Summer is in full swing, the long evenings are here and as of 16 June, the new river season for coarse fishing has begun. For many, the start of the coarse fish season on rivers marks the start of the traditional fishing year.

Rivers across the country offer a wonderful challenge to new and experienced anglers alike, and there really is nothing like being out on the riverbank on a warm evening or a misty morning.

So, check your licence is still valid and get out on the river.

An annual fishing licence costs just £30 and now lasts for 12 months from the day you buy it. Money from fishing licence sales is invested in England’s fisheries and is used to fund a wide range of projects to improve facilities for anglers including protecting stocks from illegal fishing, pollution and disease, restoring fish stocks through re-stocking, eradicating invasive species, and fish habitat improvements. Fishing licence money is also used to fund the Angling Trust to provide information about fishing, to encourage participation in the sport and to manage a voluntary bailiff scheme.

Children under 13 fish for free. Anyone aged 13 to 16 also fish for free, but do need to have a valid Environment Agency fishing licence. Anyone over 16 must pay for an Environment Agency fishing licence to fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel in England.

More information on fisheries and fishing licences, including how to buy your rod licence is available online.

Buy a fishing licence

The Angling Trust has launched the Estuary Water Quality Monitoring Network - an innovative step forward in our mission to protect the waters we fish and love. This new initiative builds on the success of our Water Quality Monitoring Network, a cornerstone of the Anglers Against Pollution campaign, which has enabled nearly 10,000 citizen-led pollution tests in rivers across England and Wales over the past three years.

Estuaries - where freshwater meets the sea - are vital nursery grounds for fish and essential habitats for wildlife. Yet they remain some of the least monitored and understood environments, largely due to the complexity of tracking water quality in such dynamic systems. Alarmingly, 81% of England’s estuaries fail to meet Water Framework Directive standards for good water quality, underscoring the urgent need for action.

Earlier this year, we ran a successful pilot project on the Ribble Estuary with the help of dedicated volunteers, showing that, with the right tools and training, anglers can play a key role in safeguarding these ecosystems. We are now expanding the project nationwide and inviting clubs and angling organisations to get involved.

The Estuary Water Quality Monitoring Network will be the first citizen science programme of its kind, placing anglers at the forefront of estuary protection.

Read More Angling Trust

Plants and animals from all over the world have been introduced to British waters by people, usually accidentally. These are known as non-native species. Most are harmless but some become invasive. Over fifty different invasive freshwater species have already been found in our lakes, rivers and other waters, and the number of new arrivals is increasing rapidly.

Invasive non-native species cause serious environmental problems that can be irreversible, and interfere with the activities you enjoy by clogging propellers, damaging boats, blocking up waterways making it hard to fish or use them for paddling, and increasing the risk of flooding.

Find out more about some of the invasive plants and animals in our waters and record suspected sightings.

What can I do to help?

Invasive species can be small and hard to spot so are easily spread on damp equipment and clothing. You can help protect the environment and activities you enjoy by keeping your kit free of invasive plants and animals, whenever you leave the water remember to:

Check
Check your equipment, boat, and clothing after leaving the water for mud, aquatic animals or plant material. Remove anything you find and leave it at the site.

Clean
Clean everything thoroughly as soon as you can, paying attention to areas that are damp or hard to access. Use hot water if possible.

Dry
Dry everything for as long as you can before using elsewhere as some invasive plants and animals can survive for over two weeks in damp conditions.

It's even more important if you're travelling abroad as you could accidentally bring back new invasive plants and animals. Make sure everything has been cleaned and dried thoroughly before using it again at home.

Source: NNSS

The Canal & River Trust is today (15 May 2025) announcing the appointment of Campbell Robb as its new chief executive. Campbell will be joining the charity on 6 October, after six years leading the social justice charity Nacro as its chief executive.

Canal & River Trust is the UK's largest canal charity, caring for a 2,000-mile network of canals and navigable rivers that connect many urban and rural areas. The charity maintains and protects these 250-year-old waterways – the canals, embankments, culverts and reservoirs, as well as their bridges, locks and towpaths, along with their vital ecosystems – against the growing impact of climate change and more extreme weather, providing constant upkeep and investment to ensure they continue to offer an incredible range of benefits.

Before joining Nacro, Campbell was chief executive of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, steering the organisation through a significant change programme. Prior to this he spent seven years as chief executive of Shelter, building its ability to support more people than ever before and leading the organisation’s response to some of the biggest changes to housing and welfare policy in generations. Campbell also brings government experience: before joining Shelter, he was the first Director General of the Office of the Third Sector, an adviser to HM Treasury, and was previously Director of Public Policy at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).

David Orr, chair at Canal & River Trust, comments: “The UK’s canals represent an extraordinary and enduring link to our industrial heritage. Today they play multiple roles, offering communities the chance to engage with nature and boost their mental and physical health, providing essential corridors for wildlife and biodiversity, and even helping to mitigate the effects of climate change. As age, reduced funding, and extreme weather take their toll, our charity’s mission of caring for them has never been more important.

