Fishing is a great hobby to many people who like to escape away somewhere quiet and enjoy sitting by a lake. There are many fishing lakes in England, however there are many worries about the issue regarding fish care.

Josh Weaver, a fishing fanatic, goes to many lakes around England to fish. Fishing has been a hobby of Josh’s for some time and he loves the relaxation and calming peacefulness that comes with being a fisher. One of Josh’s favourite lakes to fish at is Elsons Lake, which is in the Stanwick Lakes complex in Northamptonshire. He said: “The best things about fishing for me, have to be the relaxation, sitting next to a gorgeous lake, no traffic noise, just the sound of the wind in the trees, and the birds singing.”

Josh added: “The anticipation of sitting and waiting for a fish, and the satisfaction, when you finally land one on a rig you've created, bait you've picked, and a swim you've decided to fish… That is simply the best way of relaxing to me.”

However there are dangers surrounding the fish in these lakes who are being caught by fishers. Catch and release is extremely important for fish stocks. In the United Kingdom, catch and release has been performed for more than a century by coarse fishermen in order to prevent target species from disappearing in heavily fished waters. Since the 20th Century, many salmon and sea trout rivers have been converted to practice catch and release.

Josh explained that the biggest fish he has caught weighed 19lb 4oz at Foxholes Fishery. Josh is hoping to catch a fish one day at his favourite fishery at Elsons Lake. He explained: "Although I've never caught one out of there, the lake itself, the atmosphere, the history and everything about it is perfect for me. When I finally get the elusive fish out of there, knowing that I've been working at it for a good few years will make that sense of accomplishment that bit more special.”

With Summer approaching, the fishery lakes will soon be full of people hoping to catch a bite. Josh said he can't wait to go fishing again once the weather improves.