Steve S

October 2026 CLUB & FISHERIES SUPPORT Meet the Angling Trust officers helping clubs and fisheries thrive From club development and funding advice to tackling invasive species and supporting environmental projects, the Angling Trust’s Club & Fishery Support Officers provide practical help to angling organisations across England. Working across four regions, they help volunteer-run clubs navigate everything from governance and recruitment to grants, biosecurity, training and fisheries management. They also provide a vital link with the Environment Agency and other Angling Trust services. In our latest Ask the Expert feature, find out how this dedicated team is helping clubs become stronger, more sustainable and better equipped to meet the challenges facing modern angling. Discover more here PREDATION WATCH: Linch Hill otter fencing project Angling Trust Fishery Management Officer Jake Davoile discusses the importance of effective fence management once an installation is complete. The video highlights how protecting a fishery requires a long-term commitment, with regular monitoring and maintenance playing a vital role in keeping fish stocks safe. Environment Agency funding through rod licence sales is available to help with predation issues, more information can be found here. FUNDRAISING Broadlands Gathering raises over £3,000 Thank you to everyone who took part in our recent Broadlands Gathering auction raising just over £3,000. Our 10 lucky winners are now looking forward to fishing on the Test and we’ll share photos and videos after the event. Another huge thank you to Broadlands Estates for generously donating the day and supporting our work. Coming soon ... win £2,000 Daiwa tackle Our Annual Christmas Raffle will launch on Monday 2nd November with 20 fantastic prizes up for grabs - including £2,000 of Daiwa tackle of your choice, £575 YETI bundle and £458 Westlake bundle from Go Outdoors. Tickets will still cost just £2 – look out for the launch email and social media posts in coming weeks. TRADE PARTNERS Investment will make fishing easier to book swimbooker, the technology behind the Angling Trust’s Event Marketplace, has secured a six-figure investment from Stuart Hennell, co-founder and former CEO of Watchfinder. The investment will fund swimbooker’s first national TV campaign and accelerate development of its online booking platform, which connects more than 140,000 anglers with over 300 fishing venues. Through the Angling Trust’s Event Marketplace, swimbooker provides the booking infrastructure helping clubs, fisheries and qualified coaches promote fishing lessons and sessions, making it easier for people to discover, book and enjoy fishing. Read the full story here. SEA FISHING Irish Sea fish stocks need real recovery The Angling Trust is calling for stronger action to rebuild cod, whiting and herring stocks in the Irish Sea. Responding to new government Fisheries Management Plans, we say the proposals risk managing decline rather than delivering genuine recovery. We want healthy, resilient fish populations, less wasteful discarding, better protection for vulnerable species and proper recognition of the impacts of climate change. Recreational sea anglers and charter skippers also need a stronger voice in how these fisheries are managed. The consultation is open until 21 October 2026. Find out more and have your say. Mackerel far from recovered despite advice New scientific advice could allow more than twice as much mackerel to be caught in 2027, but anglers shouldn’t mistake that for a recovered stock. ICES says the spawning stock is only around 4% above its safety limit and remains well below the level considered healthy. The increase in advice is largely due to a stronger 2024 year class, which is based on a single survey and still needs to be confirmed. Meanwhile, countries fishing the shared North East Atlantic stock have repeatedly set quotas far above scientific advice. The Angling Trust will be pressing governments for sustainable catches and a fair international sharing agreement. We also want anglers’ experiences of this year’s poor mackerel fishing to be heard. Read the full story. SAFETY ADVICE Make sure your next catch isn't deadly... With power lines carrying voltages up to 132,000 volts, our trade partner Northern Powergrid