River levels on a slow fall in most areas but more rain forecast this evening and in the outlook.  May be a while before serious action is restored.  Very upper river not bad but no fish up there yet for sure.

Latest.  Some heavy rain this pm will probably provoke a rise and melting of still present snow.

Member News Thursday, 8th March, 2018

Trust seeks regulation on 'rehabilitated' otters as Parliament dismisses 'non-lethal control' petition The Angling Trust is continuing to press Natural England to end the unregulated release of 'rehabilitated' otters back into the wild following injuries from cars or fighting other otters. There are concerns that these creatures might be less wary of humans and there is no consultation with clubs or fisheries about release sites. The Government recently dismissed the Barbel Society petition calling for 'non-lethal' control of otters.  Read more EA announces proposed new byelaws to protect salmon The Environment Agency has announced a formal consultation about byelaws which include stopping salmon being taken from the majority of England’s net fisheries by 2019 and 100% mandatory catch and release by anglers on “At Risk” rivers. The Angling Trust is campaigning for a voluntary approach to increasing catch and release and for action to address the real reasons for declines in stocks in most of the country: pollution, predation, barriers to migration, fish farming, marine survival and over-abstraction. View the proposed byelaws Caterers urged to drop sea bass from the menu The Angling Trust has written to the British Hospitality Association calling on it to make sure its members aren’t supporting illegal fishing by selling or serving protected spawning sea bass in February and March. A ban was introduced by the EU on February 1st this year to protect wild bass when they spawn and are particularly vulnerable to fishing. The spawning stock of bass in Northern European waters has declined by two-thirds since 2010. Read the full story Spring Into Fishing - and win fishing kit worth £350! To help more people get into or try out coarse angling we've partnered up with Fishingmegastore.com to offer prizes of £200, £100 or £50 of vouchers to redeem at fishingmegastore.com, justfish.co.uk or chapmansangling.co.uk on tackle and outdoor gear. Anyone who goes to a Spring Into Fishing session this March will be entered into the FREE prize draw - find out more. Rod licence commemorates angling legend Dick Walker The Angling Trust has welcomed the decision to commemorate the life of the former carp record holder and writer Dick Walker in the centenary year of his birth. An image of Clarissa, the 44lb carp Dick caught at Redmire Pool in 1952, features on the new 'three rod' licence for 2018. Read more Round-up from our blogs New by-laws will benefit South West's sea anglers In our latest Tide Lines blog, Malcolm Gilbert welcomes in two very important new by-laws that should have huge benefits for angling in the south west. Read more Aims of the licence fee The Environment Agency has just published its annual report - so where is rod licence money spent? Read our Lines On The Water blog Is it the right time to abolish 140-year-old close season? With the river close season looming, our Head of Campaigns Martin Salter gives his personal views on whether the 140-year-old law is still fit for purpose and reveals details about the Environment Agency review looking at the evidence on this issue. The AT has maintained a neutral stance, given the strength of feeling on the various sides of the argument! Read Martin's Fighting For Fishing blog Casting a vote for women anglers One hundred years after women were granted the right to vote, pike angler Karen Sarkar writes about her passion for fishing and gives her views on what needs to be done to encourage more women into the sport. "We need serious, female orientated articles in the angling press," she says, "but please remember we don't go fishing in a bikini or need to wear pink!" Read her blog See you at the Big One! Going to The Big One (March 24th & 25th) at Farnborough? Don't forget to pop along to the Angling Trust stand and say hello! We've got special show offers and Martin Salter, our Head of Campaigns, will be sharing the stage with Keith Arthur on Saturday afternoon talking about catching big fish on three continents. Your chance to join the VBS in East of England Anglers in the East of England are being invited to join the Angling Trust’s Voluntary Bailiff Service. Run in partnership with the Environment Agency, volunteers support the police and Agency in helping to tackle fisheries crime and protect fish. Anyone interested should email karen.sarkar@anglingtrust.net Our voluntary bailiffs will be taking part in