Steve S

Alun Jones

So for anyone thinking of taking their boat over for the first time, we have boats going on the first and second set of dates so loads of choice, and frankly most likely the 3rd will be used being as weather is the final arbiter. Flexibility is the watchword. If you are interested go to the next club meeting and make yourself known you are interested, loads of expertise there. It's a great trip.

Oh dear, our finest in action

Angling Trust submits response to Devon & Severn IFCA over proposed netting of Salcombe Estuary The Angling Trust has worked extensively over the last two months to provide a vigorous and collaborative rebuttal to the proposals put forward for a net fishery within Salcombe Estuary in South Devon. We would like to thank the National Mullet Club, Bass Anglers Sportfishing Society, our Wyvern Region and the Angling Trades Association for their support. The Angling Trust has also engaged with other recreational water users, the Duchy of Cornwall, the local harbour authority, Natural England, Devonshire Wildlife Trust and many more stakeholders to lead one of the highest engaged consultations we have witnessed. Salcombe netting: next steps The vote by the bylaws and permits sub-committee of the Devon and Severn IFCA on whether to approve the proposals to net Salcombe Estuary will be held from midday on the 22nd February at Exeter Racecourse. Whilst the public are allowed to attend these meetings to observe, there is limited capacity. Please click the link below to read our full announcement in this regard, including details on raising questions for this meeting. WORKSHOP Pollack FISP Workshop – 14 Feb. Register now Pollack FISP focuses on improving knowledge of the pollack stock off the south west of England, in collaboration with interested stakeholders. The project is a Fisheries Industry Science Partnership funded by Defra. During the morning session, you will hear updates about the project’s progress on pollack tagging and fisheries data collection. In the afternoon session, participants will get the chance to share their views on pollack through an interactive workshop. The information we receive from participants will be fed back to Defra. Throughout the day there will be opportunities to ask questions about the project and speak with the team. Spaces are limited for this workshop. Please register your interest to attend no later than Friday, 26 January. Lunch will be provided. You can register here. If you are unable to attend in-person, but would like to learn more about the project, presentations from the project team will take place from 10am-12am and can be attended virtually. Please register for online attendance here. The afternoon discussion sessions cannot be attended virtually and will not be recorded. However, if you are interested in providing your views about pollack populations and management yet are unable to attend the workshop, please contact Simon Thomas at simon.f.thomas@york.ac.uk. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Hannah Rudd at hannah.rudd@anglingtrust.net. Find out more Pollack FISP is led by the University of Plymouth, in partnership with the Angling Trust, the Professional Boatman’s Association and the University of York. The project team includes Dr Emma Sheehan and Dr Thomas Stamp from the University of Plymouth, Hannah Rudd from the Angling Trust, Dave Uren from Mirage Charters, and Dr Bryce Stewart and Dr Simon Thomas from the University of York. More information about the Pollack FISP is available on the University of Plymouth and Angling Trust websites. More information about the receiver network can be found on the FISH INTEL webpage. You can watch Dr Simon Thomas and Dr Thomas Stamp present their early results in the Angling Trust’s Virtual Forum. Pollack FISP data has not contributed to the latest ICES assessment on pollack that led to the commercial bycatch-only fishery in 2024. PLYMOUTH ACCESS Sutton Harbour: Clarification on access to fish The LRF community, via ‘The Big LERF’, brought to our attention a number of occasions where individuals have been asked to ‘move on’ when fishing Sutton Harbour in Plymouth. Preliminary advice has been shared back with this community who we will work with to develop codes of conduct to assist with maintaining access. As it stands, the harbour can set its own terms, which strictly speaking do prohibit fishing. It is not typically enforced to the strictest degree, with anglers sometimes just asked to move to a different part of the harbour where they are less likely to come into conflict with other water users. We continue to engage with the harbour master and the South West Ports Association to deal with a growing issue of restricted access to ports, harbours and marinas for the LRF community and other anglers. We will publish a full story on this in due course once clearer guidance is reached from the harbour authorities. CATCH UP Angling Trust visit Northumberland IFCA The Angling Trust’s Policy & Advocacy Manager, Hannah Rudd, and North East Regional Enforcement Support Manager, Kevin Woodcock, were in Blyth this month with Angling Trust volunteers Dave and Carol Sanderson to meet some of the team at Northumberland IFCA and chat all things sea fishing. It was great to hear about their work with local sea anglers and more on how sea angling brings communities together in Northumberland. Together, we’re looking forward to