Former editor of many a fishing magazine, owner of Total-Fishing.com and MD of a pest control company!! Author: geepster
Former editor of many a fishing magazine, owner of Total-Fishing.com and MD of a pest control company!! Former editor of many a fishing magazine, owner of Total-Fishing.com and MD of a pest control company!! 
Illegal angling on the up says the EA
The Environment Agency is warning those who fish illegally that the net is closing in after a recent rise in angling offences in the South East. Over the past 6 months, our South East Fisheries Enforcement Officers have issued over 360 offence report forms to illegal anglers. This is already 40 more than this time […]
Matt Dawes the 2023 Fish O Mania Champion
Matt Dawes won the 2023 Cazoo FishOMania Grand Final at Westwood Lakes in Boston, Lincolnshire with a final weight of 52.875kg live on Sky Sports Action in the UK and Ireland. The rain teemed down early on, and it showed with some strong weigh-ins to start the day out with Dawes taking the competition to […]
River Severn pollution report makes grim reading as anglers lead on citizen science – link to full report
A worrying level of pollution has been recorded on the Severn and its tributaries during a year of water quality testing organised by the Angling Trust. The Water Quality Monitoring Network (WQMN) – a key part of the Trust’s Anglers Against Pollution campaign – was launched in May 2022 as a pilot project in the […]
John Arthur on Micro Pellets Video
John Arthur passes on some of his tricks to make the most of micro pellets in this 20-minute video.
Recreational Bluefin Tuna Fishery Consultation Launched
Defra has launched a consultation on ‘Permitting regimes for the recreational targeting of bluefin tuna in UK waters’. The consultation is open until 4th September 2023. You can view the consultation here: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/recreational-aquaculture-and-migratory-team/bft-recreational-fishery/ This is the next step in the development of policy options regarding the establishment of a Catch and Release Recreational Fishery (CRRF). Last year’s consultation on […]
Southern North Sea and Eastern Channel Mixed Flatfish Fisheries Management Plan Consultation Opens
Monday 17th July the Southern North Sea and Eastern Channel Mixed Flatfish Fisheries Management Plan consultation has opened for 12-weeks. The consultation closes on 1st October 2023. As the Angling Trust understand it, there will be two opportunities to respond: online consultation via Citizen Space, and in-person via a Defra roadshow (details still to be announced). You […]
Bass Fishery Management Plan Consultation Opens
After more than a decade campaigning on bass, the Angling Trust remain committed to delivering a bass fishery management plan that prioritises the sustainable rebuilding of the bass stock, maximises the benefits derived from the stock to coastal communities through equitable allocation of the bass quota and transitions the bass fishery away from environmentally damaging […]
Fish Legal prosecutes Southern Water over River Test pollution
Southern Water, which provides water and wastewater for East Kent, parts of Sussex, Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight, is facing a private prosecution for polluting the River Test in Hampshire. Environmental organisation Fish Legal last week served summons on the water company at its head office in Worthing. The charges relate to pollution entering […]
Government and Environment Agency face High Court challenge over Yorkshire River pollution
Next week, the High Court will hear a judicial review of Government and Environment Agency decision-making that anglers claim has failed to stop two decades of pollution at Costa Beck, a small, spring-fed river in North Yorkshire. The legal challenge, being brought by Fish Legal on behalf of Pickering Fishery Association, is focused on updated, […]
Angling Trust launches ‘Fishing for Good’ 5-year plan
The Angling Trust has launched its vision for fishing and the environment in its five-year strategic plan, Fishing for Good 2023-28. Through the pillars of campaigning, participation, competitions and supporting grass roots clubs and fisheries, the report outlines how the Angling Trust will play a leading role in achieving key goals that will enrich and […]
Environment Agency warns of invasive Pacific pink salmon threat to UK rivers
The Environment Agency has warned of the threat of invasive Pacific pink salmon and urged anglers to report catches or sightings of invasive pink salmon, which are expected to appear in UK waters this year. In 2019 and 2021, there were numerous sightings of invasive pink salmon in UK waters and – with pink salmon […]
Angling Trust: ‘Fish kills: Let’s be clear – they are not natural and not inevitable…’
A little spell of hot weather with some thunderstorms, some of which are locally heavy. The result? A spike in fish kills across our rivers and the loss of many thousands of magnificent and highly prized fish. In the past few weeks, the North West of England has been particularly badly affected, but we have […]
No sandeel fishing for 2023 in effort to protect marine ecosystem
• UK fishermen will not be permitted to catch or swap any of the UK’s 5,773 tonnes of North Sea sandeel quota in 2023. • Sandeels are an important food source for various marine birds, such as puffins and kittiwakes. • By not allowing sandeel fishing for 2023, Defra aims to reduce negative impacts on […]
International Game Fish Association Launches Pioneering Billfish Research and Conservation Endowment Campaign
The International Game Fish Association (IGFA), a global leader in game fish conservation, is proud to announce the launch of its Billfish Research and Conservation Endowment Campaign, an ambitious initiative focused on ensuring the future of these iconic species. The unparalleled initiative will provide long-term funding solutions that support studies that augment data on billfish […]
England’s first national Marine and Coastal Wildlife Code launches to help people enjoy the coast responsibly
• First national Marine and Coastal Wildlife Code launches in England to help protect animals and habitats • The code encourages those visiting our unique coastlines to do so in a way which also protects our marine wildlife such as seals, seabirds and dolphins • The code was developed in collaboration with Whale and Dolphin […]