is urging anglers to tackle safety before you set off: Always ‘Look Up It’s Live! to check where overhead power lines are located. Plan fishing activities in advance to be aware of overhead power lines. Carry fishing rods horizontally to reduce the risk of making contact with overhead power lines. Remember: you don’t need to make contact with a power line to be in danger. Electricity can jump to an object or person – so stay well clear! If you are a club or fishery carrying out maintenance work, risk assess every situation, on every occasion. Inform anyone working near power lines of the dangers and the action they should take in an emergency. Always carry a mobile phone and save the free 105 phone number in your contacts. Request a free Look Up It's Live! safety pack Anglers can request a free safety pack which contains a ‘Look Up It’s Live!’ safety advice leaflet, tackle box sticker and air freshener with lifesaving emergency advice on what to do if you come into contact with power lines. Simply fill in the form here and Northern Powergrid will send a pack to you. You can also download a safety leaflet here. Read about the Angling Trust's partnership with Northern Powergrid here. FISHING IN WALES WATCH: Lure fishing on Bala Lake Ceri Thomas, Fishing in Wales' Marketing Manager, visits the largest natural lake in Wales armed with a spinning rod looking to catch a range of predatory fish that are said to live in this vast sheet of water. At only £5 a day it is terrific value! ANGLERS AGAINST POLLUTION Get your Weird Fish supporter T-shirt To celebrate their sponsorship of our Anglers Against Pollution campaign alongside Angling Direct, Weird Fish have launched an exclusive range of T-shirts to raise funds and awareness of the campaign. Four shirts are available online and through Weird Fish retail stores throughout the country, and Weird Fish have confirmed they will donate £5 to the campaign for every T-shirt sold. And the best part … Angling Trust members will receive a 20% discount every time they shop with Weird Fish! Just login to your dashboard to access the special code. COMPETITIONS New team to lead England Disabled squad The Angling Trust has announced a new management partnership for the England Disabled Coarse Angling team, with current manager Paul Etherington joined by highly successful England U20 manager Jason Kirk. England have finished fifth at the last four World Championships, narrowly missing out on medals. Kirk has led the U20 team to two golds and three silvers in recent years and will bring his international experience to the squad, alongside coach Billy Kirk. The team is now preparing for the 2027 World Championships in Italy and is seeking sponsors to help fund its campaign. Read the full story here. MEMBER SAVINGS The Member Benefits section on our website offers you even more great savings! Organised by angling preference, it is easy to navigate and provides a clear picture of how you can save money with our trade partners. Click on the images and links below - and discover how much you can save! MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION More efficient. More friendly. More savings. All members and subscribers should have received communications from us regarding our new membership system. The final touches are underway – please look out for an activation email in your inbox in coming days announcing when it goes live and what action you need to take to access the new dashboard. Not only will it make our system more efficient and user friendly – members will be able to access a host of exciting new discounts from companies such as Berghaus, Sealskinz and Highlander Outdoor as well as High Street brands for your everyday purchases including John Lewis and M&S. FUNDRAISING More chances to win in the Anglers Lottery! Sign up to play the Anglers Lottery by Tuesday, 20th October and you'll be entered into October's monthly draw. You will then also be automatically included in the Fab Friday Draws - an extra 4 weekly draws per month! In addition to the £25,000 total possible monthly draw prize, players have the chance to win 8 prizes every week! 1 x £250, 2 x £100 and 5 x £50. £10 a month = a chance to win big + make a real impact for angling. (T&Cs apply. 18+. Please play responsibly. For support, visit BeGambleAware.org)

