Great White spotted off Cornwall?
Has one of the world’s most dangerous sharks been spotted off the UK coast? That’s the question being asked this week after a video was posted on Facebook showing a large predator off the Cornish coast.
Speculation was soon rife as to what species it was, with many believing it could finally be proof that great whites do visit British waters.
The footage was captured by experienced skipper, Nigel Hodge, aboard his charter vessel Wave Chieftain out of Falmouth.
The 20 second clip was uploaded by Nigel to the Cornish Fishing Facebook group page where he commented: “I was fishing on the starboard side and went to get the deck hose when I noticed it on the port side… The deck is 24ft long and I would guesstimate that the fish was half the length of that with ease. The water was heavily chummed as I had the whole day’s bait to use up in half a day.”
Last August an angler aboard Nigel’s boat was playing a blue shark which was attacked by a much larger shark during the fight. At the time many national newspapers incorrectly reported that a great white was responsible although it was later confirmed to be an oceanic white tipped shark.
On this occasion, however, the country’s leading shark historian, David Turner believes it could well be a great white.
“Sadly the footage doesn’t clearly show any defining features,” said the author of The Shark Fisherman. “It is definitely a lamnidae shark – a porbeagle, mako or great white - but if it was 14ft long then it probably was a great white. This wouldn’t surprise me as I have always thought they visit UK waters. I was recently talking to Robin Vinnicombe, a top Cornish skipper who boated 15 mako sharks in the 60s, and he said he is now convinced that a 14ft shark hooked by Doug Philips in 1965 was a great white.”
In March this year a tagged great white shark, named Lydia, hit the headlines when she came with 700 miles of the Devon coast before changing direction.
Great White fact file
- A mature great white can grow up to 21ft in length and over 7,300lb in weight.
- They can live for over 70 years.
- A great white can accelerate to speeds exceeding 35 mph.
- They are responsible for by far the largest number of fatal unprovoked attacks on humans.
- Great white sharks live in almost all coastal and offshore water which have water temperatures between 12 and 24 degrees Celsius.
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GHOF's Family Fishing season a huge success
The first Family Fishing season has been hailed a huge success with thousands of people introduced to the sport across the UK.
Organised by angling charity Get Hooked on Fishing and the Angling Trust, the national campaign saw events taking place at dozens of venues, with experts on hand to help newcomers catch their first fish.
Sarah Collins, Get Hooked on Fishing’s chief executive officer, said: “We wanted to show how fishing is a fun activity that families can do together.”
Angling Trust chief Mark Lloyd also hailed the initiative a success. “It has introduced thousands of people of all ages to the joys of fishing in a family-friendly, safe environment, with the help of hundreds of coaches licensed by the Angling Trust,” he said, “And it would not have been possible without licence funding from the Environment Agency and sponsors such as Glasgow Angling Centre. We are already working up plans for more and bigger events throughout the year to build a sustainable future for our sport.”
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15,000 anglers introduced to the sport in one month
Over 15,000 new anglers have been recruited to the sport thanks to the success of this year’s National Fishing Month.
The nationwide campaign was staged by clubs and fisheries in a bid to attract new blood into the sport, with 310 free tuition and taster sessions being run during the campaign.
Organisers have now revealed that the event – which ran between July 18 and August 31 to coincide with school holidays – has once again been a major success. Chief coordinator Naidre Werner told Angling Times: “National Fishing Month remains the sport’s most important recruiting sergeant, and I am delighted that our numbers once again reflect this.
“We are already planning next year’s effort and are confident we can include more events and draw in even more participants,” she added.
One group that was heavily involved in NFM was the Kevin Green Academy which was set up in memory of the former Improve Your Coarse Fishing editor who sadly passed away last year.
Coaches from the outfit passed on their knowledge to over 600 children during days at Essex’s Puddledock Farm and chairman Martin Rosseler said: “Everybody had a fantastic time and we had a significant number of new visitors attend. We also noted a marked increase in the number of girls who participated which is a great thing to see.”
Those views were shared by Gloucestershire’s South Cerney AC who used Cotswold Water Park for their activities.
“Some of those involved had never even considered fishing before and they certainly seemed ‘hooked’ by the end,” said committee member Craig Hunt. “National Fishing Month is an essential tool to growing our sport and we are proud to be involved,” he added.
