Always park your car in a sensible place when accessing a mark. Never park on farmer's fields or other private property without prior permission. The same applies to beaches where 4x4 vehicles can cause potential damage through access to wildlife.

When parking vehicles in public areas or near housing, keep noise to a minimum, especially when returning in the early hours after a night fishing session.

Use obvious footpaths, pathways or sheep tracks to get to the fishing mark. Do not walk across fields that may contain crops or other harvest.

Make sure all gates are closed properly behind you. Never jump across fences and walls and this can inadvertently cause damage.

If you're fishing a popular mark, allow plenty of room between you and other anglers for safe casting. At least 20-metres. Not the 5-metres some competition anglers think is enough. Respect your fellow angler!

While fishing, have a carrier bag or bin liner available in to which to put all your bait wrappers, food packaging and other rubbish. Never leave litter behind you. Take it home!

Cut all discarded line in to 4in (110cm) sections and put it in the rubbish bag. Discarded line can still do damage on the rubbish tip by ensnaring birds.

Discarded hooks need to have the points broken off with pliers before placing in a rubbish bag.

Never kill fish for eating in front of members of the public. Always have a bucket or bag into which you can place any kept fish so they are hidden from view while you fish.

Any kept fish for eating should be cleaned and the remains placed in the sea to go back in to the system. Never leave carcasses or dead fish scraps on the beach or rocks. The public use the same area and can take offence, which tars all anglers.

Avoid leaving unused rigs on the sand behind your box. Dogs can get tangled in the rigs and hooks as they are let free by their owners.

Remember, at all times you are an ambassador for your sport, and to the public your individual conduct represents, rightly or wrongly, how the majority of anglers behave.

When digging lugworm, back fill all the holes as you dig. This minimises the scar and allows the environment to quickly recover.

Replace all stones and boulders exactly as you found them when collecting crab. Failure to do this will see the eco system living under the rock killed with any compressed weed rotting. This pollutes the whole area and no ready to peel crab will use the same rocks for weeks to come. Replaced rocks cause no damage and may contain another crab the next day guaranteeing continued supplies for everyone.

Think personal safety. Watch for big sea swells when fishing rock marks and deep storm beaches. Pay attention to the tide times when fishing estuary bars. Make sure someone knows where you are exactly and that you give this person a time you expect to arrive home. Carry a mobile phone, but do not rely on it. Wear or have something in a bright colour to help rescue services locate you if need be. Always carry a small torch and a small first aid kit.

Add to: del.icio.us | Digg