POLICY ROUND-UP from HANNAH RUDD Decisions shaping our seas - and how we are making sure anglers are heard Dear fellow sea anglers, Summer may be over, but there's been no let-up behind the scenes. While many of you were out on the water, our team has been deep in the detail - preparing responses to a string of Fisheries Management Plan consultations, working through this year's ICES advice and getting ready for the annual fishing negotiations, where catch limits for the year ahead are decided. These are the moments that shape what's in the water for years to come, and we're making sure anglers are heard in every one of them. Truth about mackerel Nowhere is that clearer than with mackerel. Many of you have told us this has been one of the poorest mackerel seasons in living memory - and the science backs you up. New ICES advice more than doubles the recommended catch for 2027, but don't be fooled by the headline. The stock is only just above its safety limit, still being fished too hard, and catches have exceeded the scientific advice year after year because the countries fishing it still can't agree how to share it. It's David versus Goliath - the angler on the pier with a string of feathers against industrial pelagic fleets taking hundreds of thousands of tonnes a year. That's why we've told governments that the new Fisheries Management Plan for mackerel falls short - for the stock and for sea anglers. It simply carries on as before, with no recovery target and no deadlines, and none of the five pelagic plans recognises recreational fishing at all, despite mackerel being the fish most of us caught first and the bait so much of our sport relies on. We're calling for the UK to limit its own catches, set a clear goal to rebuild the stock, and finally take the bycatch risk to salmon and sea trout seriously. Thank you to everyone who shared their mackerel experiences with us - your reports went straight into our response. Irish Sea needs real recovery It's a similar story in the Irish Sea, where cod and whiting have been declining for around 30 years. We've warned that the new Irish Sea plans must deliver real recovery for cod, whiting and herring - rather than managing decline - with proper recovery targets, an end to wasteful discarding and a seat at the table for anglers. That consultation is open until 21st October, and you can still have your say. Telling governments what the Irish Sea means to you, and how your fishing has changed, really does make a difference. Negotiations on bass On bass, the Bass Management Group returned in September ahead of the UK-EU negotiations. There was welcome common ground between commercial and recreational representatives - keeping the closed season in place for now, and firmly opposing any return of pair trawling. We also heard an excellent new study from the University of Essex on when and where bass spawn, which will help inform how the closed season works in future. Bluefin tuna update And on bluefin tuna, Defra's Bluefin Tuna Steering Group met this week. We continue to call for fairer access for private boats, while backing a thriving charter fleet that has done so much to make this fishery the success it is today. None of this happens by accident. It happens because anglers like you stand behind us - and because we refuse to let recreational sea angling, or the seas we all depend on, be treated as an afterthought. The pressure is relentless, but so are we. Stand with us, and let's keep making sure the future of sea angling is shaped by anglers. Join the Angling Trust today. HANNAH RUDD is the Angling Trust's Head of Marine. You can contact Hannah via email: [email protected] ANGLER ENGAGEMENT from PETER MORGAN Webinars with the Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) Recreational anglers keep asking us what our fisheries officers do or how they report incidents of illegal fishing. Our monthly series of webinars featuring officers from the regional IFCAs started last month. It is an opportunity to learn a bit more on the work they do in your area. If you have a question you would like answered there’s an opportunity to have that conversation on the night. Webinars have already been held with the North Eastern IFCA and Northumberland IFCA which have been well received. Please look out for more information about webinars covering your area in the coming months: Wednesday 28th October 2026 – North Western IFCA Wednesday 25th November 2026 – Sussex IFCA Wednesday 27th January 2027 – Cornwall & Isles of Scilly IFCA Wednesday 24th February 2027 – Devon & Severn IFCA