Simple Match Fishing Forum

All non-tidal and inland waters (rivers, streams, canals, ponds, ditches, reservoirs etc) are owned by someone. There is no such thing as free fishing. There might be cases where owners choose not to exercise their rights (as some councils do), but they are not free. Should the owner wish to change current practices he is legally entitled to do so.
To fish any non-tidal or inland waters, you must first seek the permission of the owner or tenant. It is your responsibility to find this out and is a civil offence if ignored. The best way undoubtedly is to ask someone local with fishery connections, such as a tackle shop, other sources could be tourist information, the internet and in the case of canals British Waterways.
The owner or tenant of a fishery can exercise his right to fish on that fishery at any time and can allow anyone else to do so under conditions he wishes to make, including the payment of a fee (peg fee, permit or syndicate etc).
Failure to abide by any of these could see you taken to court. Fishing or even worse holding a fishing competition without prior permission is trespassing under civil law. Even more severe, you would be liable for poaching and theft (as the owner is entitled to charge, which he is not receiving and as a trespasser you would be fishing unlawfully) which both under the theft act are criminal offences and would see you given a criminal record.

Yeah,
Just to throw a spanner in the works not all canal stretches are owned by BW.
We have quite a few around Stafford that don't.
I have worked on venues for well over 20 years now and you are dead right what you say to the word. Your flabber would be gasted if you knew who owned some of the venues!!!

PS I wouldn't use the internet to find ownership; lots of venue info is pure bullshit. I tried to find the size of a rezzy up notrth via the internert, it came up with every figure you could think of from 5.5 acres to 67 acres.

You only get 3 minutes community service if you rape somebody, so do you think the crappity smack are bothered about getting caught fishing.

Dead right Foxy but I wouldn't encourage it

Never again mate last time she said i was sh!t and offered me lessons

That is true, BW don't own the fishing rights on all sections of their canals. There are parts that belong to crown estates or were retained by farmers and the railways when the canals were built.
But as for finding out who owned or had the fishing rights on a section of canal. BW would be the best people to contact.