These foreign invaders have caused huge damage to coarse and game fisheries in rivers, canals and lakes because they smother the water surface preventing light getting into the water. When they die and rot, they suck oxygen out of the water which can lead to fish kills and a decline in invertebrate numbers. Managing the rapid spread of these species costs the taxpayer billions of pounds each year – money which would be better spent tackling pollution, over-abstraction and barriers to coarse and game fish migration.

They have been sold in garden centres for decades and have escaped from garden ponds through flooding and when people have cleared out their ponds without understanding the damage that they can do. By banning them, the risk of outbreaks will be greatly reduced.

Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of the Angling Trust & Fish Legal said: “This is very welcome news and a strong decision from a Minister who has demonstrated that he has a good understanding of the issues affecting the water environment and in particular non-native invasive species.

"Other island nations around the world take biosecurity very seriously and the sale of these plants has gone on far too long. We urge all gardeners who have any of these species in their ponds to remove and destroy them.”

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News

Last Wednesday 6 fish came out in the space of an hour and half from all over the lake. Adrian Evans fished with his dad Alan who had a 14lb mirror and a 15.6 common both caught on Richworth Esterberry pop-ups. But bragging rights goes to Adrian who had a 18.2lb common also caught on a esterberry pop-up. Plymouth rod Martin Ling, had a brace of commons at 17lb and 15lb. The biggest fish of the day went to Rob Keen who had a stunning 20.8 lb mirror. Rob also had a nice looking 15lb mirror, caught on Bombers boilies. Matt Skelly of Euro Angling,Torquay fished with his friend Martin and where rewared with some stunning fish - bragging rights go to Matt who had 2 mirrors just over the 18lb mark. Martin had a lovely looking common of 15lb.

Plenty of other anglers have been catching but no catch reports have been handed in so please could anglers fill in catch reports and hand them in to the shop.

On the other lakes Bob Bartrum fished Island Pool for a couple of hours and had some good sport with roach, rudd and perch all taken on maggot. The shop is having a sale with many items upto 40% off. Call in for more details.

Rado said:
"Through the Building Bridges project we have made great strides in educating Polish anglers in the rules, regulations and customs that govern fishing over here. However, there will always be some anglers who need help understanding not only the EA by-laws about catch and release but also the specific club rules that are in place. Hopefully by getting club rules translated into Polish, future problems will be more easily solved and our communities can jointly enjoy the great sport of angling without unnecessary friction."

The Polish Anglers Association in the UK was established a few months ago by seven anglers from Poland including Rado and Pawel. They have a website and facebook page which provides an excellent source of information for Polish anglers:
http://www.polish-anglers-association.co.uk

There is a forum on the website where anglers of all nationalities can ask questions and get useful information about fisheries and their rules and regulations. The PAA is committed to promoting best practice in fish welfare and conservation and are members of angling's governing body, the Angling Trust.

The Polish Anglers Association is also keen to organise competitions and fishing get-togethers with any angling clubs or groups - contact Rado to set something up.

Clubs requiring rule translation for their website or rule books should contact either Rado or Pawel on:
radoslaw.papiewski@anglingtrust.net
pawel.nycz@anglingtrust.net

Angling Trust Campaigns Coordinator Martin Salter said:
"This is a brilliant initiative and the Angling Trust is urging all clubs from areas with a significant Polish angling interest to take advantage of the new free translation service offered by our Building Bridges team. The Poles love their fishing at least as much as we do but our cultures and practices are different which is why it is important to get over the message that fish should be returned safely in accordance with our by-laws."

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News

The date this year will be the 4th-7th June and the event will start with the wonderful International flag parade through the ancient streets of Chiprana, leading competitors to the Opening Ceremony. Several new exciting changes for the forthcoming event which the organisers believe will make the event more tactical and challenging for competitors.

• Boat or shore - the choice to fish from either a boat or the shore. Decision to be made by registration.
• No more rowing - Motors allowed for shore anglers to place their baits.
• Team event combination - Teams - comprising of 3 pairs of anglers/trios - can be a combination of anglers fishing from shore or boats.
• Zone draw during Opening Ceremony for both shore and boat anglers which decides the zone order for the three day event.
• Shore anglers - a draw for their daily peg will be done each morning at Welcome Breakfast.
• Boat anglers - will leave from designated slip way at 9 am leaving them an hour to get to the zone they want to fish being a 100 meter clear of any other competitors.

Other changes:

• No bait restrictions other than live bait and dead fish - Squid, worms, Lure fishing, clonking and halibut pellets now allowed.
• Daily total fish allowance - Anglers will be allowed to weigh a total of 6 fish in a day.
• Tactical decision required - which fish to weigh or release as fish will not be allowed to be retained after capture. You have to weigh or release.
• Marshals on hand - both shore and boat anglers will have easy access to marshals to weigh their catch.