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Secret formula to growing record roach
A fisheries expert has this week revealed his secret formula to growing record-sized roach.
Andrew Ellis, owner of A&E Fisheries Consultancy has used his years of experience to come up with five simple steps for fishery owners and clubs to follow if they want to boost the size of the redfins in their waters - and what’s more it will barely cost a penny.
Cotswolds-based Andrew, who has worked in the industry for over two decades, believes clubs and fisheries have to actively manage their lakes in order to achieve results. Speaking exclusively to Angling Times he said: “One of the main pointers to breeding bigger roach is cropping your stock every year. By doing so you can not only make money from the excess fish but it makes for a healthier lake and bigger fish.
“It is amazing how many fisheries just keep re-stocking every time sport slows but throwing fish at the problem is not the answer.”
Andrew has already put his methods into practice with great results at Lemington Lakes. A number of other UK venues have also taken up his advice which includes ideas such as keeping a varied mix of stock, feeding fish with cereal based pellets or maize, as well as checking the health of the water. Chris Mack, owner of Bartles Lodge Fishery in Dereham, Norfolk is just one of many reaping the rewards. He said: “I have literally spent no money since stocking my lakes a few years ago as with the help from Andrew we have cropped the stock on the lakes as he advised and the fishing has been excellent for all species. We have a lake with mainly roach in and in just three years they are already up to 1.5lb it’s amazing.”
Another venue set to follow Andrew’s advice is Norfolk’s Highbridge Lakes which hit the headlines last week following the capture of a record shaking 4lb 1oz roach by carp angler Sean Jackson. Fishery manager Dale McLachlan said: “We haven’t done it in the past but we are now planning to crop the stocks during a netting operation at the end of the month. The fish here have reached massive weights without any work, so hopefully removing the smaller fish will see them get even bigger.”
Five Steps To Grow a Record Roach
• Try to have more than one species present in your pool to help keep a balance. Carp are good because they help to colour the water and keep weed growth down.
• Net your lake every year and crop the fish by removing anything between 6-8oz.
• Feed regularly with maize or cereal pellets to keep the fish well fed and healthy.
• Do not restock unless you’ve had a fish kill or your numbers were originally low.
• Check the health of your water regularly including plant life and acidity and make sure it is kept well oxygenated.
Andrew runs his own fishery consultancy business which offers full fishery health reports and further advice on growing fish. Anyone interested in his services can do so by calling him on: 07966 250399 or visiting: www.aefisheries.co.uk
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Canal fishing gets big boost
The future looks bright for canal angling after it was revealed that plans are being put in place to implement large scale improvements to waterways in order to boost sport and attract more anglers.
Following the findings of a national survey by the Canal & River Trust, which saw over 200 angling clubs representing around 60,000 members quizzed about what they wanted from their stretches, the charity are now using the data to generate an action plan to encourage anglers to return to ‘the cut’.
In a series of telephone interviews, clubs who run CRT owned stretches were asked questions ranging from what could be done to improve fishing to their views on how they could get more people – particularly youngsters – involved in the sport. Half of the clubs revealed they ran no junior section and 63 per cent said they have never ran an event to attract newcomers to fishing. Two-thirds also said they would like to see improved access or the restocking of waters.
The findings are now being fed into 11 regional angling action plans which will be overseen by a regional fishery manager and National Fisheries and Angling Manager John Ellis. Each plan will be locally focussed and will consider areas such as stocking, access and parking, towpath management, water quality and volunteering with initiatives to help grow club memberships and funding to help attract new people to the sport.
Simon Salem, marketing and fundraising director for the Trust, said: “Angling clubs are right at the heart of what we’re trying to achieve as a Trust; encouraging people to take ownership of their local stretch and, importantly, getting more people involved. “That’s why it’s so important that we build close relationships with clubs and give them the support they need to help bring a new generation of people into the sport and onto the waterways.”
Mark Lloyd, chief executive of the Angling Trust said; “It’s great that the Canal & River Trust has taken the time and trouble to ask the clubs what they want to see done to improve their fishing. “Anglers have noticed a significant change in attitude to angling since the formation of the Trust and we are now being recognised for the contribution we make to a vibrant waterway environment.”
