THE Environment Agency is reminding anglers the ‘close season’ for coarse fish in rivers comes into effect this week and runs until Friday June 15.

The close season prevents fishing for coarse fish, like barbel and chub, for three months to give the fish a chance to breed. The close season applies to all rivers, streams and drains in England but does not apply to most still-waters and canals.

During the close season Environment Agency enforcement officers, along with support from the Angling Trusts Voluntary Water Bailiffs, will be out on rivers and streams making sure people are observing the close season. They will also be checking lakes and ponds to make sure people who are fishing have a valid rod licence.

Anyone fishing without a fishing licence can expected to be prosecuted.

Holly Male, Fisheries Team Leader for the Environment Agency, said: “Our job is to protect fish stocks and improve fisheries, which includes rescuing fish in distress, improving habitat and restocking rivers. The majority of anglers who fish legally, rightly demand that we take action to catch offenders.

"Our enforcement officers, supported by Angling Trust voluntary bailiffs, will be targeting illegal fishing during close season. We urge anyone to report illegal fishing as quickly as possible by calling our incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.”

Anglers are urged to check with their local fisheries before embarking on any fishing trips. Tatton Park has already enforced its closed fishing season up to June 15.

Other coarse fishing fisheries in the area include Home Farm Fishery in Alsager, New Farm in Winsford, Coole Acres in Nantwich, Gorsty fisheries in Crewe and Flushing Meadows in Northwich.

You can check which still waters and canals have a close season in operation by checking the byelaws which apply in your area at gov.uk/government/collections/local-fishing-byelaws

Last year the Environment Agency Enforcement Officers ran 670 close season patrols, reporting 122 anglers for illegally fishing in the close season.

In the Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire area in 2016/17: 93,971 fishing licences were sold, with £1,690,277 income generated from fishing licence sales and there were 166 successful prosecutions against people caught fishing illegally.