Anglers Urged To Be Safe While Enjoying Fishing

December 26 2014

Trout and salmon anglers are being urged to get serious about water safety over the Christmas holiday break.

The holiday season provides thousands of freshwater anglers and their families the opportunity to pursue trout and salmon in the country’s lakes and rivers.

Fish & Game says anglers need to prepare carefully before venturing out onto the water, including making sure that boats carry enough modern life jackets for everyone on board. Children should have life jackets that fit rather than making do with something that is too big that they “can grow into”.

Salmon anglers fishing at river mouths need to take particular care and should wear some sort of life preserver at all times. Salmon gather at river mouths during the summer to begin migrating up the rivers to their spawning grounds.

“One Canterbury angler has been lucky to escape with his life already this month after being swept into the sea while fishing at the Waimakariri River mouth,” said Fish & Game spokesman Andrew Currie.

“River mouths are treacherous, with swift currents, rips and big waves, and anglers need to be extremely careful,” Mr Currie said. “That includes wearing life jackets”. “Wearing a life preserver is literally that – a life preserver,” he said.

In October, the coroner recommended that trout anglers wear an inflatable lifejacket in addition to their waders and belt and also carry a waterproof means of communication that they can access in an emergency.

Fish & Game endorses the coroner’s advice and recommends that anglers who have never worn waders try an emergency drill in a swimming pool before venturing out fishing.

“A day’s fishing is a fantastic family outing but don’t compromise safety. Even in summer, the water in high country lakes and rivers is very cold,” Mr Currie said.

“It’s better to be safe than be lucky,” he said.

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