For the findings of the survey go to - https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/media/library/7098-2014-angling-survey-results.pdf
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Learn how to handle pike
A group dedicated to the conservation of pike is calling on clubs and fisheries throughout the UK to educate thousands of anglers on caring for their catch in preparation for the predator season.
Several associations in the UK have announced plans to run compulsory tutorials for members that intend to target predators in the coming months and the Pike Anglers Club is now leading a campaign to get others to follow suit.
Although pike, perch and zander may have a fearsome appearance, they are amongst the most delicate species present in our waters and careful handling and unhooking procedures must be followed in order to prevent damage.
PAC General Secretary Alan Dudhill believes that fisheries with stocks of these species should make arrangements to educate anglers on appropriate fish care techniques. He said: “We need to ensure we take all necessary precautions to return pike fit and well and tuition can educate people on how to care for their catch.”
“The PAC runs several teach-ins each year but we need clubs and fisheries to host similar days to back-up our work and make sure that their predators are treated in the correct manner.”
Surrey’s Farnham AS are one outfit that insist on permit holders attending a short class each season before targeting pike and scheme co-ordinator Mike Slater told Angling Times: “At the beginning of each class most are enthusiastic but you do get a few that can’t understand why they have to bother turning up.”
“Thankfully, by the end, everyone can see the value of what we are trying to achieve and everybody learns something new.”
“We’ve educated over 4,000 people on issues such as what tackle to use and also demonstrate on live pike how to handle them correctly. I’ve seen poor handling on some venues in the past but never on our club waters and I believe that is testament to the tuition sessions we stage,” he added.
Other clubs to endorse similar projects in recent years include Norwich’s Bawburgh Fisheries and Cheshire’s Lymm AC.
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Millions of pounds up for grabs for angling clubs
Angling clubs, schools and fisheries are being urged to come forward and apply for millions of pounds of free cash which is being offered as part of a government scheme to increase participation in sport.
Around £30m is still up for grabs as part of the Sport England Inspired facilities fund which was created in line with the 2012 Olympics to help organisations improve facilities with an aim of getting more people into sport.
As reported in the Angling Times a year ago, a £40m pot was originally available but only 32 out of the hundreds of clubs in the UK have since applied.
One of those who were successful in their bid was Nottingham Anglers Association. In July this year they received £50,000 to develop their Bestwood Duck Ponds coaching complex. Club President, Simon McCormac, was ‘delighted’ to secure the funding and has encouraged other clubs to put bids in if they haven’t yet done so: “The investment means we will have a dedicated Angling Coaching Centre to support our junior development programme. It is the cornerstone of our strategy to have an outstanding club for the 2012 Olympics’ legacy.”
Angling has benefited hugely from other forms of Sport England funding in recent times with £1.8m going to the Angling Trust last year to develop the sport and improve participation as a whole. On top of this numerous councils and clubs have also received thousands of pounds in small grants to fund angling based projects across the country.
Applying for funding has never been easier. Based on feedback from previous applicants, the Inspired Facilities Fund is now an open programme which means projects can submit applications as soon as they are ready rather than being restricted by a specific deadline.
HOW TO APPLY
Sport England has put together a list of criteria to help fisheries and clubs. Applicants need to prove:
- How the project will attract more people in to the sport.
- Demonstrate that it is wanted by the local community.
- Explain how its running costs will be met and how it will remain open for years to come.
To find out more and bid, visit www.sportengland.org/inspiredfacilities.
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Kevin's Day a huge success
Some of the biggest names in the sport descended on Lemington Lakes last week to celebrate the life of Kevin Green.
The former editor of Angling Times’ sister title, Improve Your Coarse Fishing sadly passed away in June 2013 at the age of 40.
The stunning complex, situated in the heart of the Cotswolds was one of Kevin’s favourite places to fish and as such was the perfect setting for the memorial event.
Star anglers, including Terry Hearn, Julian Cundiff, Alan Blair, Iain Macmillan, Mick Brown and Ian Russell were on hand along with fully qualified angling coaches to pass on their expert tips to all those in attendance.
The event was organised by Kevin’s close friend Brian Skoyles. He said: “I was delighted with the day – it was exactly what Kev would have wanted.
