Lined up for a record-breaking season

03/03/2010

(Copy of Go Fishing 2010 guide on request)

It’s a lucky 13th cast-off to the new fishing season for anglers at Northumbrian Water’s premier reservoirs which open their gates on Saturday 13 March.

And as a record number of 170,000 prime rainbow trout are reared for stocking this year previous records have already tumbled as final details from last season are announced.

• Last season there were 54,100 angler visits to the premier waters – up from 44,800 the previous year.

• More anglers than ever visited Derwent reservoir with 16,998 fishing last year - up from 14,307 in 2009 and topping the former record of 15,798 in 2004.

• Junior angler numbers for last season also continued to rise up 879 to 4,510.

And Northumbrian Water - the leading provider of stillwater game fishing in Northern Europe has lined up a selection of new attractions to build on that success for both adult and junior anglers in 2010.

• Anglers can bank on £412,000 being spent and at least 170,000 trout to be stocked – more than ever before.

• 50,000 of those fish will be extra special, home reared on Northumbrian Water’s fish farms.

• Six thousand extra trout will be stocked at Derwent reservoir.

• There’s a £29 permit for couples with a shared twelve fish catch limit.

• Four free newsletters will be distributed throughout the season to loyalty card holders and any unused loyalty credits from 2009 will be automatically transferred to this season. Almost 3,500 anglers have already joined the Northumbrian Water loyalty card ‘family.’

• There’s no increase on the ‘credit cruncher’ four-fish day permit introduced for the first time last year - available from 2.30pm for just £15.

• After last years freeze on permit prices necessary increases have been kept to a minimum this season with just a £2 rise for a day ticket. 

• Advance fly fishing courses will be offered at Derwent to build on the popular ‘try it’ days for beginners.

• Special daily ‘pools’ will be run for anglers over 18-years-old at Grassholme, Fontburn and Derwent. Anglers who put in a pound and catch one of the unique specially-stocked fish will win the total pool. Unique fish for the pools will include ‘hunt the tiger’ (tiger trout) and ‘pot of gold’ (golden trout).

• Improved reservoir tackle shops will include special offers and the opportunity to try and buy outfits.

• There are lots of opportunities to join in fun charity competitions which last year raised about £5,000 for Northumbrian Water’s adopted international charity WaterAid.

• World class Alnwick-based tackle supplier Hardy Greys has once again donated major prizes for WaterAid competitions at Kielder, Derwent and Whittle Dene (coarse fishing) and winners will also land a Northumbrian Water season ticket.

• Northumbrian Water’s partnership with Hardy Greys has so far raised a record breaking £25,000 for WaterAid.

• Local good causes including the Gateshead Mayor’s Appeal, the Morpeth Lions, Macmillan Cancer Care, the Blind and Partially Sighted and the Air Ambulance will also benefit from competitions.

• Top notch anglers can qualify for the final fish-off for the English national team with the return of the regional eliminator to Kielder on 13 June and where teams of six anglers can also take part in the prestigious national Airflo International on 19 June.

• Those who stay in a cabin at Kielder will get their fishing free and just have to pay for boat hire.

• Bank access at Kielder has been greatly improved with the completion of the multi-user Lakeside Way track which runs around the entire shoreline.

• Every month the captor of the biggest fish at both Derwent and Hury reservoirs will be automatically entered into the national TroutMasters fly fishing competition and win the coveted cloth badge and earn a place in the fish-off finals.

The water company’s new-look 32-page “Go Fishing - Angling for Everyone” guide out now reveals full details of the plans for the 2010 season including highlights for multi bait, fly and coarse anglers. 

Copies of the guide can be requested by calling 0845-155-0236. Information is also available on the website: www.nwl.co.uk/gofishing. 

There are features on all the stocked trout reservoirs – Derwent in County Durham; Fontburn and Kielder in Northumberland; Grassholme and Hury in Teesdale; Scaling on the edge of the North York Moors and the coarse lakes at Whittle Dene in the Tyne Valley.

There’s information about the wild brown trout waters of Balderhead, Cow Green and Selset and throughout the guide there are tips and information from Northumbrian Water’s own angling expert, Teesdale ranger Andrew Scott, who is a gold-medal winning England International.

Fishing opens at all reservoirs from Saturday 13 March except the wild brown trout waters of Cow Green, Selset, Balderhead and Blackton which open on 22 March. Brown trout caught at Kielder and Derwent must be returned before 1 May and after 31 October.

A premier fishery 8 fish day trout ticket will cost £22. Coarse fishing permits are held at the same level as for the last five years at £6.

After raising more than £25,000 for the charity WaterAid in the last four years Northumbrian Water has again teamed up with Hardy Greys to stage a series of fun charity competitions.

• There is a fly and multi-bait competition at Derwent on 16 May from separate banks of the reservoir on the same day with prizes for both sections.

• There will be three heats of the pairs fly-only boat fundraiser at Kielder on 24 April, 23 May and 27 June with the top five in the heats going through to the free final on 18 July.

• And the coarse fishing challenge is at Whittle Dene on 30 August.

Don Coe, Fishing and Waterside Parks Leisure Operations Manager, said: “We have a great season lined up for our customers and will continue to invest in the future and attract newcomers to the sport with our popular ‘Try It’ sessions under qualified angling instruction.

“Our emphasis is on having fun while fishing and encouraging people to join our fishing loyalty ‘family’ is a big part of that. We also intend to reward those who join our family club with more and more benefits.

“The future of fishing is in the hands of the younger generation and we are doing everything we can to encourage them. We are proud that more youngsters are getting hooked on fishing and, despite the difficult financial times, we are also attracting more adults too,” said Don.

For further information contact Alistair Baker on 0191-301-6851 or 07711-793493.