FISHING GUIDE 1997/98 A Guide to day ticket fisheries in the Midlands A GUIDE WELCOME FOR ANGLERS "I am privileged to have the opportunity of introducing the latest edition of this ever popular Fishing Guide published by the M idlands Region o f the Environment Agency. I believe this Guide, together with other lines of communication such as the ‘Fisheries News’ magazine which is freely available, offers reassurance to anglers and other river users that the Agency’s commitment to safeguarding and improving the water environment is as strong as ever. I can assure you that there is a real awareness within the Agency of the vital environmental role anglers play which can be enhanced still further by anglers continuing to both support the work of Fisheries staff and to provide information on the health of our rivers. Real benefits have resulted from this partnership to date including improvements to fish habitat, river water quality and river flows. This partnership is one which the Agency wishes to encourage and considers must continue if together we are to secure the long term well-being of our fisheries for both present and future generations. I ask all recipients of this guide to help the Agency respond to the environmental challenges which lie ahead by keeping us informed about any potential problems identified.” Best wishes and tight lines. Chairman, . , Regional Fisheries Advisory Committee Designed and Produced by Whitehouse Mainwaring Limited. .. f •Pruned-by-0ains fcxk 1 INTRODUCTION A GUIDE FOR ANGLERS The Midlands Region of the Environment Agency stretches from the Humber estuary in the north to the Severn estuary in the south and from the Welsh borders to the East Midlands. For Fisheries purposes, the area covered and officers responsible remain the same as those encompassed by the former NRA Severn and Trent catchment boundaries (see map overleaf). With over 7000 km of river, almost 1000 km of canal and an increasing number of stillwaters, the Region contains an extremely varied and important fisheries resource. En v ir o n m e n t Ag e n c y All the major rivers and canals support valuable coarse fisheries along much of their length. The Midlands Region contains some of the largest and most important rivers in the country Rivers such as the Trent, Avon and Severn have all hosted national and international angling championships. Other rivers such as the Teme, Dove and Derwent are prized for individual catches of barbel, chub, salmon and trout. Many smaller rivers provide good sport for both the serious and occasional angler and all play a part in contributing the quality of life o f many people. I Environment Agency I information Centre ENVIRONMENT AGENCY 1 2 7 0 4 8 □\-----------— ------------------ — --------- A GUIDE INTRODUCTION FOR ANGLERS The importance of the region’s fisheries is reflected in the high num­ ber of anglers in the Midlands. Over a quarter of the total national rod licence sales are to anglers living in the Midlands Region. CONTENTS A GUIDE FOR ANGLERS Welcome - Greg Ayres 1 Introduction 2 Fisheries and the Environment Agency 5 The day ticket information Angler's Code 9 contained in this guide has Fishing Licences 10 been divided into five General Information 11 . sections:- Day Ticket Information: Coarse Fishing Rivers 12 Coarser rfishing w ,<w ; Rivers» • Location Plan: Coarse fishing Stillwaters Atcham Day & Contest Fishery 35 h Day Ticket Information: Game fishing ’ - Rivers Coarse Fishing Stillwater 36 Game fishing - Stillwaters Game Fishing Rivers 72 Canal fishing Game Fishing Stillwater 78 Canal Fishing 86 Simply refer to the type Environment Agency Free Fisheries 93 of fishery required and find Location Plans: rivers and stillwaters' fisted Bawtry 94 alphabetically. There is also Ironbridge 95 a nearest to\yn reference, Llanidloes 96 for each en&y to. Tielp Market Drayton 97 route planning* arid most Melverley 98 importantly, a contact Newtown 99 address or phone number Penarth 100 which should be used Ripple 101 Rugby 102 before making your fishing Thurmaston 103 trip to avoid any Upton-Upon-Severn 104 disappointment. Riverline Telephone Numbers 105 Midlands Region Addresses 106 If you have any information which would assist in the updating of this guide please contact The Fisheries Department, Environment Agency, Sapphire East, 550 Streetsbrook Road, Solihull. B91 1QT. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information given in the guide is correct, the Environment Agency cannot accept liability for any errors or omissions. Fishing rights change hands and therefore anglers are urged to make preliminary enquiries before travelling to a selected venue. r c FISHERIES & THE AGENCY A G U ID E f o r anglersjm h m m m m m m h m i WH Y DO YOU Every angler must have an Environment Agency rod licence before NEED A LICENCE? he or she starts fishing (see page 10). Not only is fishing without a licence a criminal offence, carrying a maximum fine of £2500, it also deprives the Agency of the funds it needs to carry out vital work. The Fisheries section of the Agency is becoming increasingly reliant on income from licence sales as Government funding is reduced (see Fig 1). Anglers who do not buy a licence are spoiling the sport for others and threaten the long-term health o f our fisheries. WHAT DOES THE Under the Environment Act 1995 (and formerly the Salmon and EA DO FOR Freshwater Fisheries Act, 1975) the Environment Agency has FISHERIES? a statutory duty to maintain, improve and develop fisheries. We do this for the benefit of anglers, commercial netsmen and the general public. WHAT DOES • We can use various legal powers to protect fish and fisheries THIS MEAN? from over-exploitation and other damaging activities • We can develop a programme to improve those fisheries which have previously been damaged through development or neglect • We can increase the availability of fishing opportunities, both for recreational and commercial fishing THE ENVIRONMENT AGENCY WILL ACHIEVE THESE AIMS THROUGH; ENFORCEMENT Our team of highly skilled Fishery Inspectors and Water Bailiffs patrol the region’s fisheries, making sure that anglers and commercial netsmen have valid licences and are abiding by the necessary byelaws. In 1995/6 Agency staff, challenged 40,850 anglers in this region and this resulted in over 1000 licence and byelaw prosecutions. Make sure you get a licence before you go fishing. In addition, specially trained staff protect Salmon against poachers. Nowadays, poachers are often formed into highly organised criminal gangs. FISHERIES & THE AGENCY _ mnc ___________________ A GUIDE MMMMMMMMMMMMML f o r a n g l e r s Under the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act, 1975 we ensure REGULATION that fishing and fisheries continue to exist together on sustainable basis. It is an offence to stock fish into any water without permission and laws are aimed at preventing the spread of diseases and exotic fish species. Anyone wishing to introduce fish into any watercourse or stillwater should contact their local Environment Agency office. £21.1 million Fig 1. Total Regional Expenditure 9 6 /9 7 To protect and improve fisheries, we must first assess the general MONITORING nature and health of the fish stocks. Agency scientists carried out surveys at 426 sites across the region in 1995/6 using electric fishing, netting and echo-sounding techniques. We are dedicated to improving the water quality of rivers and canals. WATER QUALITY A vital part of the work of the Fisheries department is to make IMPROVEMENTS sure that the needs of fish and fish stocks are catered for in water quality improvement programmes. In addition, Fisheries staff are investigating new methods of combating the effects of acid rain on upland tributaries. FISHERIES & THE AGENCY A G UIDE FOR ANGLERS PHYSICAL HABITAT The physical nature o f a river is as important to fish as the IMPROVEMENTS quality of the water. Many rivers have been canalised in the past to speed land drainage and help navigation. Fisheries staff are trying to restore as many rivers as possible to a more natural state. This is done by constructing meanders, riffles, groynes and fish passes to improve the opportunities for fish spawning and survival. B . Licence Enforcement, Byelaw Checks U Anti Poaching (£501 k )| Regulation (£5Jk) Fish Population Surveys (£645k) ■ Physical f t Chemical Habitat Improvements (£87k) | Rearing fc Stocking (£267k) | Mortality Investigatlon/Flsh Rescue (£140k) ■ ■ ■ H Planning (£101k) J Research ft Development (£217k) Development Control (£36k) P rom otion fr Advice (£53k) n 100 200 300 400 500 6 0 0 7 0 0 (Expenditure £000 s) Fig 2. Fisheries Expenditure - Environment Agency Midlands Region REARING Our coarse fish farm, located at Calverton, Nottinghamshire is the AND STOCKING only one of its kind in Europe and produces 300,000 high quality dace, chub, barbel and roach each year. These are needed to replace fish lost through pollution and to give improving river fisheries a “kick-start”. This region also rears 100,000 salmon fry each year which are stocked into the River Severn and its tributaries. Unfortunately, whether it be accidental, deliberate or due to natural FISH MORTALITIES causes, pollution does occur and does kill a large number o f fish each year. We try to attend every reported pollution incident, to establish the cause of the problem, to take action and decide whether FISHERIES & THE AGENCY ______________________________________ ___ A G U ID E nMMMMnHnMMMMMLFOR a n g l e r s to prosecute. Where possible, fish are moved to other waters for safety and returned when the water quality has been restored. In 1995/6, there were 234 such incidents, accounting for 105,000 fish deaths.