Vote now: The hunt is on for the greatest canal angler

The search is on to find the UK’s greatest canal angler of all time – and you can have your say.

The Canal and River Trust are calling on members of the public to vote for who they think deserves the accolade from a list of 10 top anglers, including Kim Milsom, Ivan Marks and Ian Heaps who started their careers and made their names by fishing canals.

The online poll follows a series of articles created by the charity which features profiles on each of the 10 anglers, the first of which was revealed on their website earlier in the summer.

The chosen anglers were carefully picked by staff from the agency with the help of angling historian, John Essex, and as well as selecting your favourite you can also pick an angler who you think is missing from the list.

Becca Dent, national angling development manager for the Trust, said: “We really wanted to celebrate the rich heritage of angling on the nation’s canals which sadly can become forgotten. It’s a chance for us to remember and recognise the great sportsmen and colourful characters who helped to inspire a generation of anglers. These men started as novices trying angling on their local canal for the first time and between them went on to win numerous titles, compete for their country and, in some cases, change the way we fish today. Each one of them has a brilliant story to tell which we want to recapture today; encouraging more young people to have a go and hopefully developing a new generation of angling heroes.”

Former World and European Angling Champion Ian Heaps added: “I grew up fishing hard canals in the North West so canal fishing will always be in my heart. Those days helped make me as an angler and they are still a great place to learn how to fish.”

To place your vote and view the anglers profiles visit: www.canalrivertrust.org.uk/greatest-angler

The Nominees
Dave Roper
Bob Fuller
Kevin Ashurst
Ian Heaps
Alan Wright
Billy Lane
Fred Foster
Kim Milsom
Ivan Marks
Benny Ashurst