“The one moment that will stay with me for ever is when Terry Hearn – arguably the country’s finest carp angler – caught a common and was photographed with three generations of the Green family. The whole event was worth it for that moment alone.
“I must say a special thanks to venue owners, Andy and Debbie Machin as well as Andrew Ellis who ensured the day ran smoothly.”
One of Kevin’s passions was helping other anglers and to honour his memory and his contribution to the sport, the Kevin Green Angling Academy (KGAA) has been created through a partnership between the Angling Trades Association and the Professional Anglers Associaton. The scheme will be officially launched on August 29 at Puddledock Farm Fishery in Upminster,Essex.
ATA chair, Naidre Werner, who worked alongside Kevin for many years said: “We wanted to create, with others, a fitting and lasting way to remember Kev. The KGAA will honour his love of the sport and shares the clear principles of Kevin’s beliefs to promote angling in a positive manner through education.”
For further information about the academy visit www.kgaas.co.uk or email kgaa@outlook.com
To see the full gallery of pictures from Kevin’s Day pick up a copy of this week’s paper, on sale now
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Fish from the comfort of your own home
If you're struggling to get out on the bank you could soon be able to enjoy your favourite pastime from the comfort of your home following a collaboration between Korda and gaming experts Dovetail Games.
The partnership will see the Essex-based tackle giants help to develop the most detailed, authentic and realistic fishing simulator ever made.
“We are delighted to be working with Dovetail Games,” said Danny Fairbrass, the founder of Korda Developments. “They have a great team, using amazing technology to bring to life the experience of carp fishing properly in a video game for the first time. We’re really excited to be able to feature our kit in Dovetail Games Fishing and look forward to seeing both carp fishing fans and gamers using our equipment in the virtual fishing world.”
In Dovetail Games Fishing, players will tackle every step in the fishing experience, starting with tackle and rig selection. Players will then take to the water’s edge where, using an intuitive new casting and reeling mechanism, they can then test their skills by finding, baiting, catching and landing the fish.
The game is currently slated for a late 2014 release, and is initially being developed for PC with more formats to follow. Initially specialising in carp fishing, it will quickly expand to include a multitude styles of fishing, including bass and fly-fishing, across a variety of locations around the world.
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Rod licence cash saves fish stocks
The entire stock of one of the UK’s most popular commercial waters has been saved from a ‘total wipeout’ thanks to an emergency fish rescue funded by rod licence money.
Roy Marlow, owner of the Glebe Fishery in Leicestershire, has called for critics that claim they get nothing in return for their yearly permit to ‘get off the back’ of the Environment Agency after crisis teams saved the lives of over 4,000lb of carp and bream.
A highly-trained incident response team were dispatched to the banks of Glebe Pool 5 after an emergency phone call following a thunder storm that had kick-started a rare chain of events causing oxygen levels to plummet and leaving thousands of fish gasping on the surface.
“I run a post-fishing check on all of my lakes just to make sure that the oxygen levels are correct, but early the next day the storm caused algae to die and the dissolved oxygen level was virtually zero at one end and just 15 per-cent at the other. It was every fishery owner’s worst nightmare,” Roy told Angling Times.
“I called the EA emergency hotline number on the back of my rod licence at 10am and a team from Nottingham were here just after 11am.
“They were amazing and with the help of some very expensive equipment coupled with their expertise stabilised the situation and prevented what would have been the total wipe out of £30,000 worth of fish.
“The next time a fishery owner moans that his lakes don’t get anything from the EA you’ll be able to point them to this story. As for anglers who wonder why they have to buy a licence when they only fish club lakes, this is where your hard-earned money goes.”
Environment Agency officials are calling for all fishery owners and anglers to keep a close eye on their waters in the coming weeks and to not hesitate in calling the emergency hotline if they see signs of fish in distress.
“If it wasn’t for the licence money then this situation would have had a very different outcome. It proves how vital this is to safeguard venues and the future of the sport,” said an EA spokesperson.
If you need to report an incident call the EA emergency incident hotline on: 0800 807060.
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Fishing on the timetable!
A school in Lancashire is doing its bit to introduce more youngsters into our sport after including angling on its curriculum.
Smithills Secondary School, based in Bolton, has teamed up with both The Environment Agency and Bolton Angling Club to encourage pupils to try their hand at fishing as part of their educational development.
