Angling coaches in every store!
TACKLE giant Angling Direct has revealed an ambitious plan to train 80 members of staff to become professional angling coaches and work in the company’s stores around the country, offering free advice to anyone who enters.
The initiative, which will see the retailer partnering with the Angling Trust, is geared towards catering for the new wave of anglers who entered the sport last year.
Angling Direct marketing manager Oliver Harper said:
“In a few months’ time there will be an Angling Trust Level 1 coach in each of our 38 stores, which will add more of a community feel. We’ll be training staff across the brand, so alongside people on the shop floor, we’ll have people in our customer service team, as well as the media team who are qualified coaches and are able to offer professional advice.”
There will be an Angling Trust Level 1 coach in each of the 38 AD stores
Will there be another fishing boom in 2021?
BACK in March 2020, the short-term future of the angling industry looked uncertain due to the fallout from the Covid pandemic.
But following a huge upturn in the sector’s fortunes, which saw rod licence sales soar, fisheries busier than ever and tackle and bait companies struggling to keep up with demand, many fishing-related businesses are now investing heavily to ride the wave of the boom well into 2021.
More and more families have come to realise that fishing is a sport that can be enjoyed by all ages and abilities
An additional 50,000 people bought a licence during October and November – traditionally a quiet period – and the swelling numbers on the bank haven’t gone unnoticed by shops and fisheries.
Howard Kaye, who runs the tackle shop at Manor Farm Leisure Fisheries, has just opened his second shop, Manor Angling Plus, in Evesham, and has plans for a third, larger store to open up later this month.
“The unexpected boom in business this year has certainly helped put us in a good place,” he said.
“Signs are really good for the future. I think a lot of the new people buying licences will keep fishing and we’ll hopefully continue to prosper. The third store, set to open later this month, is a larger enterprise out near Twyford Farm. We have exciting plans for that place, which I can’t reveal just yet!”
Howard Kaye – two shops and a third planned!
Over in Bicester, Oxfordshire, Tackle Tavern – in business for just three years – has gone from strength to strength.
“We’ve increased our stock-holding capacity, and boosted our online presence, which has helped us to have a lucrative year,” Matty Morrell, the owner, told us.
“Even during lockdown we used the downtime to develop our website, and already we’re seeing the benefits of that.”
Tackle Tavern has already moved and expanded three times.
“We’re always looking to grow,” Matty added.
“Moving to an even larger facility is always on the cards if the spike in demand continues.”
It’s not just tackle shops that are preparing for a big year in 2021. At Makins Fishery in Warwickshire, the work taking place is geared to improving accessibility for the new breed of beginner and junior anglers who have emerged during the boom.
“We want to make things as easy as possible for people visiting the fishery, particularly with so many newcomers getting into fishing last year,” said staff member Reece Woolley.
“New access roads, car parks and a driveway are all being installed to make things more practical and appealing to customers, and we’re also digging out the lakes and de-silting them to make the fishing even better!”
Work in progress at Makins Fishery to improve access for the new breed of beginners and improvers
He added:
“After such a productive summer in 2020, we’re getting ready to kick on and are expecting 2021 to be just as good, if not even better!”
Some of the growth in participation in 2020 can be attributed to fishing restarting quickly after the first national lockdown and continuing all the way through the second, when other sports and activities remained off limits.
Angling Trust boss Jamie Cook, who led the battle to keep us on the banks, thinks the future is continuing to look rosy.
“We’re really excited for this year,” he told us.
“Our priority will be to continue our fight to keep fishing legal and one of the few permitted sports if we’re hit with another lockdown, but aside from that we’ve got lots planned to keep new and returning anglers enjoying their fishing.
“Our Get Fishing and Let’s Fish Campaigns will hopefully continue to boost participation, and we’ve also got a few initiatives in the pipeline to support the infrastructure laid down this year.”
Angling Trust boss Jamie Cook has promised to keep fighting for anglers this year
In addition, Jamie hopes to improve the Trust’s engagement with existing anglers.
