Angling News - Blackcountryfishing

DAVID SHIRES IS THE 2024 FISHOMANIA CHAMPION

27/7/2024

David Shires emerged victorious at the 2024 FishOMania Grand Final at Westwood Lakes in Boston, Lincolnshire with a final weight of 45.650 kg live on Sky Sports Action in the UK.

Shires made a strong start, leading with a substantial 9.025 kg haul within the first 30 minutes, the largest of the day. By the hour mark, he maintained his lead with a total of 13.100 kg, closely followed by defending champion Matt Dawes, who moved into second place with 11.875 kg.

As the competition progressed, Shires temporarily lost his lead. Two-time champion Andy Bennett surged ahead, securing the top position with a total weight of 22.350 kg, while the 2022 champion Kristian Jones climbed into second. Dawes dropped to fourth, with three-time FishOMania champion Jamie Hughes trailing in fifth, 18.700 kg behind the leader.

In the early afternoon, Shires mounted a comeback, narrowly regaining the lead by just 400 grams ahead of Kieran Marsden, who held on to second place. Bennett’s dream of a third title faded as he slipped to sixth.

At 3:30 pm, Jimmy Brooks made a dramatic late charge, posting an impressive 7.250 kg weigh-in to take the lead, with a 2.350 kg margin over Marsden. However, the final weigh-in brought a twist as Shires reclaimed the top spot in crucial timing, ultimately securing victory by the slenderest of margins—just under 2kg ahead of runner-up Marsden.

David Shires’ triumph marks his first FishOMania title, etching his name into the competition’s storied history with a total weight of 45.15 kg.

Additional Highlights

Andy Bennett, Kristian Jones, and Gary Ainscough each won their respective lake sections, earning £2,000 for the heaviest catches in their areas. Meanwhile, Matt Dawes, last year’s champion, put up a valiant effort, finishing in fourth place with a total of 38 kg.

Notably, the youngest finalist, 15-year-old Ted Stewart, made a commendable debut, finishing 20th with a total weight of 18.900 kg, marking a promising start to his FishOMania career.

THE NATIONAL ‘TAKE A FRIEND FISHING’ AND ‘NATIONAL FISHING MONTH’ CAMPAIGNS ARE BACK IN 2024 WITH AN EXTENDED PROGRAMME OF EVENTS.

24/7/2024

Aimed at attracting new anglers into the sport and encouraging lapsed anglers to pick up their rods and head back to the waterside, ‘Take a Friend Fishing’ and ‘National Fishing Month’ offer more opportunities than ever before for anglers to go fishing with a non-angling friend during the summers. The one-day licences would normally cost worth £7.10 for a coarse licence.

Take a Friend Fishing is an initiative run by the Angling Trades Association in association with the Environment Agency and supported by Angling Trust, the Canal & River Trust and many other angling organisations.

Andrew Race, Chairman of the Angling Trades Association, said: “After the success of Take a Friend Fishing in 2023, I am looking forward to building momentum again in 2024 with an extended programme.

Take a Friend Fishing is capable of making such a difference, not only to the long-term development of angling recruitment, but also to people’s lives. Angling is a proven therapy both mentally and physically and it knows no boundaries in terms of ability, age, sex, or background.”

Find out more at www.takeafriendfishing.co.uk/#faqs

DROITWICH BARGE CANAL CLAINES WATER TURNS BRIGHT GREEN

22/7/2024

A canal turned a shocking shade of green as algae bloomed suddenly in the intense heat but the fish population is still thriving says an angling club leader. A section of water near Mildenham Mill Lock on the Droitwich barge canal off Egg Lane, near Claines on the outskirts of Worcester turned a bright, lurid shade of green on Tuesday.

The transformation of the canal has been attributed to the hot weather which has caused the algae to bloom suddenly.

However, a prompt response from the Canal and River Trust, bailiff Mark Hardman who identified the problem and Lee Brisker, who holds the fishing rights at Mildham Fisheries, has helped protect the fish which live in the canal.