Operation Clampdown 6, the annual blitz on illegal fishing during the river close season. Look out for more information on the Angling Trust Facebook page WATCH: Tackling floating pennywort on Foudry Brook Floating pennywort eradication work has begun on the Foudry Brook, a tributary of the River Kennet near Reading. The project received Enforcement Undertaking funding from Thames Water and is being delivered by Reading and District Angling Association with support from the Angling Trust and ARK - Action for the River Kennet. Invasive Species Week - March 23rd-29th Invasive Species Week raises awareness of the devastating effect non-native species such as the killer shrimp (pictured) can have on our riverine and still water ecosystems. Aquatic non-native species can out-compete and displace native wildlife, spread disease and block waterways. Anglers can help by always remembering to Check, Clean, Dry after every fishing trip. Find out more Hunt Saboteurs target Cormorant campaign Hunt saboteurs have launched a misguided attempt to disrupt the Angling Trust’s Cormorant Watch website by encouraging its supporters to record bogus sightings of cormorants, goosanders and mergansers. In a Facebook comment, one supporter called for anglers to be shot. Read more Abstraction fears on Test and Itchen spark petition A petition to stop Southern Water bypassing current licensing procedure and using a short cut to increase abstraction on the rivers Test, Itchen and Candover is seeking support from anglers. It is feared that further abstraction would ruin the precious chalk streams and threaten fish and other wildlife. Read more News from Fish Legal Salmon farming in Scotland 'not fit for purpose' Fish Legal has described the current regulations for aquaculture in Scotland as ‘not fit for purpose’ in submitted evidence to the first stage of the Scottish Parliament's inquiry into the salmon farming industry. It also raises concerns over treatment of sea lice, the impact on wild salmon and sea trout, and the lack of suitable powers to stop salmon farming where lice levels are out of control. Read more Big discounts for Angling Trust members! Your Angling Trust membership entitles you to big savings on products and services from trade partners - and we've managed to secure some fantastic new offers for you! There are huge savings on kitchen appliances, big discounts on dozens of top clothing brands, offers on fishing tackle ... and more. Don't forget, your membership also gives you 10% off day and season tickets at nearly 100 fishing venues, free £10m public liability insurance and entry to Angling Trust only fishing matches. Find out more about Angling Trust membership benefits Want to work for the Trust? Looking for a creative career in journalism and content creation? Would you like to work in the world of Angling? The Angling Trust may have just the role for you. We have a vacancy for a part-time Digital Content Creator to work with our Freshwater team. Find out more Competition News Book tickets now for £50,000 Fish'O'Mania There is now no restrictions on the number of tickets that can be booked for this year's Fish 'O' Mania qualifiers. Please remember to check the Online Booking website for availability at each qualifier.  Book tickets Find out more Maver Northwest clinch Winter League crown Maver Northwest stormed to victory in the 10-man, split venue Angling Trust Winter League Final, showing what a class act they are on both natural and commercial venues. Read more Sea squads announced The International Sea Angling squads for 2018 have been announced by the Angling Trust's National Teams and Competitions Group. See who's been selected AGM date for Wessex Marine Region Angling Trust's Wessex Marine Region is holding its Annual General Meeting at the Elm Tree pub in Ringwood, Hampshire, on Friday, March 30th. It has also announced this year's Boat Championship will be fished out of Poole, Dorset, on Saturday, June 30th with £200 first prize, further cash prizes and prize table. More details of this and the AGM can be found here. Not yet a member? Please join the Trust today The Angling Trust represents anglers and protects fishing. The more anglers who join, the louder our voice becomes. By becoming a member, you help fund our work to promote angling and its future, to fight for better fish stocks in both the marine and freshwater environment and to campaign against threats to angling. Membership of the Angling Trust runs for a year from the date of joining - and you'll also receive great membership benefits including £10m public liability insurance, discounts on products and services, and at least 10% off day and season tickets at almost 100 fisheries. Please support our work ... join or renew today!