working more closely to promote and develop recreational sea angling in Northumberland. CATCHWISE Volunteer reveals 'fishing is a great tonic for many' Catchwise is the biggest sea angling survey in over a decade and aims to collect important insights into recreational sea fishing – both along the shore and at sea. Its aim is to record data across a 12-month period to understand who takes part in angling, how often they do it, what sorts of fishing they do, what they catch and how valuable sea angling is to local communities. Jonathan Burroughs is a Catchwise Volunteer in East Anglia. This is what he has said about his experience so far. "I was motivated to sign up to do this work because I think climate change is affecting the marine environment around our coastline and we need to better understand these effects. "As I've got stuck into interviewing fishermen (no women found as yet) I guess what's surprised me most is how many people are pursuing angling for their mental health, almost regardless of what they catch. Whether it's loneliness, old age, serious illness or just a need to get out into the open air and natural environment away from life's troubles, it seems to be providing a great tonic for a great number." Catchwise is still recruiting volunteers to help with this important project. If you want to be involved, please click the link below: FISHING IN WALES Blog: Winter beach fishing in Wales Many anglers associate beach fishing with the warmer months of the year, which is hardly surprising as there is no finer way of spending a hot summer day standing waist deep amidst a lively surf. However, the fishing you can experience during the cold months of the year on many Welsh beaches can be very good, too. In this Fishing In Wales blog, Dave Lewis offers tackle and bait advice to get the most out of beach fishing in winter. GET FISHING Blog: How sea angling is supporting healthier lives Amelia Henderson at Bedlington Station Sea Angling Club has been organising a women’s boat fishing group and supporting local military veterans and their families with angling activities. It's an incredible example of how one person can be the catalyst for so many people to benefit from life-improving experiences simply by spending time fishing. In an inspiring Get Fishing blog, Amelia tells how the Together Fund, administered by the Angling Trust and Sport England, was a great opportunity to support more participation, and share the social, economic and health benefits of sea angling. SPECIES HUNT Little change in leader boards for December December’s submissions have been steadier this month with just over 60 species submitted, resulting in little change at the top of the leader boards. Elite League: The top five anglers' scores remain unchanged. Senior League: Ben Price and Luke Woodford still retain 1st and 2nd place. Plymouth angler Alan Mundy's two submissions this month have seen him creep from 4th to 3rd place, pushing Stuart Jones into 4th place. Darren Pearson remains in 5th place. Junior League: The top five anglers' scores at the top remain static apart from Mark Banham who has risen from 4th to 3rd place with his two species submitted this month. Congratulations to Simon Lancastle for winning the December Specimen Award with his 63cms Thornback Ray. COMPETITIONS Angling Trust takes over Penn Sea League The Angling Trust Competitions team has agreed a deal to take over the running of one of sea fishing’s most prestigious events – the Penn Sea League. Established in 1999 by Sea Angler magazine, the competition is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024 and remains the ‘must-win’ competition for thousands of shore-based match anglers. Points are awarded based on the number of anglers fishing an open match registered for the Penn Sea League and go to the top three, five, or 10 anglers, zone winners and heaviest fish in registered open events held throughout the UK. League scoring runs from January to December each year and the top 45 best point scorers from the season are invited to go head-to-head in a one-off grand final match hosted the following season. FUNDRAISERS Win a day's shark fishing with John Locker in our Great Fishing Prize Draw 2024 How do you fancy the chance to spend a day fishing for shark with John Locker, the star of Youtube sensation ‘The Fish Locker’. Enter our Great Fishing Prize Draw and you could be one of three lucky winners to go on a shark fishing expedition with John aboard Anglo Dawn. Sailing out of Falmouth, you will be able to tap into John’s extensive knowledge and experience of these awesome fish and to spend the day with one of the most engaging characters in our sport. The Great Fishing Prize Draw also offers the chance to fish with some of the biggest names in coarse and game fishing - click the button below for more details. MEMBER OFFERS Get 20% off The Song of the Solitary Bass Angler Angling Trust members can get 20% off all Merlin Unwin fishing and countryside books - including this fabulous read by James Batty, The Song of the Solitary Bass Angler. Batty seldom ventures further than 20 miles from his Cornish home, fishing from the rocks and beaches in a handful of places. Generous with his knowledge and full of fresh ideas, Batty catches bass with lures, flies and bait. It’s a myth, he says, that you need expensive gear – he beaches plenty of big bass yet is a tackle skinflint. Click here for more details