The canal is home to a variety of species including bream, tench, roach, rudd, eels, pike, perch and chub. If oxygen levels dip suddenly (which can be a result of the algae), fish can die as happened in Worcester last year.
Has reported last June how hundreds of fish died in a canal in Worcester as oxygen levels, many floating to the surface. The deaths were caused when oxygen levels in the water dropped at the Birmingham Canal near Blockhouse Lock in Worcester due to soaring temperatures and thunderstorms.

Lee Brisker of Brisker's AC said Carl Nicholls from the Canal and River Trust had been 'outstanding' in his response to the situation on the Droitwich barge canal, monitoring the oxygen level in the canals because of the algae which is 'fine for fish at the moment'. He also said thanks must go to the bailiff for spotting the issue early.

However, he said if there was a thunderstorm it could create problems as this could cause the algae to die and sink which could lead to a fall in the oxygen levels in the water.

He said the situation was being closely monitored. The Canal and River Trust has aerators to help oxygenate the water although Mr Brisker said he had invested in his own in case the trust became overwhelmed.

"At the moment the oxygen levels are really high and the fish are okay. There are about 10 different species of fish in that canal, mainly bream and roach. The fish population is absolutely outstanding down there. It's arguably the best fishing spot in the West Midlands. It's a lovely section of canal," he added.

Mr Brisker said there had been problems with algae there before but not for a few years and that the algae could bloom suddenly in hot weather. The algae covers a 50 yard section of the canal.

He added: "If the weather breaks it will help us. I should imagine by the end of next week it will disperse and it won't be as bad. We are just waiting for nature to take its course."

A spokesperson for the Canal and River Trust said: "Blue green algae is naturally occurring and where it is present, typically only in the summer months, our advice is to avoid contact with it.

"It doesn’t impact boating but we advise people to wash their hands if coming into contact with the water, for example, if handling wet ropes. We advise dog owners to keep their dog on a lead and to avoid contact with the water."

POLICE CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL FISHING IN STOURPORT AND BEWDLEY

19/7/2024

POLICE and partner organisations have been working together to crack down on illegal fishing and fish theft from waterways in Bewdley and Stourport.
Operation Leviathan saw police officers from the North Worcestershire Rural and Business

Crime team working alongside the Angling Trusts, the Voluntary Bailiffs Scheme and the Birmingham Anglers Association to patrol the River Severn on Friday (July 12).

Teams from the partner agencies conducted checks for rod licences, permits and anti-social behaviour in the Bewdley and Stourport areas of Worcestershire.

Police Constable Mike Roberts, rural and business crime officer for North Worcestershire, said: “Officers and bailiffs spoke with anglers, walkers and those who work on the river, sharing information and crime prevention advice.

“The Environment Agency operate a confidential reporting line, where members of the public can report any concerns around fisheries crime on 0800 807060.”

Kevin Pearson, Midlands regional enforcement support manager for the Angling Trust, added: “Having good partnership working with the police and the Environment Agency is vital if we want to reduce illegal fishing and fish theft on our rivers, lakes and canals, and the joint patrols we arrange under Operation Leviathan are a perfect example of that.

“Our voluntary bailiffs are the ‘eyes and ears’ of the waterways and enjoy every opportunity to support our partners in our joint efforts to tackle fisheries crime.”

Fish ‘O’ Mania SATURDAY 27TH JULY 2024

15/7/2024

Fish ‘O’ Mania, now over a quarter of a century old, is one of the great summertime sporting occasions. Known as the ‘FA Cup of Fishing’, the competition involves 24 anglers who have qualified through qualified through heats across

England, fishing off for a massive £50,000 first prize. The event gains much of its excitement by abandoning the traditional weigh-in at the conclusion of the match, and instead features weigh-ins every 30 minutes which gives the event a changing leader board that makes the action easy to follow.

Date: Saturday 27th July 2024

TV Hours: 5.5 hours live on Sky Sports.

Prize Fund: £50,000

Venue: Westwood Lakes, England

Or Want to watch the Fish O Mania Final? Grab your spectator ticket here: https://tinyurl.com/2a2mpxv6

Explore the fantastic stalls featuring top brands like Daiwa UK, Dynamite Baits, Fjuka Fishing Bait, Maver UK and many more! Whether you're a fishing enthusiast or just curious, there's something for everyone.

