To ensure that proper care is provided for the fish you catch remember the following. Use barbless hooks. Use knotless keepnets, preferably with bottom opening and keep-sacks and tunnels should be used for large fish. Use unhooking mats for specimen fish. Ensure hands are wet or use wet cloth to pick up fish. Handle fish firmly, confidently, keep minimal handling Return to the water as soon as possible following capture. Never keep too many fish in the net, nor for excessively long periods. Avoid keeping fish for long periods in keepnets on hot days. When returning fish hold them upright in the water and allow them to swim out of your hands. If a fish is too exhausted to swim away, or is tending to turn belly up, following a hard fight, then hold them upright until they recover, or allow them to rest in a keep-sack for about half an hour. NEVER throw them back NEVER tip fish out of a keepnet but hold the net open in the water and allow the fish to swim out. Return ulcerated fish immediately and do not put in keepnet. Specimen fish should be laid on an unhooking mat for unhooking and held low over the unhooking mat for a photograph. If fish is deeply hooked, cut line as close to hook as possible and release fish. Use of a disgorger can be damaging with very deeply hooked fish. Between fishing trips, ensure that nets and other equipment is thoroughly dry and where possible, disinfected.

For your own and others comfort and safety and to protect the environment consider the following; • NEVER start fishing with rod or pole before checking that you are more than 30 metres away from electricity cables. View ALL overhead cables with suspicion. Never forget you can be electrocuted even if your rod does not actually come into contact with a high voltage power line. look out for showing high voltage cables are in the vicinity: Look out; Look up! Watch out!! • MAKE SURE you fish in a safe and stable position, with everything to hand. • ASSEMBLE pole sections safely clear of the water's edge, to ensure that neither you nor a section can fall in. • TAKE the weight of long poles across your knees to reduce the risk of strain • WHEN fishing canals do not place your pole across the tow path, restricting the access rights of other users. The same applies to park lakes and any other busy places. • ENSURE that spare pole or sections are positioned parallel to the bank, preferably on a pole rack, to allow unobstructed passage for other bank users. • WHEN landing fish ensure that your pole can be unshipped without causing similar obstruction. • ALWAYS ensure that you remove your line in good time to allow boats to pass. • NEVER allow your rod to encroach onto other people's property - gardens, fences, paths etc - without first obtaining permission. • CHOOSE your swim with care. Be aware of surrounding trees, hedges and vegetation which can snag your line when casting, striking, or playing a fish. • DO NOT pull directly towards you to free snagged tackle. Apply leverage sideways or away from you to prevent the terminal tackle flying back towards your face.

Care and conservation is a priority to ensure the protection of the species targeted and surrounding countryside. Environmentalists, Government and Angling organisations have provided guidelines to help all those fishing.

Governments have issued advice for countryside visitors which covers respect for others, protecting the environment, enjoying the outdoors and knowing signs and symbols of the countryside. More information can be found at; The Countryside Code Northern Ireland Angling Code. Welsh Cymru Natural Resources

Respect everyone • Be considerate to those living, work, enjoying countryside. • Leave gates and property as you find them • Do not block access to gateways or driveways when parking. • Be nice, say hello, share the space. • Follow local signs, keep to marked paths • Avoid damaging fences, hedges, and walls. Protect the environment • Take your litter home – leave no trace of your visit • Do not light fires, only have BBQs where signs say you can • Always keep dogs under control and in sight • Always with dog poo bag it, public bin it or take it home • Care for nature – do not cause damage or disturbance • Safeguard water supplies, help keep all water unpolluted. Enjoy the outdoors • Check your route and local conditions • Plan your adventure, what to expect and what you can do • Enjoy your visit, have fun, make a memory

• DO NOT l eave your rod unattended with a baited hook in the water. It endangers fish, risks tackle loss and it is against the fishery byelaws. • NEVER leave a rod unattended with a baited hook out of the water. It could cause suffering to bird life. • NEVER leave baited tackle unattended when leaving your swim always remove bait from hook and place tackle in a safe place.

• ALWAYS use a hook length, paternoster, or leger link of a lower breaking strain than the reel line In event of snagging, minimum line is lost.

