Introduction

Personal

Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim-this includes adults and children.

Fishing isn't a dangerous sport, but you should prepare to keep safe and comfortable in the outdoors. It is possible to get caught unexpectedly in bad weather, encounter insects, spend too much time in the sun, or get caught on a fish hook.

Wearing the proper clothing helps to protect you from injury. It also keeps you warm in cold weather and cool in hot weather. Rainwear and other gear keep you from getting wet and chilled.

ALWAYS PROTECTIVE EYE WEAR AND A HAT AT ALL TIMES WHEN CASTING

Avoid problems by preparing for the unexpected.

Water accidents claim many lives each year. Obviously you will be around water if you are fishing and accidents can happen at any moment, sending you into the water. A bank can give way. You can slip on a rock, step into a deep hole while wading, or fall out of a boat.

Obey all signs.

If possible, don’t go alone. Make sure someone knows where you are and what you are doing.

Know what the weather will be like and dress for it.

Fish 10 metres away from the next person and make sure there isn't anyone behind you when you cast.

Look up for any overhead obstructions like branches or wires.

Wear non-slip shoes to avoid slipping on slippery surfaces or cutting yourself on sharp edges.

Take food and water for yourself and fishing buddy.

Several anglers have been injured by the fish themselves. Some species of fish have spines that can cause a great deal of pain and damage to your hands. Wearing a sturdy pair of gloves, and using a hook extractor, wire cutter or needle nose pliers can help.

If you take your children with you, remember that you are near water and your children will need constant close supervision.

Mobile phone for outgoing emergency calls. If you have to use a mobile, do not disturb other anglers by using them too much and put them on low level ring.

Radio - so you can monitor weather reports.

Whilst it is not essential to carry a full first aid kit when fishing you should always carry the essentials – adhesive waterproof plasters (of various sizes), antiseptic cream and insect repellent. This will ensure you can deal with minor problems fast.

Keep your fluids up. On warm days make sure you keep water handy so you can drink when you need to.

Avoid alcohol until the fishing is over.

Keep warm and make sure you are dressed appropriately for the conditions. Having a light waterproof jacket handy is essential, at the very least, and can be used to protect against wind, cooler evening temperatures, light showers, and spray.

Protect yourself from sunburn. Wear a shirt (Tee shirts are cooler but make you more prone to sunburn on your arms and neck, put on some maximum protection sunscreen, and wear a good hat (that gives your face protection, not just your head). Gloves without fingers in them will protect the backs of your hands, which are very prone to sunburn, during extended fishing trips. Lips and noses also take a hammering so use sunscreen products designed for those areas so they don't come off too fast. Needless to say, water resistant sunscreen is essential.

Wearing sunglasses is most important during the day. Prolonged exposure to the sun can damage the back of your eyes over the years.

Always remember to cover all cuts and grazes with waterproof plasters and always wash your hands before eating or putting them near your mouth, the reason for this is Liptospirosis or Weils Disease. It is very uncommon with flu like symptoms and spread by rats urine. If not treated early can be fatal. This disease is very rare, but worth remembering, so always wash your hands !!!

Overhead Power Lines

Anglers should always check for overhead power lines before they take to rivers, canals and lakes. Power lines carried on wooden poles can be difficult to see, particularly amongst trees and can also be mistaken for telephone wires.

Electricity at high voltages can jump gaps, so a rod does not have to come into direct contact with a line, and carbon fibre rods and poles are good conductors of electricity. It’s difficult to estimate the heights and distances of lines from the ground, so an adequate safety distance must be kept in order to avoid accidental damage – at least 30 metres away (measured along the ground.)

Owners of fishing waters and clubs where there are overhead lines should erect suitable safety signs to warn anglers.

Rods and poles should always be carried parallel to the ground to avoid accidental contact.

Equipment

Handle your fishing equipment responsibly. Hooks can be dangerous if you do not handle them properly. Look behind you before you cast to make sure your hook will not be caught on a power line, a tree, or a person. If you leave your tackle lying on the ground, another person can trip on it and fall, step on a hook, or break your tackle.