Lovely midday in the sun - Photo by Alun

I use insulated work gloves like from Screwfix / Toolstation they are cheap, durable and work well enough for me, I also use them in the garden. Wearing them while baiting up tends to make them stink so washing required after each trip if using bait. They are so cheap you could try cutting off the fingers you want bare to see if they are still ok, in fact I think I'll try that!

I was out today, lots of bass to be caught on lures in spite of the cold (7 Deg) temperatures. They bite pretty slow and tend to hold on.

Well it's time to think about going to fish round Alderney again. Last year 2 trips were planned and cancelled before Tigerfish made it over in June but when we got there it turned out to be the best trip in recent years with lots of keeper turbot and plenty of pollock, a couple of cod and a surprise and club record coalfish from the wrecks. As ever we need to take the tides into consideration to decide when we want to go and the weather to decide if we can go. For those unfamiliar fishing the banks and tides round Alderney, we need neaps as otherwise the tide is too fast over the banks to fish them very well, also IMO the very very small tides don't result in a lot of fish but I'd probably still go. Fishing in June can be fine but arranging the accommodation is more expensive with less flexibility regarding cancelling. Before anyone asks basing yourself in Guernsey would be great except the accommodation is expensive and they don't generally accept cancellations, diesel fuel (Boatworks) is much cheaper though. FIRST SET of neaps tide are from the Tue 30th April to Sat 4th May, beyond those dates they are getting a bit strong, the Sat would be a wrecking day heading back SECOND SET are a longer set of neaps starting Tue 14th May till Mon 20th May a longer window THIRD SET are Wed 29th May till Sun 2 Jun Now in a classic bit of bad planning I can't make the 2nd set, but shed no tears... I'll be fishing in the Florida keys I'm planning to take Tigerfish over for 3 or 4 days in the date range Tue 30th April to Fri 3rd May, happily my crew are pretty flexible regarding midweek dates. My reserve dates would be the THIRD SET of dates For those wanting to include a weekend the SECOND or THIRD SET of dates look favourite. Ok so Tigerfish is planning to go, any others? please add your boat names

Please add your January photos here, hopefully we will have a few more entries than the 1 in December. Only 'likes' count towards scoring

Submitted by Boyscott (Max White) It had the most likes and was the only entry!

Yes Colin very much agree, it's important for us to turn up in numbers. In my view if just a small number turn up it would be interpreted as little interest from RSAs on this topic/species. The meetings are informative and interactive, at no point did I feel I was wasting my time being there.

The current idea under consideration for the short term (0 to 2 years) measure is a slot limit of >45cm wing to wing (20cm winged) for all ray species except undulates which already has a pre existing slot size. Clearly this will do more for spotted rays than blondes. Also a maximum wing to wing landing size, the measurement subject to feedback between now and Spring. This is while further data is gathered on the needed slot sizes for each species, taking into account species size and breeding size. It's pretty crude to say the least but easy to enforce. I got the impression commercials do not know their different ray species very well (blonde or spotted anyone!) but they can use a measure. Moving to a min and max wing tip to wing tip size for each species with a species specific TAC. In my view all very sensible stuff

There were 11 or so at the meeting. In summary: currently in the the consultancy phase prior to issuing directives. It's recognised conservation measures are needed for rays and that recreational angler keep very few. There are some short term proposed plans which are rather simplistic and known to be so (size limits on rays regardless of species), medium and long term which are more species specific. The meeting was to get our input on the measures under consideration and suggest others. The meeting was interactive and I felt everyone had an opportunity to get our thoughts and suggestions across and most importantly I thought we were listened to. To avoid the possibility of a shouting match (which has happened 'up north') commercials and recreational are in separate meetings to get suggestions. Looking at setting policy in the Spring. One interesting takeaway, there is currently maximum take size limit for undulates of 97cm (nose to tail), that's one hell of a big undulate, anyone like to postulate what a likely weight would be? So why no massive undulates being generally caught...