• CANS and bottles are dangerous. Take the bottle, can and ring pull home. Polythene bags and plastic bindings on packs of canned drink are lethal for wild animals. • REMOVE tinned bait from the tin at home and take it to the venue in a bait box. • WHEN leaving your swim place ALL discarded nylon line and litter (even if it is not yours) in a sealed container and take it home for safe disposal. Discarded nylon line and other litter can kill or injure birds and other animals.

Weighing any fish needs to be taken with care. Use of a landing mat and proper designed and manufactured sling will reduce the stress levels for the fish. Today there are many types of scales for weighing fish. Electronic digital scales give more accuracy than those reliant on a spring balance which can be impaired by age and even humidity. It is important to note that on claiming any national records the scales have to have a Certificate of Accuracy issued by the Trading Standards authority in the U.K., their offices can be found in the local telephone directory usually under County or Local Authorities. In Ireland check out latest rules at the National Standards Authority of Ireland, Mass | NSAI , provide this service. Irish records can only be claimed when the fish has been weighed on scales already certified whereas in the U.K. the scales can be tested afterwards. Specimen fish should be weighed immediately following capture. This is when they are exhausted and lie quietly following a hard fight. Always have wet hands when handling fish. Fish can lose an indeterminate amount of weight in a short time following capture, so it is in the angler’s best interests to do so immediately in order to record the highest possible weight. Never hang the fish directly on the scales hook, by the gills or anywhere else, but use a proper weigh-sling. wet the weigh- sling, hang it on the scales and adjust it to zero, place the fish in the weigh-sling and check the weight by holding the scales by the handle, if it has one, and not the sides which could affect the readings.

This Trust is a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to represent anglers and advocate for the well-being of fish, fishing, and the environment. Recognised by the government as the National Governing Body for angling in England, the Angling Trust also collaborates with Visit Wales and NRW to promote fishing in Wales. It brings together anglers from various disciplines to form a united front, working together to represent, grow, and protect the sport of angling. The Angling Trust campaigns vigorously on several key fronts: • Conservation: They are committed to conserving and preserving the natural environment, working to protect angling and fisheries for future generations. • Protection of Angling: Advocating for the rights and interests of anglers, the Angling Trust ensures that angling is recognised and respected as a legitimate sport and pastime. • Government and Environment Agency Support: They strive to secure increased support from the government and the Environment Agency for angling and fisheries. • Control of Nuisance Predators: Addressing the challenges posed by nuisance predators that can harm fish populations. • Coordinated Action on Poaching and Fish Theft: Taking proactive measures to combat poaching and fish theft, which threaten both fish stocks and angling opportunities. More information go to: https://anglingtrust.net/

A charity since 2008, they are committed to the conservation of freshwater fish species and their habitats. More information go to: https://wildfish.org/about/

A charity since 2008, they are committed to the conservation of freshwater fish species and their habitats. More information go to: https://wildlivetrusts.org

Conservation is vital to protect the quality of Ireland’s fishing. Ireland now has the best conservation measures for the protection of freshwater fishes in Europe. Conservation of and prohibition on sale of coarse fish bye-law no. 806, 2006 provides for the following conservation measures: • A person shall not take and kill by any means more than 4 coarse fish on any one day. • A person shall not take and kill by any means any coarse fish greater than 25 cm in length measured in a straight line from the tip of the snout to the fork of the tail. • Any coarse fish taken inadvertently in contravention of this bye-law must be handled carefully and returned without avoidable injury to the waters from which they have been taken. • It is prohibited for any person, other than in the Louth Area or Moville Area, to sell or offer for sale any coarse fish caught by any means. • It is prohibited to use or attempt to use live fish as bait in fishing in fresh water. • It is prohibited to transfer for any purpose live roach (Rutilus rutilus) from any waters to any other waters. • It is prohibited to fish for pike or coarse fish by any means whatsoever other than by rod and line. • A person may not attempt to fish for pike or coarse fish in freshwater with more than two (2) rods at any one time. For full details for conservation and regulations on fishing in Ireland go to: https://fishinginireland.info

Policy