When transporting your equipment, remove the hook or lure from your line and store it in your tackle box.

When you're carrying your fishing rod make sure the hook is secure (not dangling) and hold the rod parallel to the ground.

Be courteous to people around you. Be careful while casting, and know where your hook and line are at all times.

Respect Fish and their Environment

Exercise caution on the part of the fish - showing respect for nature, and the fish you catch, is an important part of safe fishing.

Take caution and use long-nose pliers to help remove hooks from a fish. If a hook is deep inside the fish, either cut off the line and leave the hook in the fish, or use a hook disgorger. Hooks left in fish will work themselves free or rust out.

Handle the fish as little as possible. Don't squeeze its gill plate or abdomen because the internal organs are easily damaged. Also, realize that some species like trout are easily damaged because they have almost no scales.

Do not keep the fish out of water for unnecessary periods to time. If you need to grab a camera or the scales after unhooking, ensure that the fish is covered with a wet cloth and kept out of direct sunlight.

Extend keepnets fully in the water and ensure they are fully submerged, with the level of the top opening near the surface of the water.

Use unhooking mats for larger fish.

Use disgorgers and know how to use them.

Use landing nets to bring larger fish onto the bank from the water.

Make it a rule to never litter.

Never pour liquids into any water.

Wading

There are several general rules you should follow for safe wading:

Always wear an automatic life jacket when wading

Always wade with another person.

Find out how deep the water is.

Find out how strong the current is.

Find out what the bottom is like.

Use a stick or staff. Shuffle your feet along the bottom to avoid holes.

These can be explained further as follows:

Determine if wading is necessary and appropriate to the water you are about to fish and how to wade safely in a way that minimizes your impact on the ecosystem and other anglers in your area.

If you fall into the river and get swept away, spread your arms to keep your head above water and point your legs downstream so that you can push off rocks as you drift. A wading belt tight around your chest will slow the rate at which your waders fill with water.

Use a wading staff for support and to probe the water before you step. Keep the staff connected to your vest so you don't lose it. The line should have a break-away safety release so it doesn't become an anchor if you fall and the staff becomes wedged on the stream bottom.

When you enter the water, place your staff on your upstream side to lean into the current. If you begin to lose your balance, the current will tend to push you upright rather than push you downstream. Always have at least two points of contact: both feet or a foot and the staff.

Keep your body sideways to the current. Your profile surface area is greatly reduced by standing sideways, giving the current less purchase on you. Facing directly upstream or downstream exposes you to the full force of the water and can make it difficult to maintain your balance.

Use the staff to probe ahead to check the depth or define obstacles. Feel along with each foot and find a secure spot before you commit your weight to it. Keep a wide stance, with your knees flexed to keep you balanced and upright. If you need to turn around in fast water, tuck your rod into your waders or vest, plant your staff at an angle directly upstream and grab it with both hands. Lean on the staff and rotate with small steps to reverse your direction.

Don't cross your legs as you turn; with crossed legs, you become unstable and may have difficulty moving back to a safe stance.

To cross a river, do so on a slight downstream angle wherever possible so you don't have to fight the current as well as the irregularity of the bottom. When fishing upstream, walk the bank or wade in the slow currents along the side and use the eddies created by rocks in the current to ease your passage and conserve your energy.

Rescuing an angler in trouble.

Reach out with a tree limb or other long object if the person is close to you. If you can't reach the person, then throw them something buoyant. It should be tied to the end of a line so you can pull the person to you. Anything that floats can be thrown. Plastic coolers can be used in an emergency. Think quickly, act swiftly and be resourceful.

Swim out to save the person in trouble ONLY as a last resort and ONLY if you are an experienced lifeguard or have had life-saving training. Going into the water after the person in trouble is very dangerous. People who are drowning often panic and injure or even drown someone trying to rescue them. Going quickly for help is often the best choice.

And last of all... enjoy good fishing and don't forget the camera!