Besthorpe Trent Fishing

No vehicle access at besthorpe until further notice. we simply cannot afford to keep putting right the mess caused.

Good morning everyone

The Government have now formally responded to the representations made by the Angling Trust. We have promoted the huge benefits of fishing on individual health and wellbeing and have been able to present a case to which the Government have listened. On this basis I am pleased to announce that fishing will be permitted during the third national lockdown.

The DCMS Sports Team confirmed the following;

“fishing is allowed as exercise so long as participants adhere to the rules on staying local, gathering limits, social distancing and limiting the time spent outdoors”

This has also been confirmed by DEFRA;

“Cabinet Office have now officially confirmed that angling / fishing (incl. sea fishing off private boats, water sports) can be considered exercise and are hence permitted.”

And by Sport England here -
https://www.sportengland.org/how-we-can-help/coronavirus/return-play/frequently-asked-questions-national-lockdown-restrictions

We have worked extremely hard to reach this position and we as anglers have a duty to abide by the strict conditions under which fishing is once again permitted. With infection rates and death tolls rising we must stick to the Government’s rules and ensure that angling remains part of the solution and does not cause problems.

Please bear in mind these key points which will be reflected in the new Angling Trust guidelines which we will publish shortly:

- 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. If you have no local fishing available then you will have to take your daily exercise in other ways.

We are once again able to enjoy the sport we love at a time when many others can not and we must ensure that every angler adheres to the rules.

I would ask all anglers who are not members to join the Angling Trust and give us your support. We have worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome and that is only possible thanks to the support of our new and existing members. I would ask all anglers who value their ability to go fishing to make the same commitment as your fellow anglers have and join the Angling Trust. We are stronger together!

Membership - Angling Trust https://anglingtrust.net/membership/

Stay safe and very best fishes

Jamie Cook

CEO – Angling Trust

LOCKDOWN UPDATE

Evening Everyone

Following yesterday's written communication from the Cabinet Office that fishing is to be prohibited throughout the third national lockdown period we contacted supportive MPs and highlighted the problems with this decision and the logic behind it, with a view to securing a safe return to angling as soon as possible. Late this evening I was informed by DCMS officials that the Government are again reconsidering their position.

It would appear that the definition of "exercise" may well be wider than the previous ‘running, walking, cycling’ and we have insisted that the Government recognise both the physical health and mental wellbeing benefits of angling in any decision they make. We strongly believe that exercise should not simply be limited to high impact, aerobic activities which the first lockdown proved led to many in society being left without the means to maintain an active lifestyle. The Government has heard our case loud and clear and it was repeated with some force by MP’s in this afternoon’s Commons debate. We hope that they will now acknowledge, as they have before, that fishing is part of the solution and not part of the problem.

We are expecting to see the publication of revised guidance and supporting FAQ’s from the Government tomorrow. We will immediately share these with the angling community the moment they become available. We are working as hard as we can for our members and the sport we all love and when we know more so will you.

This is incredibly frustrating for all of us. Anglers have acted with huge credit throughout this period and I thank you for your support.

Please stay safe
Jamie

Jamie Cook
CEO – Angling Trust

We have produced a multi-lingual sign for clubs and fisheries to help advertise the fact that the new Government Lockdown measures mean that fishing is currently suspended in England. You can download a PDF of the sign here Covid-19 - Angling Trust https://anglingtrust.net/covid-19/

Not long now