Charters

What's great about fishing?

West Cumbria youngsters explain why they are hooked on fishing...

The Keswick School pupils from Cumbria recently completed a project on sustainable fishing and environmental protection. Hear more about why they are now hooked on the sport.

So you want to have a go at fishing?

Where to start?

Decide which type of fishing you would like to try.

Coarse fishing offers all year round (stillwaters and canals), easily accessible fishing throughout South West England and can be pretty ‘easy’. You will (almost certainly) have to return any fish you catch.

Fishing events and advice holding page.

18th Coarse & Game fishing edition  available - price just £3.99!

The Get Hooked Guide to Westcountry Angling is published in partnership with the Environment Agency and the Angling Trust.

Fungus on salmon and sea trout

Submitted by jane on July 23, 2015 - 4:13pm

This year we have received a number of reports of wild salmon and sea trout with fungal infections. We have also had reports of fish with the skin condition Ulcerative Dermal Necrosis (UDN), although confirmed cases of this disease remain scarce. These are both natural conditions that usually affect low numbers of salmon and sea trout every year as they return to our rivers. Numbers of affected fish can increase during certain conditions, such as periods of low flows, and this spring we have seen small numbers of affected fish in rivers across England. We are monitoring the situation on all our major salmon rivers and working with partner organisations to progress our understanding of these diseases. Please get in touch on 0800 807060 if you see any dead or unhealthy fish in the wild.

River Dart Emergency Byelaw Briefing - July 2015

Submitted by jane on July 23, 2015 - 3:59pm

The following briefing details the reasoning for the introduction of an Emergency Byelaw to protect salmon stocks on the River Dart, Devon, England. A more detailed justification is available on request.
The Environment Agency has received reports of diseased fish in recent years from many rivers across the SW, including the Dart. Whilst these reports are of concern and have been investigated, there are usually no associated reports of significant mortalities.
From the end of April 2015, the Environment Agency received many reports from members of the public and anglers relating to salmon and trout in the River Dart with fungal infections, a significant number dead or dying. The River Dart salmonid populations appear to have been particularly badly impacted in 2015 compared to other rivers in Devon in Cornwall.

River Dart Emergency Salmon Protection Byelaw

Submitted by jane on July 23, 2015 - 3:44pm

IMPORTANT NOTICE
River Dart Emergency Salmon Protection Byelaw
Since April 2015, the Environment Agency has received numerous reports of diseased, dead and
dying salmon & sea trout in the River Dart. Migratory salmonid populations in the Dart appear to
have been particularly badly affected this year compared to other rivers in Devon and Cornwall.
Given the current vulnerable state of the Dart salmon stock and the additional impact of disease
this year, it is considered essential to protect the remaining salmon so that as many as possible
survive to spawn. We have therefore introduced an ‘Emergency Byelaw’ to protect these fish.
What this means for anglers
The byelaw came into force on 22 July 2015.
The main provisions for anglers are;
1. No retention of salmon taken by any instrument (rod and line or net) within the River Dart
catchment or its estuary, with immediate release at the point of capture.
2. All rod and line fishing in the River Dart catchment to be undertaken by artificial fly only.
We believe these measures will provide the protection salmon stocks need to give the fishery the

What to do if fish are dying

Submitted by jane on June 29, 2015 - 5:54pm

The sight of dead fish is devastating for any fishery manager, club or angler. Taking action at the first sign of dead fish can reduce the number of fish lost and allow the fishery to recover quicker.
What you should do
If you do have fish dying at your fishery there a number of things you need to do immediately:
Stop fishing!
This will reduce the stress levels within the fish population, helping the fish to recover. This will help to lower the total number of fish that may die. It will also protect other fisheries from the potential spread of disease on fishing tackle. Fishing should only start again when fish have stopped dying and all the remaining fish are healthy.
Report it!
Act quickly and report any fish deaths to the Environment Agency immediately on 0800 80 70 60. We will investigate by discussing the problem with you. If a disease outbreak is suspected then we will examine a sample of fish. Our examinations look for what disease is killing the fish. We will also give advice on how to reduce losses and prevent future problems.
Don’t try to rescue the fish!

Warm weather advice for fisheries

Submitted by jane on June 29, 2015 - 5:46pm

You may be aware that we could be facing a warm and dry summer this year. As a result, you need to think about how you can protect your fish stocks during this time. I have attached our guidance (See next page below) on things to consider during warm weather events and what to do if you do see fish in distress or dying fish.

It is really important that you put measures in place to protect your fish stocks as soon as possible and before it gets too late. If you have equipment such as aerators that have not been used yet this year, then please check that they are working and consider using them now before the oxygen levels start to drop. If you don’t have aerators, then now is the time to think about getting some, and knowing what to do should problems occur.

If you need any advice about how to protect your fish stocks or what measures may be suitable at your fishery, then please do not hesitate to get in contact with myself or Matt Pang (Tel: 01278 484600 or Email: [email protected]).
Summer advice for fishery managers
Act now to protect your fishery

Environment Agency Fisheries South West Newsletter January - March 2015

Submitted by jane on June 22, 2015 - 2:21pm

Environment Agency Fisheries South West Newsletter January - March 2015
This newsletter is a quarterly update on some of the fisheries work undertaken by the the Environment Agency and other partners including the Rivers Trusts, within Wessex and Devon & Cornwall Fungal outbreak in Devon rivers A number of rivers in Devon have seen salmonids with relatively high rates of fungal infection over the past two years. Help for the River Cale Post pollution re-stocking The River Cale in Wincanton suffered a pollution event two years ago following a fire at a cheese factory. This resulted in a significant fish kill on the river. This event combined with noticeable amounts of litter in the river gave birth to the local community group ‘CATCH’ (Community Action to Transform Cale Habitat), who were fed up with the state the river was in.
After an initial visit from our Fisheries team with recommendations of how to improve habitat, we arranged for the Wild Trout Trust to visit the affected reach with CATCH, to provide an advisory report on habitat improvements and river restoration that the group could undertake themselves. We also surveyed the river.

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