The project, which is the first of its kind in the region, was the brainchild of Smithills headteacher, and lifetime angling fan, Alec Cottrill. He said: “Fishing is available to every pupil; it really has become part of school life here.
“It allows them to learn about the environment, especially about the water cycle, and importance of water, weather patterns and the effect humans can have. Fishing can also be linked to numeracy so pupils understand about measuring water depths and using weights to balance floats.
“The sport has allowed those involved to improve key personal skills including communication, discipline, organisational skills and good citizenship.”
The pupils, who range between the ages of 11 and 16, have been provided access to a lake, which is conveniently situated on the school grounds, by owners, Bolton Angling Club. With the help of EA officers and seven qualified coaches from the school staff, kids are taught everything from casting to fish care. The school has also organised a team which will take part in local competitions and it is hoped the project will encourage other schools nationwide to follow suit.
Steve Powell, fisheries specialist at the Environment Agency, said: “Schools such as this set a great example and we’d like to see more young people try their hand at fishing. Angling is now being recognised for its wider social, economic and educational benefits. We work closely with The Angling Trust who lead on increasing angling participation and training coaches in England.”
Any school interested in finding out more should contact the Angling Trust: www.anglingtrust.net
Schools can also find fisheries in their area on the FishingInfo website: www.fishinginfo.co.uk.”
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How your rod licence cash is spent
“The £23 million generated through rod licence sales is one of the main reasons why we have had such an outstanding start to the river season.”
These are the words of Environment Agency chiefs who have this week answered the question that many anglers ask – where does their licence money go?
Over 35 per-cent of the funds made by the government Agency during the 2013-14 season has been used to finance one of the biggest re-stocking programmes ever carried out on the nation’s rivers, which saw over almost half-a-million fish introduced at venues across the UK.
There was also a huge investment in fishery improvement as 5,000 individual projects saw over 100 kilometres of river receive vital work including the creation of new spawning grounds along with improved access and new pegs.
Anglers are now reaping the rewards of this work as not only are many rivers producing their best early-season form for many years, but record numbers of juvenile fish thriving in waterways such as the Wye, Ouse, Thames and Trent are being reported.
“The start to this year’s river season across the nation has been incredible and this has been aided by the re-stockings, habitat restoration and improved access funded by money made from rod licence sales,” said an EA spokesperson.
“Last financial year we carried out improvements across the country from the north east to the south west and this work is just the beginning.”
A large slice of the revenue has been spent on the promotion of angling through initiatives such as National Fishing Month along with projects and workshops with fishery owners and angling clubs to provide advice on how to maintain and improve their waters.
The money also enabled the EA to step up their enforcement patrols resulting in over 70,000 rod licence checks nation-wide culminating in 2,800 prosecutions which generated £600,000 in fines.
“We have stepped up licence checking this year as part of a push to reverse the decline in licence sales and income. In the first 3 months (April to June) we checked 28,000 anglers and found 1,800 without a licence, continued the EA spokesperson.”
“This can only ensure these people will now think twice when looking to cheat the law and their fellow anglers again.”
Your rod licence money is responsible for
• The rearing of 500,000 fish at the EA’s Calverton Fish Farm
• 70,000 licence checks
• 5000 fish movements permitted to improve and develop venues
• 2,800 licence cheats prosecuted
• 100 kilometres of river fisheries habitat improved
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BT Sport announce new fishing show
A host of the sport’s biggest names have begun filming a brand-new fishing television series.
Every discipline of angling will be covered at rivers, lakes, canals and coastlines across the UK as part of the new series that is being filmed for BT Sport.
The programme, titled The Fishing TV Show, will be hosted by legendary carp angler Ian ‘Chilly’ Chillcot and top fly fisherman, Rae Borras. The duo will not only be sharing ther infectious passion for fishing along with their tips and tactics, but will be joined by a long list of big names such as Des Taylor on the banks of the River Severn, and former Drennan Cup champion Julian Chidgey at the famous Anglers Paradise Fishery in Devon.
Although the exact details are still to be finalised it is believed the show will hit our TV screens in late September and each episode will feature a mixture of coarse, carp, game and sea angling.
