Following a very ‘start - stop’ spawning this year, the carp seem to be back on the feed BIG TIME with a number of thirties reported from Temple this week whilst anglers on the Old Lake have been reporting bumper hauls of up to 11 fish which has included a good number of 20’s.

Whilst it has been relatively quiet angler wise over the past couple of weeks, those anglers who have continued fishing have been doing really well and particularly on Temple with pretty much every angler reporting multiple catches during their session which includes a thirty.

Leading the pack on Temple this week was Johnathon Winfield who had a great result over the weekend landing Temple's 'Ghost' at a very impressive 38lbs. The Cheam angler fished peg 4 into open water about half way out. He used a 15mm cell bottom bait over a small bed of bait. Interestingly this was Johnathon’s 1st fish out of Temple! What a great result, well done! (Pictures to follow).

Gary Brown was another angler who had a brilliant session on Temple landing 4 fish from peg 11. He fished from Sunday to Wednesday and his catch included a 30lb 6oz common, one of the fully scaled stockies at 18lb 8oz, the deformed mirror at 19lb 14oz and other mirror at 19lb 10oz. Well done Gary, good angling! All fish are piling on the weight as you can see and spawning hasn't had an effect on their condition!

Fred Roome is currently halfway through his 48 hour session on Temple at the moment and he has got off to a flying start catching 'Friar Tuck' yesterday at 34lb 12oz. As you can see the fish are still in absolutely immaculate condition with no marks from spawning and still at good weights! Fred caught from peg 3 out in open water using squid flavored boilies.

Moving back a week, Rob O'Neill had success landing 3 lovely Temple mirrors. Interestingly all 3 fish were caught by casting to showing fish with runs coming an hour or less after getting a rod onto the spots. Bait used was by Aqua Dynamix, either double 16mm bottom baits or single 12mm pink pop ups. All fish were from peg 11 and weighed 23lb 9oz, 24lb 7oz and 27lb 10oz. Well done Rob, good angling!

Another angler to catch during the spawning period was Paul Pitchley from Croydon landing four fish haul was topped by this mint 30lb mirror from peg 3. Cell boilies were used as bait and the other fish were a mirror of 26lb 12oz as well as commons of 18lb 8oz and 23lb. Nice one Paul, well done!

Turning to the Old Lake, Mark Ramkoleea had a decent session at the weekend. Here are two pics from Friday night, a lovely dark 19lb common (pics attached) and one of 18lb. He had 6 carp in total, all on cell snowmen during a quick overnight session.

Aaron Barnes fished the Old Lake over the weekend and had a 23lb 4oz common from the margins of peg 37. 18mm cell was the bait used. (pic attached)

Rob Shepard from Trowbridge managed a 23lb 8oz common from the Old Lake. He fished a 18mm pineapple boilie in peg 34.

Paul Kerry fished over night Friday on the Old Lake with his son Alex Kerry fishing peg 71, whilst Paul had just one small carp for around double figures, his son Alex fished peg 72 and had his best carp session ever beating his personnel best not once but twice first with a 24lb 6 oz common carp and then with a mirror carp of 27lb. All fish fell to single Cell wafters fished a rod length from the island with loose fed Cell bollies with 20 to 30 added after each fish capture. (pics attached)

Tom Knight had a great session catching 11 fish which included 3 twenties, a 24lb mirror and commons weighing 22lb 11oz and 20lb 5oz. Tom fished peg 36 to the island catching on Icelandic Red

Source: Bury Hill Fisheries

The National Crucian Conservation Project (NCCP) has produced a second video aimed at encouraging angling clubs and fishery owners to create crucian friendly waters in order to protect the species and encourage anglers to take up fishing for this delightful species.

The video - entitled "Creating Record Breaking Crucian Fisheries" (which can be seen bekow) - was launched this week and begins at Godalming Angling Society's famous Johnson's Lake, the home of the current british record crucian. It goes on to feature work by both Newbury Angling Association and Christchurch AC who are creating their own crucian fisheries at Warwick's Water in Thatcham and Holtwood Ponds in Dorset. The video, which includes some angling action from the Marsh Farm Day Ticket fishery, was produced and presented by Angling Trust Campaign Chief Martin Salter and filmed by John Sutton of Clearwater Photography.  

As well as catching some lovely fish for the camera Martin Salter explains how clubs and fishery owners can create their own successful and popular crucian fisheries. Martin reveals that Godalming AS took over £20,000 in day ticket sales last year at their Marsh Farm complex in Surrey.