Remains unchanged in 2013

• 3 zones/3days - each pair/trio will fish a different zone each day
• Entry fee -
  • Pair (2 anglers): £1,100 per Pair
  • Trio (3 anglers): £1,500 per Trio
  • Team Entry: 3 Pairs/Trio can form a Team and represent a sponsor or a country for an added entry fee of £360 per Team (£120 per pair). Best three teams to share an additional prize table.
  • Team Runner: £150 - Important to read carefully their role in the rules.

Event Details in short:

• 4th to the 7th June 2013 - River Ebro, Spain
• Places available: 42 either from shore or boat
• The venue will be divided into 3 zones and all competitors will fish in a different zone each day be it from shore or boat.
• Pair's entry fee remains unchanged
• Opening Ceremony to take place after a National Flag parade through the ancient town of Chiprana led by officials followed by a Fiesta
• Daily draw and Results update at Welcome Breakfast (3)
• Daily presentation during Welcome Breakfast to defending King Cat garnments and scale
• Closing Ceremony with Champions' Dinner.
• The overall event winners will be the captors of the greatest weight of catfish caught over the 3 days (total of 6 fish per day to count)
• Competition is a no kill best practice angling
• No live or dead baits allowed

The British Carp and Angling Show, due to take place at the at the Royal Norfolk Showground, Norwich on January 19 and 20, has had to be postponed due to the expected bad weather this weekend.

"Due to the extreme weather conditions and the forecast for heavy snow all day Friday and Saturday, the show has now been rescheduled for a later date. Advanced tickets will be permitted at the new show date (to be announced soon).

Because of the severe weather situation health and safety regulations have made it impossible to run this event safely – thank you for your understanding and the show will be rescheduled soon.

Any enquiries please email Maddie@aztecevents.co.uk please do not call the office as you can appreciate the lines are extremely busy

The aeronautical engineer from Crawley in West Sussex has helped hundreds of kids and adults turn their lives around through learning to fish at his West Sussex and Surrey Angling Academy which, despite funding being withdrawn in 2006, he has kept going with the help of 15 volunteers and his own money.

Graham only turned to angling coaching in 2004 after many years coaching rugby. It's a sign of the impact he has had in the lives of so many people that he was also a national finalist in this year's ITV Pride of Britain awards. Despite missing out on the national Unsung Hero award he was a guest at December's BBC Sports Personality of The Year awards

Daniel Williams, Regional Development Officer in the South East for the Angling Trust, the national representative body for all angling in England, said, "This is not a one off, but one in a line of awards that Graham and the West Sussex and Surrey Angling Academy have picked up in the last couple of years. He really has done some good work and a great deal on our behalf including supporting National Fishing Month, Kingfisher Awards, Angling Sports Leaders, Dads & Lads programs and coming in at the last minute to run a For Fun Casting Program at the Bexhill Sea Angling Festival. There will be, I'm sure, much more to come."

Graham still doesn't know who nominated him for the award. "The fact that someone thought I was worthy enough speaks for itself, who it was isn't important. I'm still amazed that people think that the work we do warrants this kind of recognition", he said.

Graham and the West Sussex and Surrey Angling Academy have won supporters in high places with the Fisheries Minister, Richard Benyon MP, recently agreeing to become a patron of the organisation.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for the Academy contact Graham via the website or email him at CWSAA@aol.com

If you or a friend might be interested in becoming an angling coach yourself you can find out more on the Angling Trust websiteor by calling Angela Woodgates at the Angling Trust Approved Centre on 0115 9061 313.

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News

After ten years as chief executive of British Waterways and (since July 2012) the Canal & River Trust, Robin Evans has decided to step down at the end of May 2013. Robin said: “I want to pursue other interests and opportunities and now the Trust is firmly established I feel it’s the right time for me to move on and a perfect time for the Trust to have a new leader.”

He added: “It has been a privilege to lead these two great organisations and I am very proud of what we have achieved over the past ten years. Having agreed the transfer of the waterways into the Third Sector together with £500m of endowment property and a 15 year funding agreement from government, the Trust is on a more secure financial footing with a more positive outlook than we’ve probably ever had.

“I will always be grateful for the encouragement and support of a great many people both inside and outside of the Trust who have helped lay what I believe are the foundations for a strong and vibrant future for our much loved waterways.”

Tony Hales, chair of the Canal & River Trust, said: “Robin told us in November that he intended to step down in May and we will be very sorry to lose him. He has served with great dedication and inspirational vision. His determination to see that vision realised in the foundation of the Trust, has transformed the long term prospects for the waterways. The former Board of British Waterways and the current Trustees wish him well and thank him for his outstanding contribution to the canals and rivers we all love.”

