Latest from fish Legal.  Here again we have last minute information about the Welsh canoe access issue where once again you are being urged to accept Voluntary Access Agreement rather than fight them.  No surprise really when in my opinion Mark Lloyd and the WUF Director are joined at the hip in many ways and one wouldn't like to upset the other now would they..
I'm a member of the Angling trust but an now having serious reservations as to just where it's going

Wednesday 30th September 2015 All the latest fishing news from the Angling Trust and Fish Legal Angling Trust and Fish Legal - Main News Major Survey On Angling Participation Ends 4th October The Angling Trust will use findings from its major national survey on angling participation to help address the decline in angling numbers and get more people fishing more often. Whatever kind of fishing you do and no matter how often you go, please play your part in rebuilding angling's future by completing the survey. > Take the SURVEY here There's free entry into a £900 prize draw to win Glasgow Angling Centre tackle as a "thank you" for participating. We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who no longer has time to go fishing - so if that's you or someone you know, please take part now. There's a reminder below about two other important Angling Trust surveys... Rod Licence Funding Boost for Junior Angling and Fish Protection Twelve angling clubs, a charity and a council-run fishery have successfully bid for a share of £50,000 funding available to projects in England aimed at getting more juniors to take up fishing and protecting fish stocks from predation. The winning projects will receive cash from the second round of the Angling Improvement Fund, administered by the Angling Trust and funded with rod licence income from the Environment Agency. > Read more Agricultural Pollution Raised up the Political Agenda Angling Trust has led a group of non-governmental organisations in writing an article highlighting the impact of agricultural pollution on the water environment, which is published in the Agriculture edition of The Parliamentary Review 2014/15. > Read more Have Your Say in Kingmere Consultation About Bream Fishing In Sussex. Please Respond Before October 7th Sea anglers have been invited to comment on a new bylaw introducing management measures for fishing activities - including recreational angling for black bream - within the new Kingmere Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ). > Read more in our email sent to Sea Anglers Are you a sea angler but didn't receive the email? Let us know so we can send you emails like the Kingmere one in future. Get Registered and Get FishingInfo If you haven't already registered for a free account on FishingInfo.co.uk do it now - it only takes a minute and means your saved favourite fishing places will always be available to you no matter which device you are using or where you are. Just click the "Log Into FishingInfo" button at the top of www.fishinginfo.co.uk New Operation LEVIATHAN signs PC Paul Lambon previews new Operation LEVIATHAN signs. Coming soon to fisheries as part of our multi-agency project to tackle angling related crime. Find out more about Operation LEVIATHAN on our website and read about recent progress in our enforcement projects in our blog.More news about these signs to follow when they are availabe later this year. Species Hunt: Sea Anglers - Register Now and Get Hunting We’ve re-launched our popular Species Hunt for sea anglers and the competition this year has got even better prizes and a new structure with more chances to win - find out more at www.anglingtrust.net/specieshunt and get hunting! The Species Hunt has been developed to appeal to all Sea Anglers in order to get more people out there fishing more often. Check out the Hunt's Facebook page. The Hunt is sponsored by TronixPro with fantastic prizes and badges for monthly Specimen Hunt winners plus cash prizes in the annual Species Hunt awards to be announced in March 2016. Angling Trust and Blueprint for Water Coalition say "Water Matters" The Angling Trust has joined campaigners calling on the Government and industry to improve England's rivers and lakes to the benefit of fishing. Water Matters - an influential publication - outlines the actions that need to be taken over the next five years to halt and reverse the loss of aquatic life and restore a healthy water environment. > Read more Fish Legal News You can read more Fish Legal news HERE Welsh Rivers Run Orange Natural Resources Wales (NRW) are investigating what caused two Welsh rivers to run orange at the end of July. Members of the public reported the discolouration to the regulator who attended and took samples in order to assess the potential impact of the suspended solids on the river Pelenna and Afan, near Efail Fach, in Neath Port Talbot.. Fish Legal member, the Afan Valley Angling Club, hold the fishing rights on the