Martin Salter said:

"Crucians are under threat due to predation, loss of habitat and through hybridisation with other species. This is why the National Crucian Conservation Project - the brainchild of angling artist Chris Turnbull - was established with the support of both the ourselves at the Angling Trust and the Environment Agency. We hope this short film will inspire others to begin restoring crucian habitat which will help create a national network of bespoke and popular crucian fisheries."

He added:

"All record breaking crucian fisheries have to start somewhere which is why our video begins at the famous Johnson's Lake in Surrey from where the stock was taken to create the amazingly successful Marsh Farm fishery - a place that has earned over £20,000 in day ticket sales last year. This just goes to show how popular and profitable crucian fishing can be."

Angling Artist and NCCP founder Chris Turnbull said:

"It's really uplifting to see how enthusiastically some angling clubs and fishery owners are responding to our call for more crucian waters. It seems that at last the message is getting though that neglected species like crucians offer a wonderful alternative to stocking king carp everywhere!"

Peter Rolfe, author of the crucian bible "Crock of Gold" added:

"I’ve always believed that it is through angling that the crucian (Carassius carassius) will be saved from extinction in the UK. It is so satisfying to see this coming true, through the efforts of the Angling Trust, the Environment Agency and so many committed individuals.  Together we can ensure the this super fish’s future and bring back to angling some of the traditional skills and pleasures that we have been in danger of losing."

David Marshall, Secretary of Newbury Angling Association said:

"We at NAA are very pleased to be supporting the crucian project and excited that the real work has finally started after several months of obtaining permits to drain down the lake, to move the fish and obtaining health checks.  With considerable help from the EA our Warwick's Water has been drained and the existing fish moved to other lakes we own. The next step is to introduce some lilies into the lake and allow the lake to settle prior to the introduction of the crucians later this year. Upon completion we believe we will have a water which will be the envy of many clubs and a valuable asset for our members"

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News

MPs met with Mark Lloyd and Martin Salter of the Angling Trust in the House of Commons this week to re-establish the All Party Parliamentary Group on Angling in the new Parliament which was elected at the General Election on May 7th. The Conservative MP for Broxbourne in Hertfordshire, Charles Walker, was elected Chairman for the second time.

The group was first set up by Martin Salter in 2005 and he was followed as Chairman by Charles Walker MP when Mr Salter retired from politics in 2010. For the last three years the post was filled by George Hollingbery MP who has been promoted to the government whips office and, as a result, is no longer eligible to stand. The angling MPs come together to receive regular briefings from the Angling Trust and others and raise issues of concern on the floor of the Commons and directly with ministers. In the last Parliament they were particularly active in pressing ministers to take action to conserve bass stocks.

Among the issues raised with the politicians at the meeting were the plans for a new bass minimum landing size, the need to reform inshore netting regulations, the impact of tidal lagoons on fish passage, the poor state of salmon stocks and the need to ensure that the Environment Agency has sufficient resources to look after our rivers.

At the end of the meeting Charles Walker was presented with honorary membership of Reading & District Angling Association (RDAA) by Martin Salter in thanks for all he has done to support and promote angling in his time in Parliament. As well as being National Campaigns Coordinator for the Angling Trust Mr Salter is president of RDAA.

Charles Walker said :

"It's important that the Nation's most popular outdoor pastime has advocates in Parliament, particularly when anglers are in the forefront of campaigns for a healthier environment and cleaner rivers. I'm delighted to be back in the chair and following in the footsteps of my friends and predecessors Martin Salter and George Hollingbery. Although I'm better known as a fly fisherman I love my trips down to the Kennet and Avon and I'm looking forward to joining up with the guys from Reading & District for some more winter piking on their fabulous waters"

Angling Trust CEO Mark Lloyd added:

"We are very grateful to all the MPs who are involved in the Parliamentary Group for Angling.  Their support for the many issues affecting fish stocks and fishing is invaluable to the Angling Trust as we have seen over the past year on bass in particular and other issues which we have raised on behalf of our membership.  Charles Walker is a highly energetic and committed Chairman of the group and we welcome the fact that all the major parties are represented.  This level of input to the parliamentary process is yet another benefit of having a single unified representative organisation for all anglers."

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News

The penultimate qualifier for the grand final of Fish ‘O’ Mania to be held at Cudmore Fisheries on Saturday 18th July 2015 was held at Partridge Lakes, near Warrington on Saturday 20th June.

This venue is considered by many to be one of the most picturesque and extremely well managed and hospitable venues in the country and has played host to many qualifiers over the years.