Wednesday 24th March 2027 – Eastern IFCA Follow our Sea Facebook page! From beach litter picks to marine policy updates, Fisheries Management Plans to membership offers, you can keep up-to-date with what's happening in the sea angling world by following our Angling Trust Sea Facebook page. Click here to take a look. Peter Morgan, the Angling Trust's Sea Angling Engagement Officer, is asking clubs and individual anglers to get in touch if you have any questions relating to issues you face or to share news of success you or your clubs have had. Email [email protected] or [email protected] WALES POLICY from GARETH HENSON Representing sea anglers in parliamentary discussions on overfishing Overfishing remains one of the most significant challenges facing UK seas. Recently, I was joined by Campaigns & Policy Coordinator Andrea Dixon in representing the Angling Trust and the interests of recreational sea anglers at a parliamentary reception hosted by the Blue Marine Foundation. The event brought together policymakers, scientists, NGOs and industry representatives to discuss practical, evidence-based approaches to restoring fish populations and improving the health of marine ecosystems. The Angling Trust continues to support measures that promote sustainable fisheries management and marine recovery, while highlighting the important role that recreational anglers play as stewards of the marine environment and advocates for healthy, productive coastal waters. Angling Trust at Cardigan River & Food Festival On Saturday, 15th August, I attended the 26th annual Cardigan River & Food Festival where he met anglers and local residents throughout the day. Taking place alongside the River Teifi at Quay Street Car Park in Cardigan, the festival provided a great opportunity for Angling Trust to engage directly with the sea angling community in Wales. I was on hand to discuss issues affecting recreational sea fishing, hear peoples views on local and national priorities, and answer any questions about our ongoing work. Events such as these are an important way for us to ensure that the voices of Welsh anglers are heard and represented. Gareth Henson is the Angling Trust's Marine Policy Officer for Wales. He promotes the social and economic value of sea angling in Wales, ensuring that the voices of sea anglers are heard in key fisheries management discussions. If you’d like to get in touch with Gareth, you can reach at [email protected] MEMBERSHIP OFFERS 20% off Sea Fishing 3rd edition: The complete guide to angling from your boat or kayak Expert sea angler and Angling Trust Ambassador Jim Whippy explains in simple terms the tackle required and shows you how to get the best out of each item and when it should be used. Packed with useful step-by-step photos, diagrams and clear explanations, this handbook shows you how to set up the tackle, bait the line correctly and work with the tide to best effect. Angling Trust members receive a 20% discount on purchases. Simply login to your members dashboard to access the discount code. Purchase the book here Enjoy discounts on bait, tackle and much more! Angling Trust Individual Members receive fantastic savings on bait, tackle and high street goods - what's more, we have offers specifically for sea anglers! Adult membership costs as little as £33 per year - take a look at how much you can save on the link below: COMPETITIONS PARTNER Get 30% off Tide – and support the Angling Trust Our partnership with Tide Together Competitions is already helping to make a real difference.Tide has helped raise more than £10,000 for Angling Trust National Teams, supporting our anglers as they represent England on the international stage. Now there’s another simple way you can help. Get 30% off your first Tide order Exclusive to Angling Trust members and supporters - use code TRUST30 at the checkout and you’ll receive 30% off your first Tide order. And it doesn’t end there. By taking part in Tide Together Competitions, your future Tide purchases can continue to generate support for the Angling Trust for the next two years. FUNDRAISING More chances to win in the Anglers Lottery! Sign up to play the Anglers Lottery and you'll be entered into the monthly draw with the chance to win up to £25,000. You will also be automatically included in the Fab Friday Draws - an extra 4 weekly draws per month giving players the chance to win 8 prizes every week! 1 x £250, 2 x £100 and 5 x £50. £10 a month = a chance to win big + make a real impact for angling. (T&Cs apply. 18+. Please play responsibly. For support, visit BeGambleAware.org)