Sea News Update | December 2023 Angling Trust leading a strong rebuttal to claims that Salcombe estuary can be netted sustainably Devon and Severn IFCA have launched an online consultation, proposing the commencement of a six month winter commercial net fishery in Salcombe estuary. The Angling Trust is already working with other parties including the National Mullet Club, BASS, Wyvern Region and many more to build a robust and collaborative opposition, highlighting both the short-sighted nature of the proposed fishery and the damages it will cause to the recreational angling sector. What a load of pollacks! Angling Trust urge minister to think twice on recreational fishing ban The Angling Trust wrote to the Fisheries Minister, Mark Spencer, on behalf of our members last week to urge government to provide reassurances that recreational fishing for pollack will not be banned in 2024 following the latest ICES advice. HAVE YOUR SAY Skates and Rays Fisheries Management Plan Recreational sea anglers are invited to share their views with the Marine Management Organisation as part of the Skates and Rays Fisheries Management Plan (FMP) which is currently in development. The Skates and Rays FMP will cover the Southern North Sea and English Channel – a vast and important region for recreational sea angling. Southern North Sea Demersal Non-Quota Species FMP Gurnards, Squid and Dogfish – but what about Smoothhound? Recreational anglers are invited to share their views with the Marine Management Organisation as part of the Southern North Sea Non-Quota Species Fisheries Management Plan which is currently in development. VIRTUAL SEA ANGLING FORUM An evening with FinVision - watch now on Youtube Catch up with the latest Virtual Sea Angling Forum about how the Fisheries Industry Science Partnership is working with recreational sea anglers to identify essential fish habitat for juvenile recreationally important species like bass, mullet and flounder around the south west of England. Find out how you can become a citizen scientist and learn about fish ID. CATCHWISE Catchwise catch up - could you be a volunteer? BLUEFIN TUNA FISHERY DEFRA announces intention to establish Bluefin Tuna Catch and Release Recreational Fishery in England in 2024 Three of the biggest stakeholder representative bodies in a future recreational bluefin tuna fishery have welcomed the publication by DEFRA of their consultation response and policy proposal setting out the intention to establish a Bluefin Tuna Catch and Release Recreational Fishery in England in 2024. However, they remain concerned the government has not fully taken on board the advice of those groups in key areas of fishery design. This risks a fishery that has minimal management measures in place to ensure its safety and sustainability, and secures high levels of fish welfare and valuable economic benefits. BRITISH RECORD FISH COMMITTEE Length based records for large shark species Representatives from Shark Hub UK attended a meeting with the British Record Fish Committee to discuss fish handling and welfare issues and how the procedures for claiming British record captures of large shark species may be adapted to take account of best practice in catch and release of these fish. The BRFC will soon be introducing length based records for all of the sea species on the main list (not for mini-species). For the larger shark species – Blue, Mako, Porbeagle, Thresher and Six-Gill – there will only be length based records, with a requirement that the fish is measured whilst still in the water. SPECIES HUNT Despite the cooling temperatures the Species Hunt submissions have still been landing in our inbox . November saw over 100 species submitted proving the spirit of the Species Hunter is weather-resistant! Leader board update for November There’s not been much change at the top of the leader boards this month. Elite League: Martin Avons has increased his lead slightly by two species taking his total to 66 and keeping him ahead of Simon Lancastle who is unchanged on 62 species. Senior League: Ben Price is out in front on 62 species, but Luke Woodford is chasing the top spot, increasing his tally to 56 in November. Alan Mundy has risen to fourth place after submitting five species this month taking his total to 47. Junior League: Reuben Judge has increased his lead from 32 to 34 species with no change to the numbers in the four spots below him. Dave Cobb's Small Eyed Ray wins monthly specimen award This month's specimen entries