Cloudy and drizzly conditions greeted the 180 competitors that had booked in for this event and although the conditions were damp, it was expected that they would improve during the day.

The lakes in use were Covey 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 along with Holbar, Willow, Ribbon, Marsh and Spey, all of which were well stocked and pegged for this match to give the competitors as much room as possible.

Due to the ups and downs with the weather over the past weeks, changes in pressure, temperatures etc. many of the fish had not spawned properly and weights were not expected to be very high with 80 lbs expected to win.  As is normal with any predictions, they never work out.

The eventual winner and 15th qualifier was Connor Barlow, an electrician from Manchester, (Daiwa/Guru), with a weight of 154 lbs 11 ozs, which put paid to the low winning weight predictions.

Drawn on Ribbon peg 8, one of the smaller lakes at this venue and stocked with mainly F1’s, he set his stall out to fish shallow at 11 metres as tight to the far bank reeds as he could. Using caster as feed and hook bait, he got through 4 pints of caster during the match, with his biggest fish approximately 4 lbs.

In second place, drawn on Holbar peg 16 with a weight of 101 lbs 14 ozs was Andy Bailey (Daiwa Dons), a Sales Representative from Doncaster.  Initially starting on the bomb and pellet and then changing to the short pole he caught a mixed bag of carp, F1’s, barbel, skimmers and roach with his biggest fish being an 8 lb Mirror.

Third place went to Wayne Kearney, (Tricast Rochdale), a joiner form Manchester with 93 lbs 11 ozs. Using groundbait and maggot down the edge he caught carp and F1’s with his biggest fish around 6 lb.

In fourth place with 91 lbs 11 ozs was Stu Conroy form Covey 1 peg 4, with Grant Albutt in fifth place from Covey 6 peg 166 with 85 lbs 9 ozs.

The final Fish ‘O’ Mania qualifier for this year heads to Garbolino Lindholme Lakes, Epworth, Doncaster on Wednesday 24th June.

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News

The BRFC met at Fishmongers’ Hall, London, on 8th June 2015.

Present were: Mike Heylin OBE (Chairman), Nick Simmonds (Secretary), Oliver Crimmen (Scientific Advisor, Natural History Museum), Nigel Hewlett (Scientific Advisor, Environment Agency) and Andrew Nellist (Angling Trust - freshwater specialist).

The following claims were ratified by the committee as new or equal records:

Sea Fish:
Species: White sea bream (Diplodus sargus)    
Record weight: 2lb 9oz 5dr (1.170kg)    
Captor's name: Steve Mullins    
Date & venue: 10th Jan 2015 - St Catherine's Breakwater, Jersey 
Previous record: 2lb 6oz 14dr

Coarse Fish:
Species: Crucian carp (Carassius carrasius)
Record weight: 4lb 9oz (2.070kg) (Equal record)    
Captor's name: Peter Cardozo    
Date & venue: 2nd May 2015 - Johnson's Lake, Marsh Farm, Surrey
Previous record: 4lb 9oz

Species: Crucian carp (Carassius carrasius)
Record weight: 4lb 10oz (2.098kg) (New record)   
Captor's name:  Michael James   
Date & venue: 4th May 2015 - Surrey Stillwater
Previous record: 4lb 9oz

Species: Crucian carp (Carassius carrasius)
Record weight: 4lb 10oz (2.098kg) (Equal record)
Captor's name: Stephen Frapwell  
Date & venue: 10th May 2015 - Johnson's Lake, Marsh Farm, Surrey   
Previous record: 4lb 10oz

Notes from the meeting:

• The members of the Committee expressed regret at the untimely loss of Keith Speer, who died unexpectedly in February this year. Keith had been a member of the BRFC since 2012 and had made a significant and valued contribution to the affairs of the Committee during his tenure. Keith's presence, with his great good humour and well-considered judgement is much missed.
   
• One consequence of Keith's passing is that the Committee would like to recruit an experienced freshwater angling specialist to strengthen the freshwater sub-group. Initial expressions of interest should be made to the BRFC Secretary, Nick Simmonds, by email to admin@britishrecordfish.net
   
• The Committee would like to make it clear that the BRFC does not undertake scales checks. We may be able to assist in facilitating scales tests from time to time. The BRFC does not make any charge for facilitating scales checks. Any charge payable is that levied by the testing authority.
   
• The Committee considered the question of records being held jointly by more than one angler. The Committee is happy to consider claims for the capture of a fish at an equal weight to the current record for the species and, in instances when the claim is ratified, to award an equal record certificate to the captor.
  