The Trustees will now begin the search for a new chief executive and more details will be announced shortly.

Tony Hales has been asked by Trustees to stay on as chair to help ensure a smooth transition and he has kindly agreed to do so.

Source: Canal & River Trust

This award represents an increase on the £1.56 million that was paid over the last four years to build an infrastructure of 1,400 coaches, 35 County Angling Action Groups and 91 Club mark-accredited clubs.

While the award is less than the £2.35 million maximum bid submitted by the Angling Trust, most sports have had reductions in their funding due to cuts in the grant to Sport England from the Government.

Sport England has asked the Angling Trust to focus particularly on growing the number of anglers who go fishing once a week, and on older and disabled anglers.

The Angling Trust is also working with the Environment Agency to secure funding to support growing the number of anglers, in particular young children. As part of the National Angling Strategy launched this year – Fishing For Life – the Trust will be working with others to build the case for other funding organisations to support angling participation and to maximise the social and economic benefits of going fishing.

The Angling Trust will use Sport England’s funding to:

• Support angling clubs and fisheries through its Club Fish national development programme to offer participation programmes over the four year period
• Focus on older and disabled anglers through the Let’s Fish group angling programme, delivered by Angling Champions at partner fisheries.
• Establish a club and fishery competition framework at national, regional and county level to reward regular participation across all disciplines, age groups and abilities.

Sport England is also providing £138,000 to support up to 800 talented young anglers at regional and national level across the disciplines of game, coarse and sea angling. This investment will help reinforce the sport’s talent development programme which is still in its infancy.

Sport England’s Director of Sport, Lisa O’Keefe, said: “The Angling Trust has a huge opportunity to increase the number of regular anglers and it is great to see that it has developed its knowledge and insight into their market to get more people fishing more often.

"We are pleased to be working alongside the Environment Agency which supports the sport in getting more people fishing as well as on educational and environmental projects. I’m confident that angling will continue to develop over the next four years with our support.”

The Angling Trust’s Chief Executive Mark Lloyd said: “While we are disappointed not to have secured the maximum amount in our bid, this continued funding is extremely welcome at a time when government funding is extremely tight. This success reflects the fact that the Trust has set a new standard in professionalism and governance, and that our development team have achieved real progress over the past four years.

“There is a huge amount of work to do to grow angling participation, and it needs to be done at a very large scale to have an impact. Sport England have set us some very challenging and specific targets, and we will focus on achieving them as part of an ambitious programme of work to improve angling and the environment on which it depends.”

Source: Angling Trust Fishing News

Rutland Water, Leicestershire

Rutland Water is a reservoir and a nature reserve designated as a ‘site of special scientific interest’ and children will relish the chance to see all sorts of wildlife species. You can fish from the bank or take a boat out to deeper waters and find rainbow trout, roach, bream, pike and zander. Spend a day exploring Leicester, as there are many activities and museums perfect for inquisitive kids.

Whitby, North Yorkshire

England’s winding rivers and expansive lakes provide superb fishing opportunities but if you and your family are up for an adventure why not try fishing at sea? You will find pollock, ling and mackerel off the coast.  After a day skimming the ocean there are plenty of cosy Whitby pubs for you to enjoy the perfect family roast and rest your aching arms. This gorgeous little fishing town also has an abbey, which is one of the famous settings for Bram Stocker’s novel Dracula.

The Lake District

With an astonishing selection of lakes, tarns and rivers the Lake District is a fisherman’s nirvana. The larger lakes include Windermere, Ullswater and Coniston, which are all great places to fish but if you desire something quieter try some of the lesser-known tarns. The renowned Eden and Derwent lakes are reputed to be superlative for salmon fishing. Young ones can roam the enchanted countryside, climbing trees and looking out for wildlife.

Draycote Water, Warwickshire

This reservoir is the largest expanse of water in Warwickshire, stretching for about 700 acres. Draycote is one of best trout fisheries and home to a huge population of brown and rainbow trout. Kids will delight in spotting the alpaca herd and birds, local to this area. There are many bed and breakfasts dotted around the reservoir, which makes a quick break feasible and homely. Bird watching, cycling and country walks all make for fantastic family days out.

Dungeness Beach, Kent

For an unmatched fishing holiday why not plan for a trip on the UK’s coast? Explore this famed cod spot on the Dungeness Beach, where the oceans are replete with fish so you wont leave empty handed. Plus the shores often reward you with seasonal catches such as bass, flatfish, sole flounder and dab. The tawny beachfront is encircled by chalky white cliffs where doll-sized cottages perch, and seabirds squawk. As well as fishing there are other water sport activities available. This beach is the ideal mix of relaxation and action that the whole family will appreciate.

