Day-ticket anglers will not be able to use their fishing rods on certain waters in Kent, it has been confirmed.

The Angling Times reported that Mid Kent Fisheries is to stop day-ticket anglers from fishing on waters at all its venues including Conningbrook.

Owner Chris Logsdon cited "litter and general disregard for the fish" as one of the reasons behind the move to ban such anglers.

"I'm not saying all day-ticket anglers are irresponsible. It's a classic case of a few ruining it for the majority," he explained.

However, others in the industry have voiced opinion to the contrary.

Manager of Richworth Linear Fisheries in Oxfordshire Roy Parsons disagreed with Mr Logsdon's judgment, telling the publication it was important that average anglers, many of whom rely on day-ticket programmes, were given the chance to fish as others are.

The Bristol Evening Post recently highlighted the problem of litter-dropping anglers at the Battery Point in Portishead, where problems are being caused by discarded fishing lines.

A new project has been launched to help young people in an area of Greater Manchester develop their angling skills.

Gary Leigh from Absolute Angling has agreed to give ten youngsters in Middleton a series of lessons on how to use fishing rods safely and successfully, Rochdale Online reports.

The scheme will take place with the help of Groundwork Oldham and Rochdale, a charity that supports community projects in the area.

"I am really excited about the prospect of taking the young people fishing," Andrew Poinen, youth works scheme leader at the organisation.

One of the novice anglers taking part in the coaching sessions is 14-year-old Keiron Burns, who told the news provider he believes the activity is "pretty exciting and fun when you get into it".

Absolute Angling is responsible for two fishing sites in Middleton, with eight different waters spread across the venues at Stakehill and Rhodes Lodges.

Anglers at the former location can use their fishing lures to catch bream, tench, perch and carp weighing up to 21lb.

The River Test was the setting for the capture of a "stunning roach" by one angler last week.

Plasterer Mark Callaway was able to bag a 2lb 4oz roach while fishing the river along with five other roach which weighed in at over 1lb each, Angling Times reports.

"This is the biggest roach that I've caught for the last four winters," said the 39-year-old. "I'd tried my luck on the Avon the last couple of years but struggled to find any big fish."

He added that he used a size 18 Kamasan hook, which was tied to a Preston Innovations Reflo Power fishing line link under a loafer float, to catch the prize specimen.

Meanwhile, the publication recently reported professional angler Keith Speers was fortunate enough to catch a colossal 17lb 15oz river barbel while on a trip in December.

He bagged the beauty while angling at an unnamed site in Bedfordshire on what was one of the coldest days of the month.
 

The last year saw a mixed set of results for fishing in Scotland, according to a new WWF report that could be of interest to fishing rod users.

Assessing the development of whitefish stocks in the country over the past 12 months, the wildlife organisation explained that positive developments in the sector included North Sea haddock achieving Marine Stewardship Council accreditation for sustainability.

However, one of the negative aspects of 2010 was cod stocks being unable to recover sufficiently to allow an increased quota for 2011.

This comes despite progressive measures being implemented by the Scottish fishing fleet to help the numbers of the fish improve.

"2010 was a year of ups and downs for many fish stocks. In general the North Sea continues to be in better shape than the west of Scotland," said Dr Mireille Thom, WWF Scotland's Marine Policy Officer.

Recently, keen anglers were reminded by the Environment Agency that when buying fishing accessories for presents they should also obtain a licence to legally use them.  

The poor weather that has been affecting much of the country in recent weeks has had an impact on the number of fishing matches going ahead.

Many of those due to take part in events in Derbyshire recently have had to leave their fishing lines at home as they have been postponed due to lakes and canals being frozen, the Derby Telegraph reported.

The newspaper noted that fisheries in Rycroft, Press Manor and Makins have all been adversely affected.

However, with milder conditions forecast it is hoped that these matches can be rescheduled for early in the new year.

It was also reported that Foremark Fly Fishers' Association have announced their first guest speaker for the new year will be Steve Parton, who will be discussing his experiences deep fishing for big brown and rainbow trout on January 10th 2011.

Some events have still gone ahead despite the poor conditions, with the fishing accessories of Gary Etheridge helping him to victory in the Wilts Angling Xmas match.  