wowed us, but a huge shout out to Dave Cobb, whose Small Eyed Ray stole the spotlight, narrowly beating Nayan Gondouin by 2.5cm. Congratulations, Dave! Commiserations, Nayan – your time will come! Thank you! A heartfelt thank you to everyone for your unwavering support! Special kudos to Cedric Gondouin for treating us to breathtaking sunset pictures of Bournemouth pier. We love sharing in your fishing adventures! SPECIMEN SEA FISH AWARDS SCHEME Thank you to Eric as Trevor takes on sea fish awards Our popular sea fishing awards programme opened on 1 December 2023, and we say a fond farewell to volunteer Eric Gerrey. Eric has managed the scheme for more than 12 years and hands over to Trevor Sutch. The Specimen Sea Fish Awards Scheme is an annual competition opening 1 December and closing 30 November of the following year. It is open to all paid up members of the Angling Trust and members of our affiliated clubs. The scheme is divided into two sections for fish caught from boats and shore with categories for both adult and junior anglers. Supported by Glasgow Angling Centre the angler who registers the best specimen of the month will be awarded a £20 gift voucher with five £75 gift vouchers up for grabs as a bonus end of season award. Danny Williams, Angling Trust’s Competition Development Manager (Marine) said “It’s been my pleasure to work with Eric for the last three years. His attention to detail and expansive knowledge of the Marine Regions maps and the species sizes in each area has made the programme what it is. Eric was also instrumental in identifying Trevor as the scheme’s next safe pair of hands.” MEMBER OFFERS Get 20% off The Song of the Solitary Bass Angler Angling Trust members can get 20% off all Merlin Unwin fishing and countryside books - including this fabulous read by James Batty, The Song of the Solitary Bass Angler. Batty seldom ventures further than 20 miles from his Cornish home, fishing from the rocks and beaches in a handful of places. Generous with his knowledge and full of fresh ideas, Batty catches bass with lures, flies and bait. It’s a myth, he says, that you need expensive gear – he beaches plenty of big bass yet is a tackle skinflint. Click here for more details Save £££s on DFDS ferry trips to Europe DFDS have been voted the world’s leading ferry operator for 12 years in a row - and now Angling Trust & Fish Legal members can travel to France and the Netherlands at discounted prices! Whether you are looking to book travel for your fishing trip, holidays for the family or superb mini cruises, our DFDS partnership gives you access to Europe in comfort and style. Generously partnering with us to provide travel for our England teams, the fabulous team at DFDS have also agreed to offer exclusive discounts including: 10% off Dover-France ferry crossings 15% off Newcastle–Amsterdam ferry crossings 10% off Newhaven–Dieppe ferry crossings 33% off special mini cruise from Newcastle–Amsterdam FUNDRAISERS Take part in our Christmas Raffle - 24 great prizes! Our Christmas Raffle is bigger than ever with 24 prizes on offer including £2,000 worth of Daiwa tackle of your choice, £500 of Korda tackle, a £300 Angling Direct gift card, a £264 Korum tackle bundle and a £250 Orvis gift card. Tickets are still just £2, and you can either buy them online or - if you are an Angling Trust member - send back the paper raffle tickets you received with this year's Angler magazine. The Angling Trust's work is supported by our Trade Associates Click on a logo to visit our Trade Associate partner's website We are a not for profit organisation, representing anglers, fighting for fish, fishing and the environment. We are recognised by the Government as the National Governing Body for angling in England and partner with Visit Wales and Natural Resources Wales to promote Fishing in Wales. We are a member-based organisation made up of anglers of all disciplines providing a united front to represent, grow and protect our sport. As the National Governing Body for Angling, the Angling Trust requires all members who fish Angling Trust Competitions to abide by Angling Trust anti-doping policies and UKAD Anti-Doping Rules as adopted. Details can be found on the competitions section of our website or search “Anti-Doping” on our website. By becoming a member of the Angling Trust you are helping to protect the waterways you fish in and the fish which live within them, ensuring their health and protection for future generations. st email communications