Freeola are undertaking some planned maintenance on our webserver. We have been warned the site may go down at times or the whole time between 15:00 on the 9th Oct and 18:00 on the 10th Oct

Standout winner this month 👏

This is a fun photo comp to spread a little interest around, any club member can add a photo. Please add your fish/boat/marine views photo's taken this month here, most likes (and only likes) wins. The winner is announced in this thread on the 5th of the month following. The photo with the most likes will be added to the photo of the month gallery. Only photos placed in this thread for the month will be considered when totting up the likes.

Good bit of detective work Chris. Jabsco do get parts made in China. As you bought it as a Jabsco part that's concerning for us all.

Well done guys on not suffering major damage, getting it going and getting some fishing in to boot. Yep that must be a pattern impeller. Note to self don't take chances with something so vital.

What a sorry tail Charlie, so pleased it's all back working again. A full explanation is really useful intel for other Volvo owners, thank you. Reading some of the comments, all boat engine parts are expensive, Volvo do not hold the monopoly on that. For someone reasonably mechanically minded servicing Volvo engines and legs is straightforward it's all in the standard manual supplied with the boat, no workshop manual required, and it saves a load of dosh. This is what I do but I also get one of the Volvo engineers to give the engines and legs a once over as they have second pair of more experienced eyes. Fortunately Ropewalk don't mine me doing the servicing myself and fixing what I can and leaving them with anything I'm not confident about doing. This is not a plug for Ropewalk just saying cultivating a good relationship with a good servicing company you trust can be highly beneficial.

We have had further bot attacks on our website causing some pages to show as unavailable for a time then be ok later. Mark and Oli are moving where our domain name is registered and front ending our site with Cloudflare, this should filter out the bot traffic and allow the site to behave normally. 🤞

This months winner, Charlie with out smiled by a shark

This is a fun photo comp to spread a little interest around, any club member can add a photo. Please add your fish/boat/marine views photo's taken this month here, most likes (and only likes) wins. The winner is announced in this thread on the 5th of the month following. The photo with the most likes will be added to the photo of the month gallery. Only photos placed in this thread for the month will be considered when totting up the likes.

