GET a rod licence or else - that is the message to anglers across the south after two men were each told to pay more than £600 in fines and costs for fishing without a permit.

The prosecutions were brought by the Environment Agency, which is vowing to crack down on fishermen who flout the law.

Josh Thomas, 21, of Myrtle Road, Southampton, was fined £440 at the city’s magistrates court, plus £127 costs and a £44 victim surcharge, for fishing without a licence at Franks Lake, Totton.

Billy Moss, 20, of The Orchard, West Dean, was fined £500, plus £127 costs and a £50 victim surcharge, for an offence committed at Mopley Pond, Blackfield.

An Environment Agency spokesman said: “Every year nearly one million anglers fish legally. The money they pay to buy a licence supports fish, fisheries and fishing and protects the future of the sport.

“But a small number refuse to buy a licence, cheating the sport and their fellow anglers.

“Fishing without a valid licence can land you with a fine of up to £2,500, plus a criminal record.”

Last year, the Environment Agency in England and Wales checked 62,000 rod licences and prosecuted more than 1,900 anglers for rod and line offences, resulting in fines and costs totalling more than £500,000.

In Hampshire and Sussex enforcement officers inspected 2,615 licences and reported 177 people for fishing illegally.

Environment manager Mike O’Neill said: “We take our job of protecting angling, fisheries and the environment very seriously.

“The vast majority of anglers fish legally and deserve to see those who flout the law brought to account. To the criminal minority our message is clear – we won’t hesitate to take action to stop illegal fishing.”

Any angler aged 12 or over needs a licence if they go fishing in a river, canal or an area classed as still water. They cost £27 and can be bought online, from a post office or by calling 0344 800 5386.

Money from licence sales is used to fund a wide range of projects aimed at improving facilities for anglers by protecting stocks from illegal fishing, pollution and disease, restoring stocks, eradicating invasive species and improving habitats.

The cash also helps the Angling Trust provide information about fishing and encourage more people to take part in the sport.