Monthly Archives: March 2016

Get Out There – Get Fishing!

New events and venues website launched – www.getfishing.org.uk

The mission to drive up angling participation and the GetOutThere campaign is getting a boost with a new information based website. Put together by the Angling Trust and supported by the Environment Agency and Sport England it will contribute to their goal to get more people active and fishing more often.

The Get Out There – Get Fishing site details hundreds of angling events and venues, plus the facilities and activities on offer.

The successful GetOutThere campaign was launched at the end of 2015 and has reached over half a million people so far. The Trust’s Sport England funded Angling Promotion Officer Rob Hughes said “GetOutThere is great as it encourages people to get the rods out more often. We know from surveys that one thing that encourages people to go fishing more often is the provision of information about where to go and what to do. We want to give them that info in a no-nonsense, easy access format and this new website does exactly that.”

Will Smith, Angling Promotions Officer working to boost participation and Environment Agency rod licence sales added “There are great angling events going on in the coming months and they’ll all be listed. It doesn’t matter where you are or what sort of fishing you like, there’s something for you. Best of all most events are absolutely free! We’ll be promoting the website outside angling too – it’s so important to get more people fishing for the first time.”

Quality assured events designed for families, anglers who have not been fishing for a while, beginners and experienced anglers who just want to take a friend, can be found at www.getfishing.org.uk. Events including game fairs, courses […]

By |March 29th, 2016|News|Comments Off on Get Out There – Get Fishing!|

Angling Trust Welcomes Government Commitment to Fish Passage Legislation – At Last!

The Angling Trust welcomed the announcement this week by Fisheries Minister George Eustice that the Government will set out this month proposed new legislation to remove obstructions or build fish passes to provide a route around or through weirs and other barriers to fish migration. This legislation has been promised for the past decade, but has been repeatedly delayed, with the reasons given ranging from lack of parliamentary time to hold-ups by government regulatory risk assessment procedures.

It is hoped that the long-awaited legislation will help organisations like the river trusts and the Environment Agency to gain access and permission to take action on privately-owned structures which act as barriers to fish migration.

Although hundreds of fish passes have been installed over the past decade, there are thousands more obstructions which need to be removed or modified, and it would greatly help the process if landowners were required to co-operate with these works, for the benefit of fish populations on the whole river.

Nearly all fish need to migrate up and down rivers to complete their lifecycle, whilst fish like salmon, sea trout, eels and shad also migrate out to sea. Particularly at times of low flow, barriers to fish migration can prevent adults reaching spawning areas, or young fish heading downstream to find food. Such obstructions also make fish much more vulnerable to predation from otters, mink, cormorants and goosanders.

Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Angling Trust and Fish Legal said: “We are delighted to see a firm commitment from the government to bring this legislation forward at last after many years of delay. Introduction of this legislation is a key demand in the Angling Trust’s Save Our Salmon campaign, because urgent and widespread action to […]

By |March 18th, 2016|News|Comments Off on Angling Trust Welcomes Government Commitment to Fish Passage Legislation – At Last!|

Voluntary Bailiff Service to tackle illegal fishing now live in the Midlands

The Angling Trust and Environment Agency partnership has now made possible the keenly anticipated national roll-out of the Voluntary Bailiff Service (VBS), following a pilot project in the South East.
The Midlands was the third VBS region to go ‘live’ on Saturday, 20th February. This region includes Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, with 33 successful applicants attending the inaugural mandatory induction day held near Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.

The event was jointly hosted by Angling Trust Midlands Regional Enforcement Manager Kevin Pearson, a retired West Midlands Police inspector, and Environment Agency VBS Project Manager Adrian Brightley.
Kevin Pearson said: “This was a fantastic day for angling in the Midlands with 33 volunteers joining Phase 1 Voluntary Bailiff Service and offering their support to the Environment Agency and the Police in tackling poaching and all angling-related crime. I am very optimistic about the future and already have more volunteers ready to join at the next induction later in the year.”

The event was attended and supported by the Environment Agency together with Chief Inspector Martin Sims, Head of the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, and PC Paul Lambon from West Mercia Constabulary.
PC Lambon, a key-player in Operation Leviathan, a high profile multi-agency, multi-force, operation focussing on illegal fishing and fish theft, said: “From a policing perspective I am extremely pleased the Voluntary Bailiff Service is now up and running in our area. It’s early days and we shouldn’t expect to see huge changes overnight, but by working together we will make a difference: we are stronger together.”
Environment Agency Fisheries Enforcement Officer Chris Ponsford contributed to training at the induction and said: “The Environment Agency welcomes the opportunity to work with enthusiastic volunteers to […]

By |March 18th, 2016|News|Comments Off on Voluntary Bailiff Service to tackle illegal fishing now live in the Midlands|

The Barbel Show 2016

Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 2LD
Sunday 1st May 2016. 9.30am-5.00pm

Guest speakers include;
Stu Walker
Dr Paul Garner
Lee Swords
Terry Theobald
Martin Salter
Dom Garnett

Large trade room for all your pre-season purchases of tackle and bait, bargains galore.

Tickets in advance from The Barbel Society, 1 Larchwood, Castlegate, Scotforth, Lancaster, LA1 4QG.
OR via PayPal. PayPal receipt as ticket.

You can purchase tickets via Paypal here The Barbel Show

Alternatively you can pay on the door on the day.

Members £10.00
Non-members £12.00
Wives/partners and children under 16 FREE

Members can bring second hand tackle for sale on the second hand stall, label items clearly with price and include 10% for BS funds.

Renewals and fishery permits can be purchased on the day:

By |March 17th, 2016|News|Comments Off on The Barbel Show 2016|

Staffordshire Regional Meeting – 2nd April

An evening with Paul Floyd and new R/O Andy Degville

Doveridge Village Club 2nd April 7.30pm for an 8pm start

By |March 17th, 2016|News|Comments Off on Staffordshire Regional Meeting – 2nd April|

Lancashire Regional Meeting – 11th April

An evening with Paul Floyd

Hinds Head Pub 11th April 7.00pm for an 8pm start

By |March 17th, 2016|News|Comments Off on Lancashire Regional Meeting – 11th April|