  The Committee has recently had a situation where three anglers made claims for record captures of the same species within a few days of each other. In cases where multiple claims are made, claims will be dealt with in the order in which the claims are lodged with BRFC.
  

The Committee would also like to remind readers that in the event of the capture of a potential record fish, the captor should first contact the British Record (rod-caught) Fish Committee without delay.

Captors of potential record fish should contact the Secretary, Nick Simmonds, at the Angling Trust, on 01568 620447 or by email at admin@britishrecordfish.net

Nick will record the details of the capture and advise the claimant on progressing the claim.

More information about what to do if you catch a record fish can be found in the BRFC web pages at www.anglingtrust.net/brfc

Notes for editors:
The official British Records List and procedures are available on the Angling Trust website at www.anglingtrust.net/brfc or from the Secretary.

The initial telephone contact point of the BRFC remains at the Angling Trust Head Office on 01568 620447 and email enquiries may be directed to the Secretary Nick Simmonds at admin@britishrecordfish.net

The next meeting of the full committee is scheduled for December 2015. As previously the committee will continue to consider all claims as and when they arise and to keep captors informed as to progress.

Aims and Objectives of the BRFC
The Committee exists to recognise and publish record weights of both fresh and salt water fish caught on rod and line by fair angling methods in the waters of England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, and aims:

• To provide an adjudicating body to which marine and freshwater anglers may submit claims for record fish taken by fair rod and line angling.
  
• To investigate all such record claims to the fullest possible extent and maintain a permanent record of such investigations.
  
• To establish and maintain accurately a list of British fish, marine and freshwater, of record size and to publish this list frequently and make it readily available to all interested persons.

The activities of the Committee are voluntary, and claims are considered and adjudicated upon, only on the basis that the Committee shall be under no obligation whatsoever to claimants, that its decisions shall be final, and it shall not be obliged to give reasons for its decisions.

For further information please contact:

Nick Simmonds - Secretary
British Record (rod caught) Fish Committee
c/o The Angling Trust
Eastwood House
6 Rainbow Street
Leominster
Herefordshire HR6 8DQ

Tel: 01568 620447 / 0844 7700616
Email: admin@britishrecordfish.net

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News

Yet more fisheries are set to benefit as the Angling Trust announces today (8th June) that an additional £50,000 is up for grabs later this summer as part of the hugely successful 'Fishery Improvement Fund'. The funding comes from the Environment Agency's rod licence sales.

Building on the success of the first round of funding earlier this year, the Fund will again be offering awards of up to £5,000 per project. This time, proposals are invited under two strands of the National Angling Strategy 'Fishing for Life' - either 'getting kids into fishing' or 'protecting fish stocks from predation'.

As before, clubs and organisations need not be Angling Trust members or Angling Trust-affiliated to be eligible to apply and proposals from commercial fisheries are also welcomed. Clubs and fisheries that were unsuccessful in Round 1, but have a continuing need for funding in these two areas, are welcome to apply again.

Eligibility criteria and details of how to apply will be available to view and download from the Angling Trust's dedicated Fishery Improvement Fund web page www.anglingtrust.net/improvementfund from Friday 12th June.

Applications should be emailed to reach the Angling Trust by the close of business on Monday 13th July 2015, and successful organisations must be able to spend the award by no later than the end of August.

In addition the Angling Trust will be running a series of workshops from Monday 22nd June to Thursday 25th June around the country to help clubs and organisations with the process and to provide pointers on what we would expect to see on a successful application. Details of these free events and how to book a place will be posted on the Angling Trust website soon.

Sarah Chare, head of fisheries at the Environment Agency, said: "The Fishery Improvement Fund is just one way the Environment Agency uses rod licence money to work with partners to benefit angling.  The first phase saw some really good projects given money: from new fish refuges and revitalising disused stretches of river to improving access and creating new angling venues.  I'm now looking forward to seeing great results from the second round, especially those which encourage young people to give fishing a go."

Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive, Angling Trust said: "Angling's response to the first round was phenomenal and clearly demonstrates the huge demand for improved facilities and habitats at our fishing waters. This time around, we are looking to support two priority areas for anglers: getting more kids into fishing and sustaining their enthusiasm, and protecting fish stocks from predation. If you are interested in applying, or are looking for general tips on finding funding for your club or fishery, please do try and come to our workshops at the end of June."