• What other show in the UK provides an interactive rigging clinic for youngsters, taught by John Wilson?
• When do you get the chance to shake hands and have your photo taken with fishing legend Matt Hayes?
• Why shop around for fishing gear when all of the world’s top manufacturers can be found all under one roof?
• Where else can you re-tell your stories from the riverbank alongside other keen anglers and fishing celebs in our on-site bar?
• How can we make this show even better?

With some of the UK's best known angling celebrities set to attend the British Carp and Angling Show, taking place at the Royal Norfolk Showground, Norwich on January 19 and 20, 2013 – the weekend is set to blow the minds of all those attending. After the outstanding success of the first event in January 2012, which attracted over 10,000 visitors, the 2013 event is expected to be twice as big and attract twice as many visitors – making it one of the biggest shows not only in the UK, but also in Europe.

Set in Norfolk Showground's enormous 50,000 sq. ft. Exhibition Hall, which was recently re-furbished to an even bigger, more impressive stature – the British Carp and Angling Show will cater for anglers of all ages, abilities and disciplines including carp, general coarse, game, sea and fly fishing.  

The show will offer an array of attractions from product launches by well-known companies to the opportunity to meet some of angling's best known celebrities and experts who will be on hand to give advice and demonstrations as well as take part in promotional launches, book signings and 'Question and Answer' sessions.

With over 120 Trade Stands there will be plenty of products at bargain prices and lots of special offers including discounted bait from some of the industry's leading manufacturers including popular brands such as Korda and Nash – who will have their expert consultants on hand for advice and questions on your fishing or tackle.

Amongst the angling celebrities at the show will be Matt Hayes signing copies of his new book ‘Fish-eye’ as well as carrying out talks and seminars in the Theatre Hall. Last year Matt was unveiling his new clothing range and addressing an enormous audience with talks about ‘What it’s like to be Matt Hayes’ which explored his youth and career.

Matt first made his name on TV programme 'Total Fishing with Matt Hayes' and later went on to star in programmes such as 'The Great Rod Race' and 'Mainstream'. Also famed for his literal skills, Matt writes a column in Angling Times and has also written a book called 'Coarse Fishing'.

Famous angler John Wilson has featured in many TV angling shows, DVDs and videos over the past 20 years. John is a keen author who has written for many angling publications over his career and has penned a great number of books on all aspects of angling.
As a local Norfolk fisherman, John is a great household name in the area with a huge fan-base and following. Humble and filled with great fishing stories, John will host a rigging clinic for youngsters in the Pro-Theatre as well as carry out an informal Q&A wit guests and sell his own branded range of fishing gear, which includes many items from rods to sunglasses.

Also amongst those present will be 4 x Coarse Angling World Champion and writer for ‘Improve Your Course Angling’ Magazine Bob Nudd who will be available to meet and greet over the weekend of the show and Keith Williams who will host a Bait Kitchen on the Main Line stand.

Amongst the exhibitors will be those who run local fisheries and providers of angling holidays in the UK and abroad including teams from Carp Fishing Holidays and Carp Fishing Trips. Visitors can also pick up some brilliant subscription deals to their favourite angling publications with Big Carp, Carpology and Maximum Carp all holding stands at the weekend.

The expanding list of exhibitors now includes Ace Baits, Advanced Technology Tackle, Baitcraft, Bait Zone, Carp Alley, Carp Craze, Carp Hunter, Carp Zone, Carp4U, Catmaster tours, Eric's Angling Centre, Fishing Republic, FOX, Vale Royal Angling Centre, French Carp Adventures, I-Carp, Jex Silt Pumping Plant Ltd, Korda, Latham's Fishing Store, MCF Carp Fishing, Nash, Navarra Fishing Adventures, Norfolk Anglers Conservation Association, Peg One, PT Baits and Tackle, Redwood Tackle, Rigmarole, Sky Lake Fisheries, Sonik, Strikemaster Tackle, The Firm, Trakker, Vale Royal Angling Centre, Wisbech Angling and many more.

Tickets are available in advanced at £8.00 for adults (£10.00 on the day) and £2.00 (£5.00 on the day) for accompanied children under 16. There is no charge for children under five years old.

The British Carp and Angling Show 19th and 20th January 2013
at the Royal Norfolk Showground, Norwich, Norfolk NR5 0TT
Open: Sat 10:00am-5:00pm, Sun 10:00am-4:00pm
For more info: Telephone 01702 549623 website www.britishcarpshow.co.uk