A Volunteer Bailiff, a pollution fighter, a community builder – and a bloke who just loves fishing.
There are volunteers, and then there are people like Mike Rhodes.
Most of us know Mike through the Voluntary Bailiff Service (VBS) and more recently RFCA and the work he does on the Ribble, quietly getting on with it, out in all weathers, doing the jobs that keep our rivers alive and our fisheries healthy. What many people don’t know is just how much that adds up to.
On 26th March 2026, at the High Sheriff of Lancashire Awards Evening hosted by James F Carter DL, Mike was formally recognised with the High Sheriff of Lancashire Award – one of the most prestigious community honours in the county. And if anyone has earned it, it’s him.
The numbers speak for themselves
Since joining the Angling Trust Volunteer Bailiff Service in 2022, Mike has racked up a record no one else in the region comes close to:
- 1,452 patrols completed
- 234 incidents reported
- 3,881 volunteer hours — the highest total in the region
These aren’t desk hours. These are early mornings on the Ribble, evenings on the Lancaster Canal, hours at Spade Mill Reservoir watching suspicious activity, reporting it calmly and accurately so Environment Agency officers could make their move. Real, boots-on-the-ground work.
Not just patrolling — protecting
Mike has been involved directly in pollution incidents that could have devastated local fisheries. When he spotted a discharge entering the Ribble from a local car wash, he didn’t just report it and move on — he met United Utilities officers on site, helped identify the source, and saw it through to corrective action.
When reports came in of fish deaths on the Lancaster Canal, Mike was there taking oxygen readings and calling the Environment Agency hotline before most people had finished their morning brew. The emergency aeration that followed almost certainly saved more fish from dying.
He also played a key role in catching poachers taking trout illegally at Spade Mill Reservoir — tracking suspicious activity, feeding live descriptions and locations to EA officers, and helping secure significant fines. This is what good volunteering looks like in practice.
In Mike’s own words
“I feel very honoured to receive this High Sheriff’s award for doing something I have loved. It has given me the chance to walk some of the North West’s beautiful rivers and fisheries whilst supporting the work of the Angling Trust, Environment Agency and Police Rural Crime Teams. It has also got me involved in a lot of environmental work; volunteering with planting woodlands, water quality testing, litter picking, habitat improvement schemes and citizen science events.
A big part of the role is also engaging with and educating anglers, fisheries, clubs, committees, charities, volunteers and River Trusts across the region. Often it is simply about being an extra pair of eyes and ears, noticing issues and knowing how to report those incidents when they arise. I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to provide information for this nomination, it’s been a huge honour.”
His connection to the RFCA
Many of you will know Mike through his role as Pollution Officer for the Ribble Fisheries Consultative Association — a role he takes as seriously as everything else. He produces pollution reporting, encourages best practice, and created an Invasive Species Mapper for the Ribble catchment. He has even taken qualifications to treat invasive plants himself. All voluntary. All done because he gives a damn.
He has worked alongside the Ribble Rivers Trust, United Utilities River Rangers, Stormwater Shepherds, and the Canal & River Trust. He has organised tree planting, litter picks, water quality testing, and training days. He lobbied Preston City Council for a new bin at Brockholes Bridge — and got it.
What the certificate says
“In recognition of your tireless dedicated volunteering in support of angling, nature preservation and protection of our waterways. Your huge contribution to policing our waterways as an Angling Volunteer Bailiff and being an active participant in numerous campaigns including water quality initiatives has made a real difference in the Lancashire community.”
— James F Carter DL, High Sheriff of Lancashire, 26th March 2026
Mike is modest about all of it. He’ll tell you he’s just a bloke who loves fishing and wanted to do his bit. But that’s exactly the kind of person who quietly shapes the world around them for the better.