affected stretches. The club is currently awaiting further information from NRW about the source and impact of the pollution, which early indications suggest was a release of mine water. Seal Shooting Figures Revealed For The First Time Following a long campaigning, the Scottish Information Commissioner has ordered figures on seals shot by salmon farmers be revealed to the public. Salmon farms say the shootings are necessary due to massive financial losses of salmon through seal attacks. Campaigners against the practice argue that consumers should know all the facts in order to make informed choices about eating farmed salmon. The figures show a 66% reduction in the number of shootings over the last two years as a result of increased use of “predator nets” with 95 seals shot in 2013 and 81 shot in 2014. > See BBC news article here General News and Classifieds Events and articles of interest from the Angling Trust and the world of fishing Survey Competition Reaps Rewards on Tees Eighty anglers took part in the Environment Agency’s ‘Survey Match’ on 20th August which saw competitors record the species, numbers and weights of fish caught. This provides valuable data to the Environment Agency and Tees River Trust to help in the management of the river. £870 was raised through ticket sales and donated to The Tees Rivers Trust. Full Environment Agency match report here. Environment Agency Fisheries Technical Specialist, Phil Rippon said: "The money raised will all go back into projects which benefit angling. The competition was a great success and saw us all work together to collect important survey information on the River Tees." Pictured left to right: Dave Munt, Angling Trust Regional Officer North East - Phil Rippon, Environment Agency Fisheries Technical Specialist - Ben Lamb, Manager Tees Trust Help Persuade Welsh Government On Voluntary Access Agreements for Canoe Access The Welsh Government has launched a new consultation which could lead to new legislation opening up uncontrolled access to rivers for canoes and white water rafts. We need your help to persuade the Government that this would be a disaster for the sectors of the rural economy that depend on fishing, and that they should maintain the entirely sensible policy of supporting Voluntary Access Agreements, which make it possible for appropriate levels of access to be decided at a local level to reflect the conditions on each river. You can edit a letter which has been composed by the Countryside Alliance at http://act.voteaction.uk/a/84 or respond to the Welsh Government consultation here.  You are not required to answer all the questions. Invasive Non-Native Species Survey Please help Emily Smith, our "Invasive Non-Native Species Manager", with her survey looking into the awareness of British anglers of conservation issues which affect our waterways. The findings of Emily's work, produced in partnership with University College London, will be used to improve the information available to anglers about conservation issues and help anglers learn how to protect their fishing venues. The questionnaire takes less than 10 minutes. > Please help out at www.anglingtrust.net/invasivesurvey Fish-Eating Bird Management Trial: Questionnaire for Licence Holders & Fishery Owners A brief online questionnaire aims to get feedback about the one-year trial of our Fishery Management Advisors (FMAs) and area-based licences (ABLs), aimed at improving the management of conflicts between fisheries and fish-eating birds, principally cormorants. Please only complete this questionnaire if you have had direct contact with an FMA or are an ABL or individual licence holder. > Go to the questionnaire Please Make a Donation to Help Save Our Salmon The Angling Trust won the readers' vote in the July issue of Trout & Salmon magazine for a project that aims to return the salmon to abundance as well as helping us to get UK, Welsh and Scottish governments to act to save wild salmon. Anyone who donates will get free supporter stickers and their name published in Trout & Salmon magazine. Find out more and donate via www.saveoursalmon.org Free Membership of The Perchfishers for Under 18's Next year, our member organisation The Perchfishers is 30 years old and to celebrate this anniversary, the group is offering free membership to up to 30 anglers under 18 years of age (one free place for every year the group has been in existence).  