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News

The Angling Trust is now inviting applications from young coarse anglers to enter the 2015/16 England Talent Pathway programme. Talent Pathway events will begin in June and will take place throughout the country providing opportunities in the North, Midlands and Southern regions.

The ten month programme will provide anglers aged 13-17 with the opportunity to enter a high performance training programme, working with some of the best anglers this country has ever produced. Participants will learn how to become better anglers and at the same time will develop an understanding of the skills and attributes required to fish at international level.

Anglers will have the chance to showcase their skills in a series of coaching sessions, then pit their wits against anglers from other areas of the country.

This will happen under the watchful eye of Sensas Team England U18 manager Steve Sanders, with the aim being to get invited to trials for a place in the FIPS-ed World Championships team in 2016.

The 2015 Sensas Team England U18 squad will be made up of three anglers who have participated and progressed through the England Talent Pathway.

The opportunity to work with England's finest anglers such as Des Shipp, Lee Kerry, Matt Godfrey, Joe Roberts, Callum Dicks among others is definitely an opportunity not to be missed.

Ben Thompson, Angling Trust Talent Development Manager said: "The programme is really gathering momentum and we are excited about the progress being made. In previous Talent Pathways anglers have entered the programme as club anglers and gone on to become fully fledged internationals. Not only that, every angler that enters the programme improves their skills and becomes a better angler.

For those anglers who aspire to fish for England I can think of no better way than to achieve their goal, and for those anglers who just want to become better anglers, the programme will accelerate their learning and undoubtedly help them become the best angler they can be."

Lee Kerry, Drennan Team England Team member said: "The talent pathway is a fantastic opportunity for young anglers to develop their angling skills, with some of the best in the business involved to mentor participants.

Our aim as coaches is to ensure that all those taking part improve their current level of angling, and continue to progress beyond the programme to become the best they can be. I have no doubt these anglers will become part of our international teams in the future".

The Angling Trust England Talent Pathway identifies anglers aged 13-17 showing potential. Anglers enter a training programme designed to develop understanding of tactics and techniques required for international style angling.

There are Northern, Midlands and Southern squads in both game and coarse angling and a sea angling programme will be launched in the South for 2014/15.

Anglers interested in getting involved should visit www.anglingtrust.net/talentpathwaycoarse for more information and details of how to apply.

There is a small entry fee of £5 for each event and all participants must be individual members of Angling Trust.

Angling Trust membership is FREE for anyone under 18 years of age and is available online at www.anglingtrust.net/join

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News

A prestigious national angling competition is coming to South Yorkshire as Kiveton Waters, which sits alongside the Chesterfield Canal, hosts a qualifier for the 2015 Stillwater Championships.

The Championships, organised jointly by the Canal & River Trust, the charity that cares for 2,000 miles of the nation’s waterways, and Angling Trust will see anglers battle it out on some of the country’s top fisheries

The Kiveton qualifier, taking place on Saturday 30th May, will give local anglers the opportunity to enter the Championships and be in with a chance of winning a share of the final’s £7,000 prize pot.  

The Championships will consist of 10 qualifying rounds taking place on some of the Canal & River Trust’s top Stillwater fisheries. Each qualifier will see 4 anglers go through to a 40 peg final held at Blythe Waters Fishery, near Solihull, on 17th October 2015.

John Ellis, National Fisheries & Angling Manager for the Canal & River Trust said; “This is a really exciting opportunity for anglers living in South Yorkshire to take their place in a major national competition. It’s a chance for people to enjoy some great match angling and, who knows, possibly win them the right to compete in the national final. Places are booking fast so I’d encourage anyone wishing to take part to get in touch as soon as possible.” 

David Kent Competitions Chair from the Angling Trust said; “It is vital that we provide as much opportunity as possible for anglers to compete on different venues. Kiveton is very different from all the others used for this Championship and so calls for some completely different skills and techniques – it promises to be a fascinating event.”

Entry is £25 per qualifier and tickets are available from www.anglingtrust.net/competitions

Source: Canal & River Trust

Despite the continuing easterly winds, April continues to produce some cracking thirties from both Temple and the Old Lake. Interestingly, most of these fish have been caught during the day, whilst many have put on a huge amount of weight over the winter months and are now at record weights.

Traditionally May is the month of the thirties, so expect to see more thirties reported over the coming weeks and possibly a few surprises with a couple of Temple’s fish almost certainly over the magical 40lb mark.

