Current Covid-19 situation
From the Welsh Government, Friday 12th March 2021.
From Saturday 13th March Fishing can resume. However, the advice is to stay as close to home as possible, and no long distance travelling.
Please check that your destination fishery is open before travelling. Social distancing still applies. Four people from two households can meet outside. Check fishery rules regarding shared pegs.
From 27th March 2021, self-contained accommodation may be able to open for one household?
Released 01/01/2021
Guide to Alert levels in Wales - what you can and cannot do!
From Angling Cymru Wednesday 16th December
Latest Restrictions
From 28th December, From midnight Wales will move into Alert Level 4 restrictions. People are required to stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to leave. Exercise should be taken alone or with members of your own household.
Latest Restrictions From 19th December, From midnight Wales will move into Alert Level 4 restrictions. People are required to stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to leave. Exercise should be taken alone or with members of your own household.
Can I exercise by going fishing or horse riding?
This is not specifically prohibited. However, you should not be driving to get to somewhere to exercise, and the need to carry sports equipment isn’t regarded as a justification on its own for driving in these circumstances. This will mean in practice most people cannot do these things while we are in alert level 4.
All exercise must be undertaken alone or with members of your household.
The above is from the Welsh Government’s own advisory website that can be found here.From Angling Cymru Wednesday 16th December
Organised Angling activities for a maximum of 30 people (outdoors) is permitted with 2m Social distancing being observed. No travel restrictions.
From 28th December, Wales will move into Alert Level 4. This means that you should stay at home unless for essential journeys. Travel will be restricted.
Monday 02nd November 2020.
We believe that from Monday 9th, Anglers officially out of lockdown and can go fishing.
Do remember to keep a safe distance, use anti-bacterial wipes, creams or sprays, and always use where necessary a face mask or other aid to avoid breathing on or spreading personal spit and other body fluids.
From 6pm on Friday 23rd October 2020 new restrictions come into place in Wales. Latest measures & what they mean for angling here in Wales. The Government guidance is:-
Latest Restrictions
From Angling Cymru Tuesday 20th October 2020.
Can I leave home to exercise and can I exercise by going fishing or horse riding?
This is not specifically prohibited. However, you should not be driving to get to somewhere to exercise, and the need to carry sports equipment isn’t regarded as a justification on its own for driving in these circumstances. This will mean in practice most people cannot do these things for the short period of the lockdown.
For anglers in Wales this means:-
a) you can go fishing if you can walk to your venue (& if it is open)
b) cannot drive to go fishing
c) only fish alone or with members of your own household
d) can travel for essential maintenance & welfare of livestock for fisheries
e) no boat fishing unless it is only with members of your own household & if Marina’s, Harbours & launch sites are open
It is not clear at the moment what stage we will return to on 9th November. We are meeting regularly with Sport Wales, Welsh Sports Association & Welsh Government to advise that angling can return to pre-lockdown regulations on this date.
From Angling Cymru Tuesday 22nd September 2020.
Rhondda Cynon Taff (RCT) & Caerphilly are under additional restrictive measures due to rises in Covid-19 cases. Angling Cymru advises anglers not to travel into or out of these counties to go fishing. If you’re a resident in RCT or Caerphilly then fish within RCT or Caerphilly. If you are a sea angler then unfortunately we do not view this as a ‘reasonable excuse’ to leave the area at this time.
Additional Measures
From AnglingCymru Tuesday 22nd September 2020.
Additional restrictions come into force from 6pm (22nd September) in the counties of Blaenau Gwent, Brigend, Merthyr Tydfil & Newport. Travel out of or into these counties to go fishing is not permitted.
Angling Competitions can resume with social distancing from Monday 13th July.
Boat Fishing, private and charter boats, can take people out from multiple households from Monday 13th July.
Night Fishing or bivvying for more than one consecutive night now permitted from Monday 27th July.a) Anglers can go fishing at night providing they adhere to the Government restrictions on travelling.
Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (Wales) Regulations 2020 - section 8
b) Angling businesses, sites, fisheries or clubs also offering overnight accommodation & camping are not allowed to open the accommodation section under current legislation.
Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (Wales) Regulations 2020 - section 5
c) Putting up a bivvy is classed as a tent & as such is covered under the legislation above. Angling Cymru believes that one night may be overlooked. However, when anglers are staying 2 or more nights, then we are concerned that the site owner could be seen to be offering illegal camping and campsite facilities and as such the site owner would be liable to prosecution.
This is a decision that each angling business site owner, landowner, fishery or club would have to make to allow bivvying or not having been made aware of this information?
From AnglingCymru 19th May 2020. The current situation is that all land-based fishing is allowed. But, all forms of fishing afloat is not. That means any method of being afloat in a boat, float-ring, kayak etc. is disallowed.
Also, anglers must observe the closed season on rivers and canals. Private lakes are not subject to the close season.
Members of AnglingCymru are meeting with Welsh Government to plan for further easing of restrictions over the coming weeks.
As of 18th May 2020.
It was confirmed that angling in Wales is now allowed under the current regulations.
- Angling is a "permitted" form of exercise in Wales.
- Exercise is a "reasonable excuse" for being away from home.
- It is not illegal to drive locally & it is "reasonable" to drive to carry your exercise equipment e.g. fishing tackle, golf clubs etc.
The term locally has not been defined so we advise that you stay as close to home as you can, and fish from your nearest venue, not your favourite one!
On the 13th May 2020. The First Minister, Mark Drakeford, confirmed in Wednesday’s Plenary (13/05/2020) that angling is allowed under the new lockdown laws but only with the locality of where the Angler lives and it must be done locally and people must observe social distancing.
"Here in Wales, we are encouraging people to stay home as that is the best way in which we can help one another to overcome this crisis. That’s why we’re all making the sacrifices that we are.
"But people are allowed now to leave their homes more than once a day for exercise, and if your way of taking exercise is to walk from your home to a river and to sit there and not near other people, and to go fishing, then that is allowed within the rules in Wales."But it must be local and they must observe social distancing."
Who can I go fishing with?
As with any other form of exercise, it must be done alone or with one other household member. Not 2 or more, just 1.
"Our laws are clear that you must exercise alone or with members of your household".
Angling Cymru also advise people to sanitise hands regularly and avoid dangerous fishing venues or those where you cannot maintain safe distancing.
No boat fishing, overnight fishing or fishing in closed areas of land or property are permitted provided permission has been granted by the land or venue owner.
Natural Resources Wales also add that you must:
- have a valid fishing rod license
- adhere to fisheries byelaws including the close season on rivers and canals.
- have permission from the land owner to be there.
Where can I go fishing?
The advice on the Welsh Government website confirms that exercise should only be done locally and this is the case for fishing.
"To reduce the risk of spread of coronavirus exercise must also be done within an area local to home," reads the Welsh Government’s guidelines. If you have any symptoms DO NOT come fishing here as Bill is on the "at risk" list and does not want it, period! Opening up for your fishing already puts him at risk, so your cooperation and consideration would be appreciated, including DON’T KEEP HIM Talking!
"Exercise should not, therefore, involve travelling any significant distance from home.
A "common sense" approach is encouraged when it comes to the definition of local. By that we mean within your locality and not places many miles away.
Can I drive to go fishing?
There’s a great deal of confusion around this, but hopefully clarification should be forthcoming soon. Disabled or non-ambulant persons by necessity can drive to a fishing venue.
Natural Resources Wales, in their own guidelines, state that you can go fishing, but without driving. However, Angling Cyrmu announced earlier in the week that driving to fish was permitted in local areas.
Our take on this is that most fisheries are located in rural areas, not within towns or cities, and therefore would necessitate most people having to drive to fish on one. Unless, of course, you are lucky enough to have one on your doorstep? But, with the significant gear that anglers now carry, using a car is almost a necessity!
Hopefully, we can get this clarified soon? Also, your destination venue must be your nearest one, not necessarily for favourite one, and MUST not be one outside of your local area. Should you get stopped by the Police and are found to be going to a venue outside of your locality, YOU risk being fined; YOU have been warned.
