The positives for fishing in Lockdown Three
The break from the bank doesn't have to be all negative. As we witnessed in the first lockdown, it could bring many benefits to fishing as a sport…
Club boom
Mirfield AC in Yorkshire used the first lockdown to create 25 platforms on a stretch of canal.
“You wouldn’t believe how many club books we sold off the back of just doing that,” said club president Martyn Highe.
“We’re going to use this lockdown to create 50 platforms on the River Calder and permanently peg a new stretch of canal we’ve acquired at Knottingley.”
Mirfield AC in Yorkshire used the first lockdown to create 25 platforms on a stretch of canal
Day-ticket improvements
Tony Bridgefoot, owner of Bluebell Lakes, said:
“I’ve been in this position several times before with flooding and I always try to take the positives from a negative situation. This lockdown will give us time to create permanent stock fencing so we don’t lose any fish to floods, and create better drainage to control the flow of water. It’ll also give me time to think about how I implement restrictions on angler numbers across the site, because last spring we had every swim occupied 24/7 and I don’t think it helped the stock or the natural surroundings.”
Bluebell will be using the time to build stock fencing and plan management of returning anglers
Trade catch-up
Fishing surged in 2020, leaving some manufacturers and shops unable to keep up with demand. This hiatus could see a welcome replenishment of stock.
The Angling Trust’s Martin Salter said:
“If we are going to have a lockdown it’s probably the best time of year for it. My contacts in the trade aren’t anywhere near as distressed as they were last spring.”
This lockdown could well have come at the best time of year for tackle shops
Anglers given the green light to go fishing during second England lockdown
While outdoor sports like golf, tennis and basketball are prohibited, angling’s status as an outdoor recreation has allowed it to continue, with a handful of restrictions.
“Ministers have recognised the benefits that angling brings, not only in terms of health and well-being, but also in getting us out in the fresh air”
The Angling Trust, which has lobbied government on the benefits of the hobby, has produced guidance to anglers after picking through the latest regulations with legal advisers.
Those regulations are still in draft form but sources at the Trust are confident their interpretations of the law will stand up.
Martin Salter, the Trust’s campaigns manager, told us:
“We are delighted that ministers have recognised the benefits that angling brings, not only in terms of health and well-being, but also in getting us out in the fresh air where we love to be and not bunging up already-crowded public spaces.”
The former MP added:
“If the Government had wanted fisheries to close, as it has, inexplicably, with golf courses, then they would have said so. The Government clearly expects angling to continue.”
The only major blow for anglers is the temporary suspension of match fishing, which is caught in the ban on ‘sport below elite level’.
Mr Salter said:
“We are an outdoor recreation like bird watching. We’re only a sport when we are match fishing, which is why that has been banned.”
Match fishing will be banned under the new restrictions
Driving to venues, night fishing and day-ticket angling are still permitted, though Government guidance urges people to stay as local as possible for outdoor activities. Tackle shops must close, but can operate on a click-and-collect basis. Anglers from different homes can also only go fishing in pairs, rather than the previous ‘rule of six’.
Angling Trust chief executive Jamie Cook urged anglers to stay sensible and be aware that their actions will be closely monitored.
He said:
“We’re pleased that fishing can continue during lockdown, even with the restrictions in place. Angling has conducted itself safely and responsibly throughout this pandemic and the Trust is determined to ensure that our chosen form of outdoor recreation remains part of the solution rather than the problem. To do this anglers must continue to fish responsibly.”
“Anglers must continue to fish responsibly,” says Jamie Cook
Roped-off swims could be the new bankside norm
RIGHT now, all anglers need to practise social distancing on the bank – so when Angling Direct’s Swindon branch manager Kev Hewitt had an encounter that was far too close for comfort, he decided to take action.
Would you feel more comfortable behind a rope like this?
“I’d gone to Bluebell Lakes in Oundle, near Peterborough, for five days and was setting up when another angler walked straight in and stood next to me, probably less than a foot away,” Kev tells us.
“I’d only been there an hour and it made me feel very uncomfortable.
“To make sure that it didn’t happen again I grabbed an old ratchet strap and some bungees from my van and made a barrier behind my swim. I even put up a sign telling people to stay behind the rope.
“After that I never had a single person cross the line and I have been able to chat to other anglers from a safe distance.
“We are very privileged to be able to fish right now, so let’s not mess this up.”
Kev Hewitt’s cornered-off swim at Bluebell Lakes
Since fishing resumed in England on Wednesday, May 13, staff at the five-lake Bluebell complex have been keeping anglers safe by closing the on-site-tackle shop, collecting day-ticket money from them in their cars and enforcing a strict two-metre distancing policy on the bank.
They also see no harm in letting anglers adopt Kev’s approach.
“Anything that will help anglers stick to the 2m social distancing rule is backed by us,” says Bluebell staffman James Waller.
“We hope that common sense will prevail, but creating a barrier around your swim does remind anglers to adhere to the rules we’ve put in place.
“As anglers we have a responsibility to help prevent the spread of the virus, so it’s very important we stick to the protocols.”
Night Fishing - What is going on?
FISHING may be set to return in England on Wednesday but social media has been full of confusion in the last 24-hours, on whether the new guidelines permit anglers to fish at night.
Angling Times has this lunchtime spoken to Martin Salter, the Angling Trust's head of policy, who told us he expects clarification over night fishing to come from the government tomorrow.
He predicted night fishing would be prohibited but said the Trust would challenge the decision.
