Broads flooding plans are abandoned

Almost a year ago to the day, anger erupted after controversial plans to abandon coastal defences and surrender large areas of the Broads to the sea were leaked to the media.

Some of Europe's finest pike fisheries were under threat - including the Upper Thurne, Hickling Broad and Horsey Mere. Just weeks ago, the system produced a 45lbs pike, the largest ever caught from a British river.

Thousands signed a PAC petition on Prime Minister Gordon Brown's website.

Now Natural England has dropped the controversial proposals from its final report.

Click here for full story.

RA31 Presentation Night - 1st April

Region 31's annual Presentation Night takes place on Wednesday 1st of April from 8pm onwards.

This is our last formal meeting of the 2008/2009 season, the evening will be hosted by James Holgate P&P Editor & angling author, the agenda will include:

* Region update & accounts
* Tackle auction
* Buffet
* Certificates of merit
* Trophy presentations
* Prize raffle including:

1. Win a days boat piking with Wezley Ballentine - this is a top prize and a first!
2. Fox Stratos baitrunner style reel
3. Okuma Multiplier
4. Years subscription to P&P

Details for the clubs final outing of the season will be given at the meeting. Entry £3 none region 31 members, £2 to members

Venue upstairs function room Caledonian public house, 154 Bolton Rd (next to Tesco garage), Ashton-in-Makerfield, Nr Wigan WN4 8PF.

Two pike anglers dead, two missing on Loch Awe

Two pike anglers have died and two others are missing after getting into difficulties on Scotland's Loch Awe.

The dead men were last night named as William Carty, 47 and Craig Currie, 30.

Fears are growing for Mr Carty's 42-year-old brother Steven, and his friend Thomas Douglas, 36, who are still missing.

Police, coastguard and an RAF rescue helicopter searched an area of the loch near Kilchurn Castle after the alarm was raised in the early hours of Saturday.

The four men were part of a group of five anglers who had travelled from Glasgow to camp beside the loch and fish. Awe is a popular venue, which draws pike anglers from across Scotland.

Sky reported: "At about 11pm the four had headed towards a hotel on the other side of the loch in a small boat, leaving the fifth man sleeping in one of the tents.

"At 3am the fifth man awoke to discover his friends had still not returned and then heard screams for help and raised the alarm. Firefighters from Oban, Inverary and Dalmally raced to the loch to help.

"On arrival at the scene next to the A819 firefighters could hear calls for help from the loch but could not see anyone because of the fog."

The BBC later said: "The men, who were on a fishing trip, had been camping on the banks of the loch, near Kilchurn Castle, close to Dalmally, and were thought to be from north Glasgow.

"A police spokesman said they had decided to take a small boat across the loch to a hotel and left at about 2300 GMT on Friday, leaving one of the group at the campsite.

"At about 0300 GMT the 38-year-old man discovered his friends had not returned. He then heard them calling for help from the loch and alerted the emergency services but thick fog hampered their rescue efforts."

The bodies of Mr Carty and Mr Currie were recovered from the loch by rescue teams yesterday morning. The search for Steven Carty and Mr Douglas will resume today.

Marie Sommerville, landlady of the Tight Line pub which the men visited before the tragedy on Friday night, told the BBC: "They were just really nice guys. It's just unbelievable."

Her daughter Anna Price said they were "keen pike fishermen" who were regulars on Loch Awe.

She added: "It was just a hobby, but they were anglers, they were really good and very experienced.

"They weren't idiots in a boat. They knew what they were doing. We don't know what could have happened other than the fact that it was so foggy last night."

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue told Scotland on Sunday: "On arrival at the scene, the fire crews could hear calls for assistance from the loch. Unfortunately visibility was down to five metres and they could not see anyone.

"The officer in charge requested the assistance of a rescue boat from Renfrew Fire Station. A helicopter was also sent by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency but was unable to locate the missing persons because of the poor visibility.

"When the rescue boat arrived from Renfrew they rescued two male adults from the water. Both were wearing lifejackets. The two men were unconscious and in a poor condition. Sadly both were declared dead at the scene."

The Sunday Herald said low visibility hampered the search for the men. The Mail on Sunday said there were concerns over the time it took to launch a rescue boat.

Yorkshire Slide Show

Pete Haywood will be giving the Yorkshire region a talk on Friday 27th March.

The show will be held at Redoubt Rugby club on Broadway Wakefield WF2 8AA and start at 7.30 pm.

A charge of £2 on the door and a raffle will be held on the night.

All will be welcome to this the 1st of many Yorkshire regional talks.

Further information can be obtained from Pete Green on 01924782705 or psgreen@blueyonder.co.uk

Scott's thirty tops Menteith event

A 36lbs 10oz pike caught by Scott Davidson topped off today's PAC event on Menteith.

More than 100 jacks, 20 doubles and seven twenties were caught - including a 29lbs fish to Jack Dinnewall, who pens the junior column in Pikelines.

The fish might have been up for it, but the weather was less than pleasant, PAC events organiser Mark Skinner said tonight.

"It was wind and rain all day, people came back drenched," he said. "But everyone enjoyed it, it was a great day."

Wissey fish thieves face legal challenge

LEGAL BID: Tench on a home-made stringer

Court injunctions look set to be served in a bid to step up the campaign against fish thieves, sources have told the Pike Anglers Club.

Two migrant workers caught netting fish and barbecuing them on the banks of Norfolk's River Wissey were prosecuted last September, after an outcry over fish being taken from Fenland drains and rivers.

Tonight sources have told the club that efforts to pursue a private prosection have been abandoned, but legal injunctions are now being sought to ban various parties from fishing the river.

King's Lynn Angling Association officials and PAC members have highlighted the extent of fish being removed for food, from rivers like the Wissey.

There were hopes a private prosecution would follow. But one source tonight said: "We haven't been able to prove a loss but we have been able to put an injunction on them."

Region relaunch - Blackpool/Preston

Any members from the Blackpool/Preston Region, are invited to attend a meeting to be held on Tuesday next, 10th March 2009 at the Fylde Boat Club, Bispham to start at 8-8.15 p.m.

This is to hopefully reform the club in this area.

Philip Gould, former Cheshire PAC RO, wants to invite any anglers who are interested. Phil's contact number is 07721-436184, but he is away this week on holiday, so any enquiries should be directed to Mark Johnson, NW Liaison Officer (Tel: 07817-419286)

Neville Fickling speaks to RA31

Region 31 South Lancashire proudly present Neville Fickling, a name that needs no introduction to pikers, a man who has held the British pike record and has caught over 400 twenty pound plus pike!

Wednesday 3rd March upstairs function room, Caledonian Public House, Bolton Road Ashton in Makerfield, Wigan (next door to Tesco garage). Entry £4 none region members, £3 to members of the region, entry includes free buffet.

Talk starts 8pm.

Caledonian Public House -154 Bolton Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Greater Manchester WN4 8PF