Fish Legal, a group which represents the interests of fishing enthusiasts, has welcomed an Environment Agency (EA) pledge to engage with anglers before striking deals with polluters.

The organisation had been concerned that so-called enforcement undertakings, introduced as part of this year’s Environmental Civil Sanctions Order, could lead to companies making secretive arrangements relating to the pollution of waterways.

Head solicitor Justin Neal said: "The agency now appears to have understood our well-founded objections at the way in which enforcement undertakings might be implemented."

According to Fish Legal, companies will be forced to provide evidence to various third-party groups – including people who use fishing rods along the country’s rivers and canals – before proceeding with any actions that may cause environmental harm.

Last month, the North Wales Weekly News reported that a group of anglers from Betws-y-Coed had been in touch with Fish Legal after noticing sludge at the bottom of a local river.

The Environment Agency (EA) has reminded fishing enthusiasts that the new coarse angling season is now underway and urged people to make the most of Britain’s waterways while the weather is favourable.

Anglers in southern England have been advised to take advantage of the recent sunny spell and take their fishing rods to the rivers and stillwaters of Kent, Hampshire, Sussex and the Isle of Wight.

"I recently took my 10-year-old son fishing and it was great to see the excitement on his face when he caught his first fish," EA fisheries technical specialist Lawrence Talks said. "I’d encourage everyone to give it a go."

The organisation has made a fishing guide available for download on its website and reminded anglers to ensure that they have obtained a fishing rod licence before they take to the UK’s riverbanks.

Earlier this month, television presenter Chris Tarrant lent his support to the Angling Trust’s National Fishing Month, which gets underway on July 17th 2010.

Drennan Team England’s fishermen are celebrating after they sealed a dramatic last-minute win at the World Angling Championship in Spain.

The Englishmen narrowly beat tough competition from the Italian side after Sean Ashby caught a carp with his fishing rod right at the death of the competition to give the squad a decisive 2.5 point lead over their competitors, according to the Angling Times.

"We had a bit of a blip with an hour to go as Sean was struggling and I said that if he could score 10 points then we couldn’t be caught and that was the case," manager Mark Addy told the publication. "That carp was vital."

Home Nations rivals from Scotland, Wales and Ireland were expected to provide the sternest test for Drennan Team England, but the persistence of the Italians very nearly earned them the title before Mr Ashby’s late heroics.

Last week, anglers gathered in the Welsh market town of Rhayader for this year’s Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships.

The Angling Trust (AT) has pleaded with fishing enthusiasts to be patient as it attempts to implement reforms to the coaching of the sport in the UK.

Existing structures for youth development schemes were scrapped when the organisation was formed, but it claims thousands of pounds are set to be invested in an effort to convince British youngsters to pick up fishing rods for the first time.

"This work is absolutely vital for the future of our sport and we hope that everyone involved will bear with us over the next couple of years as the new arrangements are put in place at a national level," the AT said in a statement.

Coaches who hold Angling Development Board licences have been encouraged to keep practicing, while clubs and fisheries have been urged to work alongside the AT and county angling action groups.

Last week, broadcaster Keith Arthur wrote in the Angling Times that fishing should be managed by anglers themselves and not government bodies.

An angler from Norfolk is celebrating after catching five tench weighing over 10lb with his fishing rod during a session at a commercial fishery just outside Norwich.

According to the Angling Times, Colin Hall landed the creatures at Bawburgh Lakes, using a wide variety of baits including maggots, hemp, boilies and pellets and also reeled in a 25lb carp and nine smaller tench as an added bonus.

"I think that catching really big tench is all about careful swim location," he explained. "I like to have a warm wind blowing into the bank I’m fishing, as was the case this time around."

The largest tench Mr Hall caught weighed in at 11lb 2oz and the angler added that he had also used pineapple-flavoured casters as a hookbait, which he believed may have had an effect.

Last week, the publication reported that Buckinghamshire fisherman Ambrose Smith caught a world record 99lb carp at a stillwater near the French town of Dijon.

A young angler has told of how he landed a pike during a fishing session on the banks of a canal situated in a busy city centre.

Local fisherman Adam Mack caught the 17lb creature whilst fishing on the Bridgewater Canal near Manchester’s Oxford Road and managed to persuade a passerby to take a picture of his catch on a mobile phone.

"When I put it on the scales I was amazed," he said. "I was looking around for someone to share it with and a businessman came past and took pictures for me on his phone."

The 19-year-old, who lives in nearby Middleton, added that although he has been on angling holidays all over the world, the urban-dwelling pike is the biggest fish he has managed to catch so far.

Last week, the Sun reported that Kent angler Derek Plum had caught a 1lb 4oz red-bellied piranha in a Basingstoke park.

Anglers in Northumberland have picked up their fishing rods in an effort to raise money for a charity which organises angling sessions for women suffering from breast cancer.

A special fundraising event was held at Chatton Trout Fishery, near the market town of Alnwick, as part of efforts to support the work of Casting for Recovery UK, with a total of 15 ladies taking part, according to the Northumberland Gazette.

"We tried to arrange something a little different to cater for anglers of all abilities, from sessions on how improve casting to dressing flies," organiser Anne Woodcock explained.

The secondary aim of the occasion was to help local women improve their angling skills and a series of workshops were conducted by some of the sport’s experts on a range of different aspects of the pursuit.

Yesterday (June 23rd 2010), the Swindon Advertiser reported that fisherwoman Theresa Lewis was retiring from angling after 33 years due to health problems.

Television presenter Chris Tarrant has lent his support to the Angling Trust’s forthcoming National Fishing Month and discussed his decades-old passion for the pursuit.

A series of events will be organised from July 17th to August 15th 2010 in an effort to persuade both young and old newcomers to pick up fishing rods and join the millions of anglers who regularly take to Britain’s waterways and fisheries.

"Fishing has kept me focused and given me opportunities to experience moments in life that only fishing can give you," Tarrant explained. "National Fishing Month gives anyone and everyone the chance to have a go and enjoy the sport."

Tarrant, who is famous for TV series such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and 70s children’s programme Tiswas, added that he has been angling for around 30 or 40 years.

Described as a "celebration" of fishing, National Fishing Month also aims to inform the general public about the social and environmental benefits that go with the sport.