The Environment Agency has issued a reminder to all anglers that they must have a rod licence following a man being fined £ 300 by magistrates.
Andrew Collins of Kings Lane, Harwell, Oxfordshire was caught fishing without a licence at Mill Farm Trout Lakes, Great Cheverell and then failed to respond to the EA summons for the offence.
Devizes magistrates fined Collins £ 300 and ordered him to pay £ 55 costs in his absence.
Roger Merry for the Environment Agency said, “Anglers fishing without a licence are cheating their sporting colleagues and risking prosecution. This fine clearly illustrates the importance of having a valid rod licence.”
“With 17,000 Post Offices and the telesales system selling rod licences there is no excuse for anglers not to have one. We will continue to crackdown on anyone caught fishing illegally.”
A full coarse and trout rod licence costs £ 19 a year for adults and £ 9.50 for a child.
