Fishing without a rod licence has left a Bodmin man nearly £500 worse off.

Daniel Hoskin, 39 from Burden Close, was caught fishing without a licence in a place where fishing is regulated fished for freshwater fish or eels at Bake Lakes in Saltash on April 23, 2024. The case was proven in Hoskin’s absence and he was fined £220 and ordered to pay £135 costs and a £88 victim surcharge at Northampton Magistrates Court on August 22, 2024.

Benjamin Pessl, Environment Agency fisheries enforcement officer, said: “There is no worse feeling than being sat on the bank then seeing us approach you, knowing you don’t have a licence. It’s not worth the gamble. We do patrol and we do check and we do prosecute.”

A spokesperson added: “Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence. A one-day licence costs from just £6 and an annual licence costs from just £30 (concessions available). Junior licences are free for 13 - 16-year-olds.

“The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by partners including the police and the Angling Trust. Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.”