Angling News - Blackcountryfishing

MUCH LOVED ANGLING ARTWORK SET FOR RETURN

21/11/2024

The angling community was collectively saddened when the Environment Agency ditched the beloved artwork of David Miller on rod licence cards, but his iconic

iconic imagery will now be returning in a different format.
The Angling Trust and Fish Legal have announced that, from this week, their membership card will boast his beautiful illustrations.

The first instalment depicts a pike and is in the same format as previous rod licence cards, allowing anglers to continue their collections, or start afresh.

“I’m a long-time supporter of the Angling Trust, particularly the work that they and Fish Legal do to fight pollution and preserve our precious rivers, lakes and oceans,” says David.

“I’m delighted my artwork will feature on their membership card going forward.”

New members will receive their cards immediately, whilst existing members will get theirs upon renewal.

A FAIR FOR FANS OF VINTAGE TACKLE

13/11/2024

Collectors and enthusiasts of antique fishing tackle should make a beeline for the highly anticipated Vintage Tackle Fair being held at The Abbey Stadium in Redditch, this coming Sunday. Established in 1995, the fair has run twice a year since, and is the largest gathering of vintage tackle dealers in the country.
Those who attend will get the chance to not only browse the huge selection of rare and interesting old fishing items on offer, but also

have any tackle they bring along valued free of charge by Neil Freeman of Angling Auctions. “I’ve been running the event 'Calling all vintage tackle tarts!' for the last 20 years and am proud of our links to Redditch – an area with a rich history of tackle making,” John Andrews, the event organiser, said.

The doors will open at 9am and close at 1pm, and there is free parking, wheelchair access and an on-site café. Admission costs just £4.00, and the event’s location is The Abbey Stadium, Birmingham Road, Redditch, Worcestershire, B97 6EJ.

ANGLER BEATS WORLD CHAMPION DARTS PLAYER

7/11/2024

PDC World Champion Luke Humphries with Cadence Superteam ace Darren Massey

One of the best canal anglers in the land proved he is also a dab hand at other sports as he beat a current world champion at their own game.

Cadence Superteam ace Darren Massey is a regular winner on the circuit, but he swapped his tackle for a set of darts during a special event that pitched him up against current PDC World Champion Luke Humphries.

Darren was given the chance to throw nine darts and if he could score more than Luke in six darts, he’d walk away with a pair of tickets for the upcoming Grand Slam tournament.

He held his nerve in style to bag the prize, scoring 226 in nine darts to see off the challenge of Luke who could only muster 102.

REDDITCH BROTHERS CAUGHT FISHING ILLEGALLY ORDERED TO PAY MORE THAN £300

14/10/2024

Two Brothers from Redditch have been prosecuted after illegally fishing without a licence in Evesham.
The pair – Liam Astley Morris, 19, and Joseph Astley Morris, 21, both of Kingsley Avenue – pleaded guilty at Northampton Magistrates Court

to three counts of illegal fishing in cases brought by the Environment Agency.

Among the charges they pleaded guilty to were fishing in the close season, fishing without a licence and using an illegal bait at Cleeve Prior – River Avon, Evesham – on April 21.

Joseph Astley Morris received a fine of £87 as well as costs of £65 and a victim surcharge of £34. His brother, Liam received a fine of £40, costs of £65 and a victim surcharge of £16.

The annual close season (from March 15 to June 15) prevents fishing for coarse fish in rivers and streams across England, helping to protect fish when they are spawning and supporting vulnerable stocks.

Fisheries enforcement officers clamp down on illegal angling to protect fish stocks and make fishing sustainable.

An Environment Agency (EA) spokesperson said: “These two brothers were not only fishing in the close season, but they were also fishing without a licence and using an illegal bait.

“We hope their prosecutions will act as a deterrent to anyone who is thinking of breaking the laws and byelaws we have in place across England.

“We urge anglers to respect the close season to help reduce pressures on our fisheries, benefiting fish and the wider environment.”

They added illegal fishing undermined the Environment Agency’s efforts to protect fish stocks and make fishing sustainable.

“Money raised from fishing licence sales is used to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries for the benefit of legal anglers.”

Rod licences are inspected 24/7 to check on cases of illegal fishing and for those caught cheating the system, the EA will always prosecute.”

ANGLER BELIEVES POLLUTED LAKE COULD TAKE YEARS TO RECOVER

13/9/2024

A pool which lost thousands of fish in a pollution incident could take years to recover, a local angler has said.
Alfie Tomkinson, who volunteers with Telford Angling Association, said people who had

fished on Holmer Lake and Nature Reserve for 50 years told him it was the worst they had ever seen.

He said "wherever you looked it was just sheer carnage" and there had been "dead fish everywhere".

Severn Trent, which owns the pool, said it was working with a "third party", believed to be the source of the pollution.

The Environment Agency said it had been pumping oxygen into the pool since the pollution was discovered last week and levels of dissolved oxygen were improving.

But Mr Tomkinson said he believed that would need to continue "for a long, long time to come".

He said the pool had suffered from pollution coming in from drains for the last 10 years and there were a lot of questions to be asked.

His group has had boats out collecting the dead fish and he said they were finding them washed up on every side of the water.

"Being a fisherman myself it hits you", he said.

Mr Tomkinson said it would take "years and years" to return fish stock levels back to what they were.

He also feared the pollution would remain in the water.

"It'll sink to the bottom and it'll be in the silt now," he said.

Severn Trent said the pollution was not a result of its operations and it added: "We believe the source of the pollution is coming from a third party which we are now working with."

It said it had been working with the Environment Agency and other partners.

EVESHAM ANGLING FESTIVAL 2024

8/8/2024

Europes biggest outdoor fishing show... the three Day Evesham Angling Festival being held from Saturday 24th to Monday 26th August 2024.

See top anglers battling man v fish on the stunning Warwickshire Avon, fully licensed Beer Bus, live entertainment, craft fair, fun fair, tackle bargains galore & completely FREE entry.

Secure on site car parking at just £5 for upto 12 hours parking.

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.”