Go to www.theperchfishers.org.uk and download an application form. The free membership is on a first-come-first-served basis for these 30 places. Help us get more people fishing more often... These participation events are for anglers of all abilities. Come along, bring a friend and have a go! Don't forget that occasional anglers and newcomers can buy a one-day or eight-day rod licence. FREE: Lure and Predator Fishing at Coventry Canal Basin Level 2 Coach Dave Mutton is leading a 6 week programme to teach you all about lure and predator fishing at the Specimen Fishing UK tackle shop in Coventry. Sessions are free and open to anyone aged 19 to 25, every Saturday from 2pm, starting 3rd October. Bring your own tackle or use the kit provided, but be quick as spaces are limited and sure to be taken up quickly. For more info contact Angling Trust Regional Officer Dave Evans on 07854 239 721 or dave.evans@anglingtrust.net Improve your Lure Fishing with Northampton Nene AC Northampton Nene AC are running Lure Fishing Workshops this autumn to help anglers improve their skills. The sessions will be hosted by local licensed level 2 coach Paul Douglas who will provide loads of useful tips to help you up your catch rate. Workshops start on Sunday 4th October at 8am on the Grand Union Canal at Stoke Bruerne. These sessions cost just £5 and include expert tuition, a day ticket and a selection of terminal tackle. It's a bargain! Contact James Roche on 07791 786 251 or james.roche@anglingtrust.net to book your place or for more info. FREE: Get Back into Angling at Bulwell Hall Lakes Get Back into Angling this October at Bulwell Hall Lakes. We want anglers of all abilities, ages and experience to come along and rediscover their love of fishing. Dig out that old tackle or borrow what you need on the day. There will be advice on techniques & tactics to help you catch more fish. Absolutely FREE with bait provided too! Friday 9th, 16th and 23rd October. Contact James Roche on 07791 786 251 or james.roche@anglingtrust.net for more info. For more events like these in your area contact your Angling Trust Regional Officer. Competition News Read all the latest Angling Trust Competition news HERE Drennan Team England Bring Home Double World Champs Bronze Drennan Team England have returned to home soil with two bronze medals after claiming a creditable third place in the World Championship team event, while five times World Champion Alan Scotthorne secured individual bronze. > Read more Tubertini Team England Enjoy Record Medal Haul Team England World Boat Squad enjoyed yet more team and individual success in the 51st FIPS-M World Boat Angling Championships in Ireland winning team Silver and a Gold and Bronze in the individual categories. > Read more Angling Trust and Canal & River Trust Junior Angling Championship Young anglers are being invited to take part in an exciting new competition encouraging them to try angling on the nation’s historic canals. The National Junior Canal Championship is being organised in partnership with the Canal & River Trust and is open to 12 to16 year olds. The match is taking place on 24 October on the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal at Curdworth. It's free to enter with 50 spaces available. Bookings can be made by emailing sandra.drew@anglingtrust.net or call 0115 9061 301 Wyvern Region 37th National Small Boat Championships The 37th Small Boats Festival was held in beautiful late summer weather at Salcombe on September 5th & 6th 2015. Over 80 competitors in 30 boats enjoyed fantastic angling with some very good fish of a variety of species brought to the scales. Thanks to the main sponsor, John Grandshaw of JG Technologies Ltd Weymouth. > Full match results Job Vacancies Find Angling Trust jobs and volunteer positions HERE Current Vacancies Angling Promotions Officer. Closing date 5th Oct. Coaching Support and Administration Officer. Closing date 16th Oct. Safeguarding and Protecting Children Officer. Closing date 16th Oct. Volunteer in Angling - Join the Marine Conservation & Access Group. > Job descriptions and application forms Member Offers Find more membership benefits at www.anglingtrust.net/offers Looking For Ideas For Your Next Fishing Holiday? Check out the Forest Holidays Top Spots Blog and don’t forget to use your member discount code when you book. Just enter code ANGLING10 in the promotional code box to get 10% off your holiday. Meet us at... Carp Society Winter Show Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 November 2015 We'll be at The Carp Society Winter Show at Sandown Park (KT10 9AJ) with angling artist Dusto so come along to our stand and see amazing big carp graffiti pictures being painted while you watch. The show will have all your favourites too including celebrities, book signings, the latest products, loads of bargains, FREE forums and FREE parking. There's a great food hall and everything you need for a brilliant day out. > Follow the event on Facebook and get it in your diary NOW! Social Media - Follow us! Find Us Online Our Blogs: www.anglingtrust.net/blogs Facebook: www.facebook.com/anglingtrust Twitter: www.twitter.com/anglingtrust YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/anglingtrust Try "Fishing Info" our website that allows you to find fishing venues, tackle shops, coaches and clubs near you and save them as your favourites: www.fishinginfo.co.uk Buy a 1 day, 8 day or annual rod licence www.postoffice.co.uk/rod-fishing-licence