He told us:
"We fully believe it's an unintended consequence. If anything, it's safer to self-isolate alone at a lake at night and leads to less travel.
"It's a perverse outcome and we hope the government allows anglers to night fish very soon."
This news comes as the government is believed to be releasing guidance tomorrow, which will require people to return to their home each night. The obvious consequence of which, would be no night fishing.
We understand the Trust is frustrated by this latest lack of clarity and intend to resolve the issue for anglers.
The situation is constantly developing, but at present, it would be best advised to refrain from staying at venues overnight and keep up to date with the Angling Trust guidance before making any plans.
Night fishing could be banned under guidelines suggesting people should ‘return home each eachday’
Bottle that intense yearning to fish - Dom Garnett
There are infinitely more important concerns than fishing right now but when angling of any sort is off limits, the very thought of casting into your favourite swim seems like a delicious, forbidden pleasure.
Even just taking a ride along the canal near home (if you’re still allowed to by the time you read this!), you might be forgiven for feeling like a recovering alcoholic walking past Oddbins. Never mind an all-day session in the local hotspot, I’d give my left arm for just a solitary hour in a duff swim right now.
While a global pandemic will always be more important than filling a keepnet, a degree of frustration is understandable. Alarmingly, the reaction from our more vocal anglers has been rather like the classic five stages of grief, from denial – “Fishing is exercise, they can’t stop me!” to anger – “How dare they tell me what I can and can’t do?” – to bargaining – “If my neighbour can go cycling, why can’t I fish?”
Acceptance is now the only way forward. But weird as it sounds, rather than just grumbling and turning on Netflix, we should try to bottle that intense yearning to fish. Once things return to some shade of normality I believe we will treasure our freedom to get out on the bank like never before. Far from bringing bitterness, a forced absence from fishing should make us more grateful than ever for the riches we have. Because the plain truth is that we take so much of it for granted.
We just assume we can go fishing for whatever we like, whenever we like. We have one bad day at a fishery and decide that it’s rubbish. We get so fixated on catching massive fish or winning matches that we miss 101 other joys along the way. We whinge freely about problems A to Z, but spend far less breath celebrating all that is good in our sport, not least all the amazing work done for us by angling clubs, fisheries and volunteers.
Well, perhaps now, at long last, more of us might gain some perspective on what angling really means to us and our communities.
Never mind catching every fish in the lake or smashing PBs, just being out in the fresh air and going fishing in a safe, free country is a great privilege.
Regardless of what we catch, won’t that first session back feel amazing? We should make that first cast not only with happiness and relief, but a sense of deep gratitude and a renewed appreciation of just how good we really have it.
Report submitted to get anglers fishing again
A report entitled ‘When We Fish Again’ has been submitted to Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove and the Fisheries and Sports Ministers.
The report, compiled by the Angling Trust, sets out the means by which recreational fishing could be permitted and draws on experience in other European countries including Germany, Holland, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Norway. In these countries, angling has been allowed to continue under certain conditions during the pandemic. This has provided significant benefits to both wellbeing and the economy, without having a detrimental impact on their efforts to combat COVID-19.
In the report, the Trust recommends a phased or ‘traffic light’ approach to the lifting of the COVID-19 restrictions.
Phase one, calls for recreational angling on lakes, rivers and sea to be added to the list of permissible activities subject to these guidelines:
Angling to be undertaken on a solitary basis - social distancing in accordance with government guidelines must be maintained at all times.
Local fishing only – anglers must follow current government guidance on travel for the benefit of recreational activity.
All freshwater anglers must be in possession of the relevant EA Fishing licence
Sea angling from beach and shore to resume along with small scale private boat fishing.
No sharing of fishing tackle or any other items
No sharing of fishing positions (swims) except by members of the same household
No angler to fish within 15 metres of any other angler
No keepnets or competition fishing
Online and electronic day ticket payments to be made wherever possible
Onsite shared facilities such as cafes and clubhouses to remain closed
Fisheries unable to adhere to these guidelines should remain closed until further notice
Anyone displaying symptoms of COVID-19, or who shares a household with any individual displaying symptoms, should not go fishing and should continue to follow government advice on isolation.
The report has been backed by national angling and fisheries groups including the Canal & River Trust, Salmon & Trout Conservation, the Institute of Fisheries Management and representatives of the angling trade.
Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Angling Group, Sir Charles Walker MP said:
“I have spoken directly to the Minister for Tourism and Sport, Nigel Huddleston MP, to ask that angling, and other outdoor activities suited to social distancing, once again be given the green light. I explained to the Minister that the Angling Trust has produced a fantastic and detailed template as to how we can return, in a safe and responsible fashion, to the sport we love. The Trust’s plan provides a sensible and pragmatic way forward.”
Newly appointed CEO of the Angling Trust, Jamie Cook, was a key contributor to the report and is keen to get angling to the front of the queue, he said:
“We have demonstrated that angling in the UK could be permitted as a safe, healthy, beneficial outdoor activity.
“There is a large amount of evidence of the benefits angling has on both physical and mental health – it is prescribed by a number of NHS trusts as a proven therapy for mental wellbeing, and numerous military charities and organisations to combat PTSD.
“Fishing transcends social and physical boundaries, engages able-bodied and disabled participants alike, and with the majority of the population living within five miles of a waterway it can safely and practically be achieved without significant travel.”
For more information or to read the report in full, visit https://www.anglingtrust.net.
Watch the full video here: “When We Fish Again”