August 2026 POLICY ROUND-UP from HANNAH RUDD Anglers at the heart of new marine research projects Dear fellow sea anglers, This summer our seas have been running hot - and not only in temperature. From a record marine heatwave to fresh evidence of stocks under strain, the pressures on our waters are mounting. But so is our resolve. This month has been about understanding what's changing beneath the surface and fighting for the fish - and the anglers and skippers - who depend on it. We're thrilled to launch two newly funded research projects, running over the next three years, that put anglers at the heart of the science. Working alongside you, we'll be deepening what we know about some of our most fascinating and vulnerable species - tope, undulate ray, blue shark and porbeagle. Anglers encounter these fish up close, in numbers and places the science often misses, which makes you an irreplaceable part of this work. Our sincere thanks go to Natural England and our partners for backing them. If you'd like to get involved, we'd love to hear from you - email us at [email protected]. Fisheries Management Plans There's plenty of policy graft going on behind the scenes, too. A further six Fisheries Management Plans are now out for consultation, and our team is deep in the detail of each one - making sure they work for anglers and for the species we care about. We also launched our new Seafarers report, shining a light on the hidden workforce behind the UK's charter boat fleet - the skippers and crew whose expertise underpins so much of our sea angling, and whose contribution is too often overlooked in national conversations about fishing. High Seas Treaty This year's ICES advice tells a familiar and sobering story - too many of our favourite fish are in decline. We'll continue to fight back against overfishing in the run-up to the annual negotiations, pressing for catch limits that follow the science rather than short-term pressure. But there was welcome news on the global stage: the UK has ratified the landmark High Seas Treaty - a genuine step forward for protecting marine life beyond national borders, and proof that international action on our oceans is possible when the will is there. Bluefin Tuna On bluefin tuna, the Catch-and-Release Recreational Fishery is open once more for the 2026 season. It remains one of the most exciting developments in English sea angling in a generation, and we're proud of the part charter skippers and anglers have played in shaping it into a responsible, world-class fishery. Heatwave Effect And on that heatwave - we've pulled together what it means for sea anglers, from shifting species distributions to the knock-on effects for the fish you're targeting. Our seas are changing fast, and understanding that change is the first step to responding to it. None of this happens by accident. It happens because anglers like you stand behind us - and because we refuse to let recreational sea angling, or the seas we all depend on, be treated as an afterthought. The pressure is relentless, but so are we. Stand with us, and let’s keep making sure the future of sea angling is shaped by anglers. Join the Angling Trust today. HANNAH RUDD is the Angling Trust's Head of Marine. You can contact Hannah via email: [email protected] ANGLER ENGAGEMENT from PETER MORGAN Webinar with North Eastern IFCA - Wed. 26 August The rearranged webinar is being held with North Eastern IFCA on Wednesday, 26 August. This is a chance for sea anglers to listen to updates from the IFCA officers in their region. The event will allow you to ask questions about the work they do and find out more about what the work does for recreational anglers. Click here to register for the webinar We will be publishing further events for other areas of the country very soon. Regional Volunteer Group The Angling Trust Regional Volunteer Group continues to meet regularly to discuss what matters to anglers in their regions. The group are committed anglers from different disciplines whether that be boat, shore, match or specimen hunting. This is a vital conduit for us to understand what matters to regional anglers and help us share the information that affects you in your day to day angling. We are due to meet again in September. If you are interested in the work that goes on or have a question about this then please drop us a line at [email protected]. Sea Angling Diary We continue to promote the Sea Angling Diary for anglers in England and Wales. The programme aims to help anglers record their fishing activities and contribute to sustainable marine stock management. Work continues to improve and understand the state of fish stocks and help with management of the fisheries, giving anglers a voice in this space. More details can be found on the diary website and on the leaflet below. You can also download a copy of the leaflet to share with others. Follow our Sea Facebook page! From beach litter picks to marine policy updates, Fisheries Management Plans to membership offers, you can keep up-to-date with what's happening in the sea angling world by following our Angling Trust Sea Facebook page. Click here to take a look. Peter Morgan, the Angling Trust's Sea Angling Engagement Officer, is asking clubs and individual anglers to get in touch if you have any questions relating to issues you face or to share news of success you or your clubs have had. Email [email protected] or [email protected] WALES POLICY from GARETH HENSON Angling Trust at Cardigan Festival The Angling Trust will be at the Cardigan River and Food Festival on Saturday, 15 August where we will be promoting our work in Wales, the Sea Angling Diary and best practice guidance for handling bass. Meanwhile, the Catch-and-Release Recreational bluefin tuna fishery has now opened in Wales. This is currently restricted to charter vessels. Gareth Henson is the Angling Trust's Marine Policy Officer for Wales. He promotes the social and economic value of sea angling in Wales, ensuring that the voices of sea anglers are heard in key fisheries management discussions. If you’d like to get in touch with Gareth, you can reach at [email protected] MEMBERSHIP OFFERS 20% off Sea Fishing 3rd edition: The complete guide to angling from your boat or kayak Expert sea angler and Angling Trust Ambassador Jim Whippy explains in simple terms the tackle required and shows you how to get the best out of each item and when it should be used. Packed with useful step-by-step photos, diagrams and clear explanations, this handbook shows you how to set up the tackle, bait the line correctly and work with the tide to best effect. Angling Trust members receive a 20% discount on purchases. Simply login to your members dashboard to access the discount code. Purchase the book here Enjoy discounts on bait, tackle and much more! Angling Trust Individual Members receive fantastic savings on bait, tackle and high street goods - what's more, we have offers specifically for sea anglers! Adult membership costs as little as £33 per year - take a look at how much you can save on the link below: FUNDRAISING G More chances to win in the Anglers Lottery! Sign up to play the Anglers Lottery and you'll be entered into the monthly draw with the chance to win up to £25,000. You will also be automatically included in the Fab Friday Draws - an extra 4 weekly draws per month giving players the chance to win 8 prizes every week! 1 x £250, 2 x £100 and 5 x £50. £10 a month = a chance to win big + make a real impact for angling. (T&Cs apply. 18+. Please play responsibly. For support, visit BeGambleAware.org)

Sorry Jim, it needs to be on this thread

There were no entries in the July POM! Why?

It's a tricky thing to do, I think your report gives everyone fair warning. Boats and ropes move in ways you might not expect. Personally I use a bridle attached to Tigerfish's front AND rear cleats to spread the load if the boat with the problem is a fair size. I have no wish to rip out a cleat. A massive samson post midships could be ok.

Good advice from Charlie as usual. I would add, generally the more often you go out the less of a problem it becomes

Sorry to hear that Charlie. Boats...

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