Water safety tips for anglers
The following tips will help you to prepare for safe and enjoyable fishing.
Don’t take risks
- when fishing from a slippery bank or near deep and fast flowing water - don’t take risks near the water
- check the weather forecast for changing conditions which affect the water you are fishing
- wear the right safety gear – always wear a life jacket when fishing from a boat
- notice and avoid contact with overhead power lines
- tell someone where you are going to fish and what time you expect to return home
- don’t walk on ice covered water
Important advice from the Royal Life Saving Society UK, this includes emergency services:
Angling events
If you are a competitor or spectator at angling events, always pay attention to safety notices and warnings about waterways.
Tips for being on or near waterways
Even if a right of way exists beside a river, lake or canal - this does not always give you the right to fish. Find out more on the following page under the heading ‘Tips for being on or near waterways’:
The dangers of rat urine
Anglers should also be aware of the dangers of Leptospirosis which is transmitted through contact with rat urine in the water or on the river side.