Colin and I are planning to go to the one on the 18th

The seals have been getting some but they are professionals!

Please add your December photos here

Anchor was down about a couple of hours in the Solent, then up it came with this sea urchin attached! It's a first for me

Your club can apply for up to £2,500 to get people fishing - deadline Friday, 8th December There's still time for clubs and fisheries to apply for grants of up to £2,500 from the Get Fishing Fund to encourage more people to give fishing a go for the first time. Funded from fishing licence sales, the Environment Agency and Angling Trust have announced that £200,000 is available in this latest round of funding. The money could be used to help purchase equipment, fishing tackle and resources to run fishing events and activities to give people the opportunity to get into fishing. Clubs, fisheries and other organisations have until Friday 8th December to apply. Free advice for your Get Fishing events For free, professional advice on running fun, safe, friendly Get Fishing events that have safeguarding, a rod licence waiver and publicity in place, please contact your Regional Angling Development Officer. £154,000 awarded for sea angling facilities The UK Seafood Scheme Infrastructure Fund has awarded £154,000 of government funding to develop better access and facilities to support recreational sea angling. Since recreational sea angling was formally recognised as a stakeholder in UK fisheries, the Angling Trust have lobbied the government hard to follow through with their commitments to promote and develop the sport. The three successful projects were: Shoreham Port - awarded over £24,000 to fund the construction of an access path that will connect a car park to the Western Harbour Arm, a popular location for sea fishing. Southport Boat Angling Club - awarded just under £30,000 as part of a project to build their own club house and storage facility. Wigtown Bay Coastal Rowing Club - awarded £100,000 to build a boatshed that will enable sea anglers to maintain and repair their boats, as well as provide access to showers, toilets, and changing facilities. Important update on fish-eating bird licences The Angling Trust understand that many of you may have already received your fish-eating bird licences for the 2023-24 period (admittedly, albeit late), and a good number may be frustratingly still waiting. However, Natural England have reached out to the Angling Trust to inform us that there are at least 30 licences outstanding due to requiring further information from the licence holder before the licence can proceed. They suggest that multiple contact attempts have been made via phone and email to obtain the information, however Natural England has been unable to reach the individuals concerned. Due to GDPR, they are not permitted to provide us with any further information, e.g. name, club or fishery etc. To prompt these customers, we have been asked to issue a notice encouraging our club and fishery contacts to check their emails (including their SPAM folder) for any contact received from Natural England’s wildlife department in the hope that this prompt may capture the outstanding applicants and help move these cases along. Should you be one of those affected, please respond to Natural England via wildlife@naturalengland.org.uk Alternatively, please contact one of the Angling Trust Fisheries Management Advisors: Richard Bamforth, richard.bamforth@anglingtrust.net or 07904 041518 Jake Davoile, jake.davoile@anglingtrust.net or 07949 703206 Save £££s on DFDS trips to France & Netherlands DFDS have been voted the world’s leading ferry operator for 12 years in a row - and now Angling Trust & Fish Legal members can travel to France and the Netherlands at discounted prices! Whether you are looking to book travel for your fishing trip, holidays for the family or superb mini cruises, our DFDS partnership gives you access to Europe in comfort and style. Generously partnering with us to provide travel for our England teams, the fabulous team at DFDS have also agreed to offer exclusive discounts including: 10% off Dover-France ferry crossings 15% off Newcastle–Amsterdam ferry crossings 10% off Newhaven–Dieppe ferry crossings 33% off special mini cruise from Newcastle–Amsterdam MARINE

Well done Charlie, hope the engine alarm does not reoccur. I've had random alarms on the odd occasion, doesn't do a lot for the confidence. You can try buttoning out the error code but a lot of alarms don't have any that we can see. As long as you leave the power on to the engine a Volvo engineer should be able to get the code later, they can get a wider range of codes. Unless you are surrounded by dolphins I see them being here as a good thing as it means lots of fish around. Being as the whiting have arrived I assume that's what they are munching on, back in the Spring the bream arrived and so did the dolphins over the Ledge.

Beware, the Shingle bank is on the move. An island has appeared at some states of the tide and what was 'deep' now is not! I was over there a few days ago, water vis was not great. I was expecting about 10-13ft at one spot suddenly it was 2.5ft!!! I couldn't see the bottom... I trimmed up and very slowly headed back from whence I came to the sound of props chewing up gravel 😪. It appears the bank is now somewhat reconfigured after storm Babet with movements continuing, so take care, it's fast drifts over it so it's super easy to get caught out. A quick check of the props when I got back showed the ends had been polished but fortunately as far as I could see no dents, phew.

Anchor was down about a couple of hours in the Solent, then up it came with this sea urchin attached! It's a first for me

Resuming this 'comp', so get your photos submitted, it was popular in the past with lots of views. Rules reminder: Photo must be taken during the named month Like the photo to register your vote The winner will have the most 'likes', other things won't count The likes will be tallied approx 1 week after the end of the month to give late submissions a chance to get votes The winning photo will be posted as winner If 2 or more photos have the same highest number of likes they are all winners Keep them clean please!

Wednesday is looking the day 🤞