“I have to keep pinching myself to make sure that I’m not dreaming because to be a part of such an amazing series that covers every aspect of this great sport is beyond my wildest dreams,” Chilly told Angling Times.
“I’ve seen some clips of the programmes that have already been shot and they look absolutely stunning.
“This is a celebration of fishing and isn’t just aimed at giving tips and tactics to anglers, but will also appeal to those who don’t go fishing because every episode oozes all of the positive aspects and experiences that you get while out on the bank.
Angling Times spoke to Des Taylor while he was filming on the River Severn for chub and barbel.
He admitted to being ‘honoured’ to be part of the show and no doubt mirrored the views of thousands of UK anglers when he said: “The world is a better place when there’s new, exciting fishing programmes on the telly and this is just what the sport needs. I’m honoured and really looking forward to being a part of the project because as I have so much to give.”
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Rare tuna worth £1m floating off Cornish coast
A rare tuna fish said to be worth £1m was towed onto a Cornish beach after a group of kayakers found it floating in the sea.
The fish, believed to be a bluefin tuna weighing around 300lb, was discovered just 400yds from the shore at Kingsand, Cornwall by a group of university students on a kayak trip. The find by the five friends - Charlotte Chambers, Shauna Creamer, Hannah Ford, Sarah Little and Laura Pickervance - was reported to the authorities after locals and fishermen flocked to the beach to witness it.
Despite the huge price tag, which was later estimated by experts the tuna will not be sold and has since been donated to University of Exeter where it will be used for study purposes.
The species is currently listed as critically endangered but UK shark expert and experienced sea angler Dave Turner believes the fish aren’t as rare in the UK as people think: “Blue Fin sightings are reported by skippers quite often in the channel, off Wales, Ireland and Scotland every year” he said.
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Check your swim from your sofa!
Ever turned up at your favourite stretch of river to find it the colour of chocolate and pumping through like a steam train? This problem is now set to become a thing of past with the launch of a website that combines live webcams with the latest weather and river level forecasting technology.
Farson Digital Watercams, a company that provides a network of HD cameras broadcasting live from UK waterways, has teamed up with the Met Office and the Environment Agency to couple live video with up-to-the-minute weather forecasts, river levels, air-pressure, rainfall data and tide times.
The innovative company is continually expanding their nationwide network of cameras and is now calling for angling clubs, associations and fishery owners who wish to have them installed to get in touch to help them grow the ground-breaking facility tailor made for anglers.
“Anglers will never have a wasted journey to the river bank because we’ve now combined our cameras with all of the latest forecasts from two government agencies which takes any guess work completely out of the equation,” said company owner Glyn Howells.
“We are currently waiting on the approval of the installation of nine new cameras and also have a mobile app under construction that will allow anglers to have all of this information available to them wherever they are.”
The news will come as music to the ears of river anglers nationwide. Angling Times columnist Dave Harrell is regarded as one of the country’s best running water anglers and he’s stated that he will be logging-on and taking advantage of the service.
“With a site like this there’s no excuse to turn up at a river when it’s out of sorts,” said Dave.
“I already use the current Farson’s site and the Environment Agency’s forecasts to plan my own sessions so now that I can use it all together is an absolute godsend. It will improve everyone’s fishing - I guarantee it.”
To view the new website visit: www.farsondigitalwatercams.com or if you are a club, association or fishery owner that would like to install a camera on your stretch of river call: 01822 860279.
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Kevin's Day pays tribute to a legend
Anglers are being given the chance to meet some of the sport’s biggest names at a special event to celebrate the life of Kevin Green.
The former editor of Angling Times’ sister title, Improve Your Coarse Fishing, and TV presenter sadly passed away last year at the age of 40.
One of Kevin’s passions was to help other anglers and this will be reflected at the memorial day taking place at Lemington Lakes in the Cotswolds on Thursday, August 14.
High profile stars such as Terry Hearn, Jan Porter, Alan Blair, Bob Roberts, Mick Brown, Julian Chidgey and Bryan Jarrett will be fishing and demonstrating their rigs and top tips for a variety of species including carp and tench.
Event organiser and close friend of Kevin, Brian Skoyles, said: “Kevin made many friends in the angling trade due to his enthusiasm and professionalism, so when the idea of a memorial day was discussed the response was awesome.”