“I am delighted that Campbell will be joining the Canal & River Trust as its new chief executive. He brings a wealth of experience from across the charity sector, including 15 years in similar roles where he has successfully strengthened organisations to respond to challenges and opportunities. I look forward to working with him to secure the longer-term future of our canals.”

Campbell Robb comments, “The role of chief executive of the Canal & River Trust is one of the most exciting roles in the public and voluntary sectors and one I am delighted to take on. To act as a steward for the history and protect the future of these amazing living monuments will be a challenge, but also an opportunity. I am also committed to the importance of community. In everything I do I wish to support, create and be part of communities. The canals and rivers are vital for those who live there, work there and volunteer there, as well as the wildlife they foster and support. To be part of that and to help them all thrive will be a privilege.”

Campbell Robb replaces Richard Parry, who joined the Trust in 2013, a year after its creation, and who has led the Trust through its critical formative years to become an established and well-supported national charity.

David Orr continues: “I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to Richard for the outstanding contribution he has made over the past 12 years. Under his leadership, the Trust has grown into a widely respected national charity. He has steered the organisation through both challenges and successes with commitment and clarity, always championing the unique value of our canal network. I wish him well in his future endeavours.”

For further media requests please contact:
Fran Read, Canal & River Trust
m: 07796 610 427
e: fran.read@canalrivertrust.org.uk


Source: Angling Trust

The Angling Trust are writing to members and supporters to draw your attention to the campaign they are running against plans that could see a marked increase in trespass, damage and disturbance to vital fish spawning grounds on smaller rivers and streams.

The Angling Trust and Fish Legal have already responded to the proposals in the current consultation on the reform of Bathing Water Regulations and written directly to ministers in both DEFRA and the Welsh Government.

The Angling Trust need anglers to act now to stop a massive loophole in the proposed new regulations which could see canoes, kayaks, rowing boats and even powered craft designated as ‘bathers’, disturbing fish and fishing on small rivers where currently no navigation is allowed.

The public consultation ends on 23rd December, so they are asking for your help to get writing NOW!

All the details of the campaign, including their template email to DEFRA which includes responses to the consultation, can be found here. A Facebook post from the Angling Trust, which can be reshared, can be found here.

It would be very helpful if you could undertake the actions, and help them maximise the response from the angling community.

Many thanks for your support.

Kind regards,
Jamie Cook
CEO Angling Trust

Source: Angling Trust

An unusual, orange-hued pike was recently caught in Lake Hajnal, Hungary. A photo of this rare fish, posted in a popular angling group, quickly went viral.

Members marveled at the sight, with many noting they had never seen a pike with such coloration before.
István Földi – who shared the photograph – revealed that the “golden fish” was caught in late June by Gézáné Vajda at Lake Hajnal, a five-hectare fishing spot in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County.
This golden pike came as a complete surprise, as it bit on bait intended for carp.
“I was using a method rig with halibut micro pellets in the feeder, and the bait was a piece of rubber corn. This beautiful pike took it at 9 a.m.” Földi shared with us.
The lake spans about fourty meters in width and stretches for 1,500 meters in length.
Its banks are lined with reeds, cattails, and fallen trees, providing ideal cover for pike and giving the lake a backwater feel.
“I never imagined such a color variation existed in pike. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience! We’ve searched for similar catches worldwide but found nothing like it. Could it be that this small lake alone holds such wonders?” Földi mused.
Weighing in at 6.25 kilograms, this remarkable predator was photographed once and then released back into the water.

“I’ve never seen a pike with this xanthoristic trait before,” commented Zoltán Sallai, a board member of the Hungarian Ichthyological Society.
Sallai explained that this unique specimen exhibits a complete lack of melanin.
In fish skin, pigment cells produce four main colors: pearlescent guanine, brownish-black melanin, red erythrophyll, and yellow xanthophyll.
Genetic mutations can lead to over- or under-production of one or more of these pigments.
In this case, the yellow xanthophyll pigment is overproduced, resulting in what is known as xanthorism – making this an extraordinary xanthoristic pike.

Source: Pál Juha, Fishing Journalist www.pecaverzum.hu

Autumn is here and that can mean only one thing ... the Angling Trust Annual Raffle is back!

Their ever popular annual fundraiser has 20 prizes on offer including £2,000 worth of Daiwa tackle of your choice, £500 of Korda tackle and a £350 Preston Innovations bundle!

Tickets are still just £2 and you can buy them online now!

The full breakdown of the fantastic prizes for 2024 are:

• 1st Prize £2,000 RRP Daiwa tackle of the winner's choice.
  
• 2nd Prize £500 RRP Korda tackle of the winner's choice.
  
• 3rd Prize £350 RRP Preston Innovations bundle.
•  4th Prize £300 Angling Direct gift card.
  
• 5th Prize £270 RRP Korum bundle.
  
• 6th Prize £250 Orvis gift card.
  
• 7th Prize £250 RRP Matrix tackle of the winner's choice.
•  8th Prize £200 Go Outdoors gift card courtesy of The Insurance Emporium.
  
• 9th Prize £150 RRP Avid Carp bundle.
  
• 10th Prize £70 RRP Fox Rage Street Fighter Utility Vest.
  
• 11th-20th Prize £50 Fishing Megastore vouchers.

Source: Angling Trust