An interactive guide to fisheries is being launched online by the Environment Agency and British Waterways in the lead up to National Fishing Week (August 19-28), in a bid to reel in more anglers.
Comprising around 4,000 angling sites on rivers, canals, lakes and ponds across England, the guide on http://www.waterscape.com/fishing is the first to provide anglers with a wealth of information on nearby fisheries by simply typing in a postcode or nearby town.
Dafydd Evans, Head of Fisheries at the Environment Agency said: “Our research shows that a lack of information on local fisheries has been a real barrier to people actively taking up angling.
“Often people may have a fishery within five or ten minutes of their home and not even know it. We have made a huge effort this year to provide this information and this collaboration with British Waterways is a real step forward. If this pilot project is as popular as we expect it to be, then it should become the most comprehensive online fisheries guide available to anglers. Last year online rod licence sales soared by 75%, which is an good indication of how the angling community is increasingly using the Internet to tap into the sport. All regions of England are covered except the South West which, like Wales, is already covered by existing interactive angling guides.â€
All parts of England and Wales can be accessed online www.environment-agency.gov.uk/fish
The information available, collected by the Environment Agency, includes:
· Fishery location, including a map,
· The type of water: river, still water or canal,
· Type of fishery: coarse or game,
· The main fish species present,
· Where to get a permit to fish,
· Details of other facilities such as parking and tuition.
“Although 1.3 million people bought fishing licences last year, there are millions of others that have tried angling in the past. The Environment Agency wants to encourage these people and any potential newcomers to delve into the sport on a regular basis by providing an easy to use guide on fisheries in their local area,†Dr Evans said.
The launch of the online fisheries guide coincides with the build-up to National Fishing Week (August 19-28), where the Environment Agency is casting a line of angling events across England and Wales, encouraging novice anglers to try the nation’s most popular outdoor sport.
Across hundreds of sites, top coaches have been recruited to provide free angling tuition and advice, in a bid to lure new people into the sport.
“There are millions of people out there who would like to go fishing but either have no one to go with, don’t know where to go or have no tackle to use,†said Richard Wightman, Environment Agency Angling Development Manager.
“National Fishing Week addresses all those barriers and gives people a chance to try out fishing and meet people who will help them take up the sport and stick with it.
“Interest in angling is on a real high at the moment and with the obvious social and economic benefits of the sport, the Environment Agency want to help the angling community seize on this growth.
“Over the last two years, more than one hundred thousand people have tried out angling at National Fishing Week and the various other events that the Environment Agency supports. As the flagship program for recruiting new anglers, we want to see that number continue to rise. So not only are we sponsoring and promoting National Fishing Week, but we’re waiving the need for a rod licence for anyone attending an official event.
“The Environment Agency is incredibly grateful for the support and enthusiasm of all the angling coaches and fishery owners who put so much effort in making them work. Thanks also to Dreamstore, Sports-match and Royal Bank of Scotland who have all made important contributions. The fishing tackle trade is also more engaged this year and that’s good news for the future.â€
Details of fishing events in your area can be found at http://www.nationalfishingweek.co.uk.
