Anglers are back on Milton Keynes' banks

Anglers back on the banks – but the old 'normal' has gone, and they all have to learn some new rules.

Most of them revolve around 'social distancing' – which a few months ago was virtually unheard of by most.

When Boris Johnson announced – seemingly almost as an aside – during Sunday's coronavirus broadcast that fishing would be back again on Wednesday (yesterday), anglers whooped with joy.

But club officials, fishery bosses and landlords soon realised that, with two days to lift-off, his statement had left questions unanswered.

Almost over-night, boots-on-the-ground fishery people had to cope with implementing SD regulations on THEIR banks. Getting that wrong could, theoretically, attract heavy fines.

Canal fishing – with towpaths sometimes too narrow to allow two-metres between people – was another issue. The Canal & River Trust eventually said anglers could fish if tenant clubs were willing...but it was anglers' individual responsibility to 'maintain social distancing'.

Matches are banned under 'social gathering' rules during the first phase of lifting 'lockdown', and keepnets are banned on many waters.

But the hottest issue by far has been night fishing.

Social media has been alive with pleas for a yes-no answer. Two Angling Trust live facebook sessions were swamped by it as the 'official' situation seemed to change by the hour.

The Angling Trust, aided by other bodies including C&RT, had invested a huge amount of effort to achieve angling being one of the few sports OK'd to restart – and deserve every angler's thanks.

However night fishing was still a slightly 'grey' area – and as this column went to press, Wednesday, after long talks with Sport England and civil servants, AT could not give a yes-no answer and though confident it would be allowed, were still qualifying their optimism with 'The AT view is that night fishing is allowed'.

But a yes-no verdict is only part of it.

MKAA provoked a storm of social media protest when, having negotiated with its Parks Trust landlords, it opened its waters from 8am to 8pm, provisionally for the first 14 days and – to avoid potential confusion – applied that across all its waters.

But out on the banks, bailiffs were reporting that the overwhelming majority of anglers were abiding by the new rules (posted on MKAA's Facebook page) and mostly just happy to be back.

Newport were negotiating with their landlords before opening, and Beacon were open dawn to dusk – night fishing again under negotiation. Alders opened to a happy crew of regulars but were initially holding off from night fishing. Council-owned Emberton park was still closed to all but 'local foot traffic'.

So you CAN now go fishing: but, where ever you head for, its best to check the latest info first. Enjoy. Go catch some fish.