Fishing rods were at the ready at a recent angling event that managed to go ahead despite the wintry weather that has hit the UK in recent weeks.

Colin Scull told Thisiswiltshire.co.uk that the Wilts Angling Xmas match held on the Bristol Avon at Barton Farm was won by Gary Etheridge of Devizes.

He bagged 14lb 11oz of roach putting him comfortably ahead of the second place angler Mick Martin of Trowbridge who managed just 10lb 11oz.

Third place finisher was Rob Kepner of Chippenham with 10lb 6oz of roach caught.

Meanwhile, the South Wales Echo recently reported Colin Boagey was able to take away the top prize in the Penarth SAC Christmas competition when he landed seven cod with a combined weight of 15lb 9oz.

The competitors dealt with snow and ice and frozen bait but this did not deter Mr Boagey, who bagged one of the largest winning catches in recent years. 

Anglers have been urged to use stronger fishing lines in order to land fish in a more humane way.

By using tougher lines the fish will struggle less, thus conserving its energy for when it leaves the water, the Angling Times advised.

The suggestion was made by an angling expert who has compiled a charter for fishing enthusiasts to adhere to when catching fish.

By following the guidelines, it is hoped that more fishermen will understand how they can safely put a fish back into its natural habitat once it has been caught.

Fishing nets should also be monitored to ensure that the material is not damaging to any potential catches, with new softer nets preferred to rough older versions.

Most importantly, anglers are reminded that a fish should not be out of the water for more than 30 seconds.

Having the right tackle is also an integral part of angling and fishermen in the US breathed a sigh of relief last week as the Environmental Protection Agency denied that it was considering a ban on the use of lead in fishing tackle.

Fishing line manufacturer Daiwa has backed plans to eradicate misleading packaging on fishing products.

The European Fishing Tackle Trade Association (EFTTA) has moved to introduce a new charter which prohibits fishing line companies from making false claims on their labels.

Daiwa joins other brands such as Spiderwire and Berkley in throwing its weight behind the initiative aimed at improving the market for consumers and ensuring fairness among competitor manufacturers.

Marketing manager for the UK branch of Daiwa Stephen McCaveny believes the initiative is a step in the right direction for the angling trade.

"The intention to clean up labelling has now become a 'must do' for our industry and we are certainly happy to have signed up to the EFTTA charter," he said.

EFTTA was formed to act as a supporting body to the European fishing tackle industry in a bid to promote sportfishing and the organisation will mark its third anniversary next year with a three-day exhibition in Amsterdam.
 

An angling expert has called on the Environment Agency (EA) and fishermen alike to do more to improve the state of some of Britain's canals and rivers and claimed some waterways have become overgrown with weeds.

Writing in an article for the Yorkshire Post, Dennis Lemmon suggested that a growing number of angling enthusiasts are getting their fishing lines entangled in unkempt plants which have been allowed to grow by some canals.

"The different species of weed do have one thing in common – if they are unchecked they can spread at an alarming rate," he explained.

Mr Lemmon acknowledged that the EA recently sent out pamphlets to some fishermen advising them on how to dispose of four species of weed, which can starve fish of oxygen and endanger the safety of pets and young children.

Last month, the Angling Trust and other conservation groups joined forces to launch the Our Rivers poll, which invites anglers to name Britain's best and worst waterways. 

Fishing enthusiasts from across the country have attended a meeting to discuss the recent decline in the number of pike populating Britain's rivers and what can be done to halt it.

According to the Eastern Daily Press, around 300 anglers from areas including Manchester, the Home Counties and the Midlands travelled to Norwich for the Broadlands Pike Conference, held at the city's Sewell Park College.

"We feel certain the Environment Agency will have taken the important points of the discussions on board and come up with a response and positive proposals of what may be done," said Stephen Roberts of the Norwich & District Pike Club.

Among the concerns raised was the possibility that poachers have been leaving modified fishing line in rivers to catch pike, although the quality of the country's waterways was also debated.

Last month, the Angling Times reported that a pike had been killed and left hanging from a sign at Three Pools Waterway near Southport, with the incident being linked to anti-pike sentiment among a section of the angling community.