What anglers can do

Incident Reporting

Anglers are the eyes and ears of the aquatic environment and are often the first to recognise a problem. If you do happen to come across an incident it should be reported to the Environment Agency without delay by using the free phone 0800 80 70 60 Incidents include:-

• damage or danger to the natural environment
• pollution to water or land
• poaching or illegal fishing
• fish in distress or dead fish
• watercourse blocked by vehicle or fallen tree causing risk of flooding
• illegal dumping of hazardous waste or large amounts of industrial waste
• incidents at waste sites we regulate such as landfill, transfer station etc.
• Illegal abstraction from watercourses
• unusual drop in riverflow
• collapsed or badly damaged river or canal banks

Monitoring

Anglers can get involved with the S&TA river fly monitoring surveys, for further details click here.

Catch & Release

Salmon
The S&TA believes Catch and Release is a highly effective conservation tool that, although now widely practised by anglers, should be further encouraged, particularly on those rivers where salmon stocks have been identified as being at greatest risk.

The Environment Agency’s catch and release guidelines resulted from a close working relationship with the S&TA and can be accessed:-

Catch and Release Guidelines

Sea Trout
Like the salmon, sea trout populations are under threat and consequently Catch and Release has a role to play if we are to preserve stocks for future generations. Have regard to returning large fish as they are multiple spawners and remember they do not make the best eating!