Environment Agency News Release 2009 'Get Hooked'

Bumper new ‘Get Hooked’ guide for South West anglers                                                    April 6th 2009

We want more people to go fishing, more often, and in more places..

A bumper new full-colour 228 page angling guide will help us to achieve this.It’s now available for game, coarse and sea fishing enthusiasts who live in or who are visiting the south west.The guide includes help with tuition and details of angling facilities for the disabled and is also available on the internet atwww.gethooked.co.uk
The ‘Get Hooked! Guide to Angling in South West England’ is the latest result of the partnership between the Environment Agency and Diamond Publications Ltd based in Devon.The guide, now in its 16th edition, covers 2009 and 2010 and gives comprehensive details of more than 900 fishing locations in the south west.

We’re making sure all south west's 2008 rod licence holders have free access to the guide. Anglers who purchased a rod licence online will be sent a free link to the excellent website at www.gethooked.co.uk where you can find all the information you need to help you enjoy more fishing.  It’s got all of the individual fisheries in a searchable format with map locations, plus all the Environment Agency regional byelaws.The website is updated regularly so that it gives the latest information. Other 2008 south west licence holders will have been sent a FREE paper copy of the guide in early April – share the guide with your friends and take someone fishing in 2009!

The guide is a one-stop-shop for fishing enthusiasts, with details of where to fish, types of water, species of fish and charges, as well as tackle shops and accommodation.There are also interesting articles extolling the benefits of fishing in the West Country and details of the new angler’s voice, the Angling Trust – join up now!
‘Get Hooked just gets better and better. We’re sure that this will give a real boost to angling in the region. There’s something for everyone, local or tourist, beginner or expert. It’s packed with invaluable information on the south west’s wide variety of excellent fishing’ said Martin Williams for the Environment Agency. ‘One great example is the Angling Passport scheme run by Westcountry Rivers Trust which allows anglers to fish for wild trout in many new, exciting and previously un-fished areas’. But whatever you want to fish for, be it barbel, carp, salmon, roach or bass – this is the guide for you.

Graham Sleeman of Diamond Publications and editor of Get Hooked said, ‘We’re very pleased to produce another edition of this definitive guide. The quality of information is superb and it is a ‘must have’ for resident or visiting anglers.  People thinking of taking up the sport will also find the guide invaluable.There’s information on how to find ‘learn to fish’ events and a tuition feature which highlights organisations and individuals who will provide equipment and advice on game, coarse and sea fishing.’

You can buy the Get Hooked guide for £4.99 from Tourist Information Centres, tackle shops and book shops or order it online at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/wheretofish or by ringing the Environment Agency on 08708 506 506.

The ISBN number is 978-0-9549175-3-1

Notes to Editors - Covering Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and a small part of Hampshire, this guide contains 228 A5 pages and costs just £4.99.