Phil Kingsbury had a brilliant session last week catching not one, but two stunning Temple thirties during a short session. A 30 lb plus common, which was followed by a truly stunning 35 lb plus mirror (see photos below). Phil caught the common from swim 4 and the mirror from swim 14 casting to the island. Both fish where caught on 15mm Dynamite Monster Tiger nut boilies presented with a small pva bag of crumbed Tiger nut boilie on a running lead, a short length of Gardener 15lb Sly Skin and a size 6 Gardener covert Talon tip wide Gape hook.

Another angler to get amongst the thirties last week was David Wilson who landed a mint 32 lb 2 oz common (see photo below) and another of 21 lb 8 oz during a one-day session fishing the margins either side of peg 12 with home-made boilies and loose feeding sweet corn.

Another thirty to fall to a day session angler on Temple was a lovely 32 lb 8 oz mirror (see photo below), which was caught by Clive Elson from swim 15 on a Mainline Cell wafter. This fish was caught at around 25 lb last September, so it shows how much weight the young Temple fish are putting on. Clive also had a 20 lb 8 oz common on an overnighter a couple of days later on the same tactics from swim 7.

Turning to the Old Lake, Kirk Nodding was over the moon to end his 3-year quest for both an Old Lake mirror and common over 30lbs after landing this Old Lake warrior at 32 lb 6 oz (see photo below). Fishing the middle of the front bank, Kirk tempted this stunning big mirror just before sunrise with the help of his fishing pal Gavin Raines. Interestingly this is not the Old Lake’s famous ‘Shoulders’ but a new unknown thirty. Congratulations Kirk, now to smash up Temple!

Night fishing on the Old Lake and Temple can only be fished by members of our 'Specimen Carp Club'. We still have a few places available for 2015 for anyone wanting to join, please contact us for further details. Any previous members who still have to rejoin should do so as quickly as possible.

Source: Bury Hill Fisheries

With the outcome of the General Election on a knife edge and polling just a few days away, the Angling Trust has completed a review of what the main political parties are offering to do for fish and fishing. A trawl through the manifestos of the Conservative, Labour, LibDem, UKIP and Green parties has revealed strengths and weaknesses in them all.

Last month the Angling Trust published a comprehensive Manifesto for Angling and invited the five main parties to sign up and comment. Labour was the first to sign and Shadow Fisheries Minister Angela Smith said:
"Labour is proud to have a strong tradition of support for Angling.  We recognise not only the economic contribution that anglers makes but also the role they play up and down the country in working to improve our water and marine environment. The manifesto for angling contains some positive ideas for how the next Labour Government can both improve our natural environment and support Britain's most popular sport. We worked constructively with the Angling Trust when Labour was last in Government and we look forward to doing so again."

However, Labour's own environmental policy is one of the weaker on offer and their own manifesto makes almost no reference to fish or fishing.

The Conservatives have been keen to point out their record in government with new controls on cormorants and support for angling projects. They did agree, following a meeting between the Trust and the Prime Minister, to include a promise   to deliver a sustainable bass fishery. The Tories are also committed to concluding important projects like the Thames Tideway Tunnel to improve water quality.

Whilst they've yet to sign up to the Manifesto for Angling the Conservatives' most prominent angling MP and Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Angling Group George Hollingbery said:
"Angling is one of the biggest participant activities in the UK and important to the country at many different levels.  The Angling Manifesto hits all the right notes:  we know how beneficial angling can be to those that are involved and should encourage more people to pick up a rod; with so many people involved already, we know that a number of areas of government policy should always recognise this very large interest group; and we know that angling is a force for good when it comes to the environment and the health of our streams, rivers, lakes and oceans."

As expected the LibDem and Green manifestos are strong on the need for greater environmental protection with commitments to reduce water abstractions through wider water metering and construction of new reservoirs. However, neither party has anything to say about angling and has not yet responded to the Angling Trust's manifesto.

UKIP has the most comprehensive manifesto section on fishing of all the political parties but is exclusively focussed on the marine environment with strong support for continued exploitation of sea fish stocks by the UK commercial sector. They support measures to conserve bass stocks but oppose the three fish bag limit on recreational sea anglers. UKIP have acknowledged, but are yet to respond formally to the Manifesto for Angling.

Angling Trust Chief Executive Mark Lloyd said:
"We are pleased to have secured strong responses from both Labour and Conservative parties ahead of what will be a finely balanced election result. This means that anglers can be pretty confident that we will continue to receive good support from whoever is the major party in the next government. However, there is still a long way to go before we can get all politicians to recognise just how important it is for the nation’s 3 million anglers to look probably look after the rivers, streams, lakes and coastal fisheries upon which our sport depends."

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News