“I want us to be in better touch with the sea fishing community, as well as with match anglers. I’ve spoken to a lot of the latter, from grassroots to elite level, and while we’re doing well with our large competitions there are still some areas in which we can improve.
“Overall, it’s fantastic to see that the industry is thriving. Hopefully we can all make 2021 another year to remember.”
West Midlands leads licence growth boom
THE WEST Midlands accounted for the biggest rise in newcomers to angling in 2020, new figures have shown.
At the end of November 2020, there were just over 151,000 full licence holders in that region, a rise of 17 per cent over 12 months, with the region of Greater Manchester and Merseyside showing the next biggest increase (up 16.4 per cent to 86,000), followed by Cumbria and Lancashire (up 15.5 per cent to 45,000).
The figures, released by the Environment Agency, revealed that a further 12 regions showed an increase in participation during that timeframe, helping to contribute to an overall rise of 108,000 in the number of rod licence holders.
The West Midlands remains the region with the most overall licence holders, followed by East Anglia (133,000) and Yorkshire (105,000).
The EA also revealed how the overall growth in sales has continued in the months leading up to Christmas, in spite of the Covid pandemic and unfavourable weather conditions.
A spokesperson for the Agency told us:
“Despite traditionally being a quieter time of year for fishing, in October, 36,851 people bought a fishing licence, and a further 18,928 licences were sold in November.”
Rod licence sales continue to boom!
The positives for fishing in Lockdown Three
The break from the bank doesn't have to be all negative. As we witnessed in the first lockdown, it could bring many benefits to fishing as a sport…
Club boom
Mirfield AC in Yorkshire used the first lockdown to create 25 platforms on a stretch of canal.
“You wouldn’t believe how many club books we sold off the back of just doing that,” said club president Martyn Highe.
“We’re going to use this lockdown to create 50 platforms on the River Calder and permanently peg a new stretch of canal we’ve acquired at Knottingley.”
Mirfield AC in Yorkshire used the first lockdown to create 25 platforms on a stretch of canal
Day-ticket improvements
Tony Bridgefoot, owner of Bluebell Lakes, said:
“I’ve been in this position several times before with flooding and I always try to take the positives from a negative situation. This lockdown will give us time to create permanent stock fencing so we don’t lose any fish to floods, and create better drainage to control the flow of water. It’ll also give me time to think about how I implement restrictions on angler numbers across the site, because last spring we had every swim occupied 24/7 and I don’t think it helped the stock or the natural surroundings.”
Bluebell will be using the time to build stock fencing and plan management of returning anglers
Trade catch-up
Fishing surged in 2020, leaving some manufacturers and shops unable to keep up with demand. This hiatus could see a welcome replenishment of stock.
The Angling Trust’s Martin Salter said:
“If we are going to have a lockdown it’s probably the best time of year for it. My contacts in the trade aren’t anywhere near as distressed as they were last spring.”
This lockdown could well have come at the best time of year for tackle shops
NEW 100k fund to boost angling participation
A BUMPER new £100k ‘Get Fishing Fund’ has been created to help support new and returning anglers, and the good news is that you can apply for a slice of the cash to help your club.
The Get Fishing Fund will help support new and returning anglers
The new initiative, announced by the Environment Agency and Angling Trust, has been created using extra cash from 2020’s boom in rod licence sales.
Grants of up to £500 are available for small-scale projects, while larger ones can apply for up to £5,000. Funding can go towards any events that aim to boost angling participation and can cover the costs of tackle and bait, as well as associated resources such as storage facilities.
Graeme Storey, Fisheries Manager for the EA, hopes that the fund will help even more newcomers enter the sport and continue the momentum gathered this year.
“We’re always looking for ways to support angling,” he said,
“and (overall) the Agency has invested £1.5m of the additional income from this year’s licence sales back into projects to improve fisheries.
“The increased interest in fishing over the summer proves that people are not only rediscovering angling, but more people are trying it for the first time. We want to see this continue and hope that the projects will encourage more people to try fishing.”
