A future Tory administration will consider plans to scrap the £22.25 fishing licence.

Iain Duncan Smith, a keen angler, believes the licence is unfair and is looking at proposals to abolish the fee.

The Conservatives estimate that three million Britons fish regularly - although only one million pay the annual fee.

Kevin Stephenson, a member of the Specialist Anglers Alliance, said: "There are far more anglers than people who buy the licence.

"We have got lakes and rivers - we have got a huge expanse in order to try to police.

"A number of convenient waterways would get tracked on a fairly regular basis and a lot of remote fisheries would not be covered regularly.

"This could help the Tories because they do show themselves as the country party rather than the town party."

The National Federation of Anglers, however, expressed fears that the move could result in a deterioration in the quality of British waterways.

"Providing the anglers' money is spent properly on research and development so the Environment Agency can carry out its duty, I do not think anybody can object to paying £22, which is value for money," he said.

"If you are paying, then you have a right to have a say about the treatment of the waterways.

"People go to the rivers and respect the waterways now. I would be very worried about how that would change.''