New angling rules in force for lockdown
IT was announced yesterday that fishing WILL be permitted during the third national lockdown.
The Government accepted a case put forward by the Angling Trust, and will now view fishing as ‘daily exercise’ - as long as participants adhere to the rules on staying local, social distancing and limiting the time spent outdoors.
Please bear in mind these key points from the Angling Trust:
- This is a strictly limited resumption of local fishing and very different to how we have been allowed to operate since May
- We are in a National Lockdown and this must be respected. The law requires a ‘reasonable excuse’ to leave your home or penalties will apply.
- The government has recognised that fishing can be seen as exercise, which is expressly permitted under the lockdown rules, although outdoor recreation is not.
- Organised sporting gatherings are prohibited - so no match fishing. - The exercise is limited to once a day, so no overnight fishing whatsoever.
- To remain within the law you should follow the government’s guidance, and only fish locally within the district where you live. If you have no local fishing available, then you will have to take your daily exercise in other ways.
■ One of the last matches to get the go-ahead before the lockdown was organised by top all-round angler John Atkinson. The venue was Courtaulds Straight on the Humber Bank Wall. John is the master on this stretch and he did not let his fans down with a dazzling display of catching flounders at distance. John had 11 flounders for 315cm. This was well in front of Hull-based angler Chris Wray who had the only sizeable codling of the night, together with six flounders two whiting and a rockling to get a final tally of 248cm. Matty Sabiston was third with six flounders and two whiting for 191cm. Then fourth was Matty Perry with five flounders and a rockling for 167cm.
The following day, the Friends Club descended onto Cleethorpes beach. Match organiser Steve Robinson did everything he could to make sure that everything was done to Covid rules and the pegging and social distancing was done brilliantly.
The only thing that was not done right was someone forgot to tell the fish to turn up! It was an hour into the match that the first fish were caught - it was yours truly with a flounder.
Hull angler Lee Smith who managed to find a few fish at the end of the match stretch, but he only caught five flounders, which is poor for Cleethorpes Promenade - you expect a lot better than that. But with 137cm, Smith took the honours on the night.
Next in was Steve MacGregor with three flounders and a whiting for 107cm. He also had the biggest flounder on the night - a fish of 32cm to take the customary tin of beans. Third was match organiser Steve Robinson with three fish for 70cm and then it was your truly with three fish for 62cm.