Essential dos and don’ts for fishing on the UK inland waterways.

Swans glide by, the sun glints on the water, there’s nothing better than relaxing on the canal bank and waiting for a fish to bite. Just keep in mind these common sense safety tips to make sure that angling is enjoyable for all visitors to the water.

Do...

1. Clear up litter before you leave – even if it isn’t yours. If you see any litter or discarded tackle, pick it up, take it home and bin it.

2. Remove your rig instantly if it gets caught up in vegetation on the bank, in branches or underwater snags. But do think carefully about the best and safest way to do this. If you cannot recover lost tackle, remember to tell the club bailiffs or the fishery owner so they can remove it for you.

3. Choose where to fish – your swim – with care to avoid the risk of snagging trees on the bank, vegetation and obstructions in the water.

4. Beware of birds swimming into your line or picking up surface baits.

5. Submerge rod tips if you are legering using bite alarms. Keep lines under the surface to avoid waterfowl. Where there is not heavy weed growth, it may be possible to use back-leads to keep the line below the water surface.

6. Watch your rod at all times when you are legering with quivertips or other visual bite indicators. Again, it may be possible to keep the rod tip under or close to the water surface to avoid contact with birds’ feet.

7. Retrieve your line when float fishing if there is a risk of birds swimming through the line. Even if you are using a waggler float with the line buried, the line will be only just below the surface so it still presents a risk.

8. Look out for wildlife. If swans or geese become entangled in the line, cut the line and report the incident as soon as possible to one of the rescue organisations below. You can free smaller birds at once. If they need treatment, hold them comfortably in a small box or other dark space.

National Swan Sanctuary Hotline: 01784 431667
RSPCA: 08705 555999
Wildlife Hospital Trust: 01844 292292

9. Be aware of signs. Fishing is not allowed in some stretches of waterway. In others, fishing is restricted to members-only.

10. Respect other waterway users. Try not to fish too close to marked winding holes or moorings which may need to be used by boaters.

Don’t...

1. Drop litter or discard tackle. Remember that discarded nylon is particularly hazardous to wildlife. Take discarded or damaged line home. Burn it or cut it into short lengths before disposal.

2. Feed the birds. If birds associate people with food, there is a greater risk of them becoming entangled in fishing lines. Similarly, as an angler you must take extra care in places where people feed waterfowl.

3. Leave rods unattended while fishing. It is poor angling practice as it may result in a hooked fish becoming snagged. It also increases the risk of birds becoming entangled in the line or taking the bait. If you need to leave your swim, retrieve all your lines and secure the hooks to the rod.

4. Leave rods on the bank with hooks still baited; this food could be picked up by birds or animals.

5. Try to retrieve your line while there is a risk of birds swimming across it.

6. Forget to check your reel line carefully for flaws caused by wear and damage.

7. Use reel line straight through to the hook without a weaker link. Where possible use a hook length of lower breaking strain than the reel line.

8. Attempt to restrain an entangled and injured swan (or any other large bird or animal) by holding onto the line. This can cause severe injury and greater trauma. If the worst happens and a large bird becomes entangled in your line, cut the line as soon as possible and report the incident to one of the rescue organisatons listed previously.

9. Fish from a moving boat*

• Fishing is permitted from the back of a boat moored to the towing path bank. However:

1. You must possess a valid permit or be prepared to purchase one from the controlling angling club or riparian owner when approached on any fishery that offers day permits.

2. You must also possess an Environment Agency rod licence available in advance online or from any post office.