The result is one of the best gatherings of top class anglers and coaches fishing together that the country has ever seen.
“Kevin’s Day is not a match or a trade show selling gear… it is expert anglers and coaches sharing their passion for the sport that Kevin loved,” added Brian.
“It’s a great chance for people to meet many of his friends, watching them fish or just chatting to them. Visitors will also be able to watch demonstrations up close, and any newcomers to the sport will be able to benefit from some expert coaching.
“It promises to be a very special day. Whether you are an experienced angler or just starting out in the sport, get together with your mates or come as a family and help make Kevin’s Day something we all remember – a celebration of a very special person.”
Entry costs £10 per car and gates open at 9am.
For more information and a full list of anglers there on the day visit: www.lemingtonlakes.co.uk
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Nottingham club lands £50,000 coaching grant
One of the UK’s biggest angling clubs has been awarded £50,000 of funding to create a teaching facility on the banks of one of its flagship waters to bring new blood into the sport.
Nottingham Anglers Association has this week revealed that it’s secured a hefty slice of National Lottery money from Sport England’s Inspired Facilities Fund that will be used to create an Angling Coaching Centre at its Bestwood Duck Ponds Complex in Papplewick, Notts.
The centre, which is due for completion in December this year, will feature a classroom where youngsters will be taught the fundamentals of angling including watercraft, knot and rig tying.
They will then be able to take these skills on to a well-stocked, snake-style lake where they will be taken under the wing of the association’s qualified coaches.
“We are delighted to have secured this investment,” said NAA, secretary and project manager David Turner. “We will now have a dedicated angling coaching centre to support our junior development programme and ensure that we keep youngsters coming through.
“The kids can go straight from the school environment out onto the lake so that they will be able to put what they’ve learnt in the classroom straight into practice.
“It’s vital that we get kids away from computer games and off street corners to show them that they can have great fun with their mates and help the environment, plus learn skills that will last a lifetime,” he added.
The scheme, which will involve local schools, youth clubs and other groups, has the full support of Nottinghamshire Police who is actively encouraging young people and their families to make use of the new facilities.
“It’s very important that young people become involved in healthy outdoor activities such as fishing. It allows them to learn new skills, meet and interact with new people while doing something interesting and rewarding,” said Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping.
To find out more about the teaching facility visit: www.nottinghamanglers.co.uk
The Inspired Facilities Fund is now an open programme which means projects can submit applications as soon as they are ready rather than being restricted by a specific deadline.
To find out more and bid, visit www.sportengland.org/inspiredfacilities.
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New nets aid fight against fish diseases
The development of new ground-breaking nets has been heralded as one of the biggest breakthroughs against the spread of disease among UK fisheries.
BSafe nets are the brainchild of top match angler, Derek Willan, who teamed up with industry experts to form Aquatech Technologies. Utilising complex chemistry they have created an active and ever-lasting bacterial-killing layer within the fibres of each net.
“It has been proven under laboratory conditions that disease can be transferred on nets to fish and I feel as anglers we have a duty of care to look into any avenue that can help ensure healthier fish stocks,” said Derek.
Research by the Environment Agency has revealed that a small group of bacteria were an even bigger killer than the more commonly reported viral disease, Koi Herpes Virus (KHV), and were present in the majority of fish mortalities reported in 2013.
Rigorous tests carried out on the revolutionary new nets by CEFAS found that they had more than a 99 per cent kill rate within 24 hours against five of these bacteria.
“This is not only a huge breakthrough in the fight against current diseases, but it will also help us protect for the future as who knows what’s around the corner,” added Derek.
Aquatech Technologies director, Andrew Jackson-Brown, said: “From our initial idea we have always intended to make the benefits of BSafe available to all manufacturers of nets, slings, mats and potentially any products that come into contact with infected fish.
“It is a huge step forward in reducing the spread of harmful bacterial diseases and we hope that all anglers and manufacturers alike join with us to help preserve and promote healthier fish stocks.”
The development has been welcomed by fisheries experts and venue owners alike and Dr Bruno Broughton, one of the UK’s leading fisheries consultants, believes it’s one of the most important developments in recent times.