Delicious food from Mountain's Boston Sausage and Maxine's Cakes - the perfect way to fuel up while you browse!

Stalls open to the general public from 10am - no ticket required!

MORTIMER & WHITEHOUSE ARE GOING FISHING AGAIN FOR SERIES 8

15/7/2024

Fans of the hit TV show Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing will be delighted to hear that an eighth series has been commissioned.
It’s set to air in 2025, after the bumper eight-episode series seven hits our screens later this year.

The eighth series takes on a more personal angle with regard to the locations used, as Bob and Paul each choose places to fish that are close to their hearts.

“Paul and I will be travelling back in time for this series, going to fish in places which shaped our lives,” said Bob.
The series will be shown on BBC2 and iPlayer and will consist of six 30-minute episodes.

CHANGES TO WARRENS HALL FISHING POOLS

8/7/2024

You maybe aware that the Old Hill Angling Club have managed the fishing at Warrens Hall for 25 years.

Last year the council told the club of their intention to create a new fishing policy for all the pools on their land.

However they did say that they were happy with the club and wanted the club to continue with the pools.

That was early in 2023, it was then Old Hill Angling Club was told to do no more work on the pools and not to collect money for day tickets.

Since then without any consultation with the club they took away the fishing rights and they intend to manage the pools via the rangers.

If you take a look at the pools now and see how well they are doing. Soon they will be unfishable.

Old Hill Angling Club have raised concerns to a councillor, a warden and the Open spaces manager.

The next meeting is scheduled for Friday 12th July.

If you wish to view The New Angling Policy from Sandwell Council click on the below.

SAD PASSING OF ANGLING TRUST RIVERS CAMPAIGNER KRIS KENT

1/7/2024

We would like to share the news of the passing of Kris Kent.
Kris joined the Angling Trust in January 2022. He was instrumental in the launch and ongoing impact of our community-based Water Quality Monitoring Network, creating one of the country’s largest networks of

citizen scientists monitoring water quality in our rivers. Through his work with the Angling Trust, Kris supported clubs and fisheries across the UK to shine a light on the impacts of pollution upon our rivers as well as help clubs with local campaign cover issues, such as access and the loss of fishing rights.

Kris was a warm, well liked, and highly respected, who cared passionately about the environment and his fishing. He will be sorely missed.

GET FISHING ANGLING EVENTS THIS SUMMER

1/7/2024

Get Fishing is the Angling Trust’s campaign to get more people fishing more often. Each year we run hundreds of events for all ages and abilities. Get Fishing angling events are for anyone who wants to get into fishing, get back into angling or find out where to go fishing, who to go fishing with, what to use to start fishing and how to go fishing for the first time.

Have a Go! Get Fishing beginner angling events:

COST: FREE or VERY LOW COST

WHAT: OUTDOOR ACTIVITY EVENTS Families can discover all about fishing.

WHO FOR: EVERYBODY Try fishing whatever age, ability or experience.

DO I NEED FISHING TACKLE: NO It’s there to use on the day

BEEN BEFORE? GET BACK INTO FISHING Tips, skills and info for the next-level

WHO RUNS EVENTS: ANGLING TRUST PARTNERS – clubs, fisheries, coaches and charities like Canal and River Trust and Get Hooked on fishing.

Have a Go!
BRONZE AWARD

The Environment Agency provide a free rod licence for your event so that everyone can discover what angling is all about.

Beginner!
SILVER AWARD

Working with smaller groups of the participants from Bronze sessions this award provides a more in-depth guide. At the end participants will be fishing confidently on their own!

New Angler!
GOLD AWARD

This session will enable a participant to go fishing by themselves. Knot tying, fish welfare and the finer details will be covered. Depending on age, the angler will be shown how to register and pay for their fishing licence and complete their angler journey.

NOTE: Young children under 13 do not need a licence to fish but an adult person supervising them needs the correct fishing licence to take hold of the rod or to help the child fish with it.

To book on an event go here https://anglingtrust.net/getfishing/get-fishing-events-west-midlands/