Matchfishing's stars of the future

Matchfishing’s potential stars of the future took part in the Angling Trust’s autumn Preston Innovations National Junior League, aimed at increasing participation in match angling.
Over the past two months, more than 100 anglers between nine and 16 years of age fished in 32 competitions held across eight regions of England, and the verdict from competitors, parents and fisheries has been: “Please, can we have some more!”
“It was very encouraging to see new anglers entering the world of match fishing, many competing for the first time, and fishing alongside some of our existing young match anglers,” commented Ben Thompson, the Angling Trust’s Senior Competitions & Talent Manager. “The feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive with requests to add junior specific Winter Leagues. We hope to build on the success of this year and attract even more anglers to get involved in 2016.”
The idea behind the competition was to provide local, low cost and easy access to quality fishing. Each regional league consisted of four fixtures with individual matches costing only £1 to enter and bait limits applied to ensure participation was affordable for all involved.
Commercial fisheries hosted the competition, which resulted in consistent catches throughout and excellent facilities for anglers and parents alike.
The top three anglers from each of the eight leagues received tackle from the competition sponsor Preston Innovations and all 24 anglers are now invited to spend a day on the bank next spring with the tackle giant’s consultant anglers.
Every angler that took part in the competition also received a goody bag, also provided by Preston Innovations.
The 2016 competition will begin in the spring with nine regional leagues and it’s still only £1 per competition for anglers to enter. To find out what’s on in your area and how to get involved visit www.anglingtrust.net/junioranglingleague