“This welcome move will lead to better, fish-safe nets and other products which will raise the bar for fish health standards. Initial inquiries have stimulated an extremely positive response from fishery owners, and it merits widespread adoption.”
For more information visit: wwwbsafeangling.com or email: info@bsafeangling.com
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Insurance cover offers record reward
A brand new insurance brand designed specifically for anglers has been launched – and as well as covering your tackle they’ll even pay you £2,000 if you catch a record fish.
With the ever increasing number of tackle thefts reported, Fishing Care, in association with the Angling Trust, covers theft and accidental damage up to £15,000, coarse, game, sea and night fishing covered as standard and equipment stolen when on display in a vehicle up to £3,000.
To celebrate the launch of the brand, anglers are being offered an introductory discount offer where they can purchase an annual policy for as little as £16.
Fishing Care is part of The JRW Group, whose managing director, John Woosey, said: “We’ve launched Fishing Care as fishing is a sport that millions participate in every year. And its popularity is rising with increasing rod licence sales in the UK. Speaking to anglers, we understand they want peace of mind that if anything happens to them or the equipment they’ve invested in, they are covered.”
To get an instant quote visit: www.insure4sport.co.uk/fishingcare/
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Angling Trust lists all its victories in bid to boost membership
The Angling Trust has released a dossier detailing its greatest achievements in a bid to boost membership numbers.
Millions of people take part in fishing each year but despite the huge participation figures, less than 20,000 have signed up to support the sport’s governing body.
Various campaigns have been run to recruit new followers but a lack of understanding about the work being conducted by the Trust has led to slow growth.
Officials have now moved to remove the confusion by putting together an in-depth public document that lists over 20 major victories the organisation has been responsible for since its formation in January 2009.
As well as creating a united organisation as the single voice for all angling, the Trust has played a key role in numerous issues, including a successful battle to gain fisheries better protection from cormorants, winning over £1m of government funding each year, training 1,6000 qualified coaches and introducing 125,000 people to the sport.
Chief Executive Mark Lloyd is keen to build on the achievements reached to date and believes a bigger membership base is vital to a stronger future for angling. He said: “The Angling Trust is the largest and most unified representative body we have ever had in this country, and it really is making a difference.
“Now we really need far more individual anglers to get behind us to help protect and improve fish stocks, support the unique work that Fish Legal does by taking polluters to court and our many programmes promoting fishing to people of all ages.
“Bigger support will also give us more influence at government level. The RSPB has a million members and we have less than 20,000 but we punch well above our weight.
“I believe that the Angling Trust and Fish Legal have been a hugely positive force for our sport in the past five years but we do need more people on-board to keep our progress heading in the right direction” he added.
High profile figures within the sport were sceptical as to whether the Trust could meet its goals when it was first created, with Des Taylor amongt the doubters.
Five years on and his opinion has been transformed, with the Angling Times columnist and governing body ambassador backing the campaign to attract more support.
“Before the Angling Trust came together I’d heard a lot of talk that never ended in positive actions and I didn’t believe what they said they wanted to do could be achieved,” explained Des.
“But I have been proved wrong. We need people who can represent us at a political level on issues such as poaching and predation and that is exactly what the Trust are doing.
“Nobody dares challenge the RSPB because of how powerful they are and I believe that within the next 10 to 20 years the Angling Trust can achieve the same status if anglers sign up and buy into what they are trying to achieve.”
To read the whole list of achievements visit www.anglingtrust.net
Dossier highlights
- Fought polluters in 50 separate legal cases and provided free legal advice to 220 Fish Legal member clubs and fisheries in the last twelve months.
- Reduced poaching by educating thousands of Eastern European anglers about how to fish legally.
- Won a review by government of the bass minimum landing size to protect vulnerable juveniles.
- Delivered over 200 major competitions and supported England teams to over 100 medals in major world events.
- Fought against the sell-off of the CEMEX fisheries to non-angling interests.
- Recruited the first 100 members of our Voluntary Bailiff Service in the South East, which is now being rolled out to more regions.
Join the Angling Trust
Individual membership to the Angling Trust £25 a year for adults and free for juniors. Benefits include 10 per cent off day tickets a series of fisheries, free civil liability insurance and generous discounts on a whole range of products and services. To join visit www.anglingtrust.net or call 0844 7700616.
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