a close season for fishing?”

Jeff Woodhouse, editor of fishingmagic.com, said ‘no’ and Christian Baker, writer and member of the Chub Study Group, said ‘yes’.

My own view is that we should keep the close season, as it is only for 12 weeks after all.

I agree with Christian that rivers are a complex, fragile and delicate environment which need all our help to survive, especially now.

I sometimes wonder if it is not the tackle and bait industries who really want to do away with the close season so they can make more money.

Omitted from the article, incidentally, was the fact that the close season only applies to rivers and streams. You can still fish canals and stillwater commercial fisheries.

Targeting a large Oxfordshire pit, Chris Ladds, from Finchampstead, caught some fine rudd, topped by a brace of 1.13.0 and 2.12.0.

The fish were under a large willow tree and Chris catapulted maggots across to them. Once they were in open water, he fished a small float with a size 18 Drennan Carbon Feeder hook and one maggot.

Many years ago I fished a day-ticket water between Camberley and Yateley for rudd, using popped up maggot-feeder.

My best fish weighed 2.9.0 and 2.7.0.