A few months back Angling Times spoke to Bryan Dray of Wellingborough and District AS, who along with other club members, runs a lot of junior events. We asked him where he wanted to see the additional rod licence money invested. Unsurprisingly, providing coaching events was top of his agenda, so he was understandably delighted with the new fund’s creation.
“It’s brilliant news” he said.
“Finding funds is difficult, particularly between now and Easter, so having this cash available is a real boost, especially at club level. One of our biggest difficulties is storing equipment securely, so knowing the fund can help is fantastic. We’ll definitely be applying.”
To apply for funding visit: grants.anglingtrust.net
Are newcomers missing out on vital skills?
SCROLL back 30 years or so and trotting a stick float, casting accurately and knowing how to feed properly were just three of the core skills people had to master before they could truly call themselves an angler.
Along this challenging journey the foundations for a life in fishing were laid, but are these vital skills being lost on today’s newcomers who make commercials or day-ticket carp lakes their first port of call?
There is a real art to catching consistently on a river
Some old-school anglers, such as carper Nick Helleur, certainly believe so. As one of the most respected people in carp fishing Nick, who turns 50 next year, recently starred on the Thinking Tackle Podcast, where he waxed lyrical about how much angling has changed in recent years.
“I was brought up being told that you ‘cast it out and reel it in’” he said.
“Nowadays, people have bait boats and poles. Learning the skill of casting in a wind or under a bush at range, for example, is falling by the wayside.
“A lot of people are one-trick ponies. Anglers should be able to trot a stick float and set up any rig you care to mention. They should be able to fish for any species without a guide or help. They should be able to go and do it – that’s the joy of angling”
“A lot of people are one-trick ponies”
With a strong correlation between rising rod licence sales and busy day-ticket fisheries this year, it would seem that a lot of newcomers are skipping the challenges of learning to fish natural waters, as Nick suggests. But is that a bad thing? Match legend Tommy Pickering doesn’t think so.
“Does it really matter?” he said.
“I know it concerns some anglers, but a newcomer doesn’t know any different. Commercials are convenient, comfortable, and have all the facilities you need. When people my age grew up, we had no commercials, just rivers and stillwaters where the fishing could be very difficult.”
In Tommy’s mind, the most important thing is that there are new people coming into fishing, full stop.
“The most important advice I can give to a newcomer is to enjoy it,” he added.
“Make sure to ask for advice, too, be it from your local tackle shop or having a coaching day. If you’re catching fish, it’s much more enjoyable, and you’re more likely to stick with it.”
“The most important advice I can give to a newcomer is to enjoy it”
Bob Roberts, one of Britain’s best all-rounders, is of a similar mind to Tommy, although he believes there are certain things that those growing up solely fishing commercials will miss out on.
“The subtlety required in catching roach, dace and skimmers on a natural venue is something that anglers who have grown up on commercials will lack, as well as knowledge of a wide range of techniques, but this is too much to take in,” he told us.
“With the rise of the internet and social media, everything is instant and people expect fishing to be the same. Commercials give people the chance to catch in comfort, with relatively little effort and expenditure. I think they’re brilliant and regularly have catches on them that I would have given my right arm for when I was a newcomer.”
Bob believes the quality of fishing on offer at day-ticket waters will help encourage people to keep fishing, but also isn’t worried that other aspects of angling will die out.
“Take beans on toast. There’s nothing wrong with it, but if you have it every day, you’ll quickly get bored and start adding new flavours or trying different things.
“Fishing is no different. People will eventually want to try something different and will no doubt develop curiosities for fishing a river or canal, even the sea.
“Day-ticket fisheries are having a fantastic impact on fishing and I’m so pleased to see new anglers on the bank. The positive repercussions of the work these fisheries are doing are being felt throughout angling.”
People will eventually want to try something different and will no doubt develop curiosities for fishing a river or canal, even the sea
“Buy it before it’s gone” warn retailers as angling’s surging popularity causes stock logjam
From the big chain retailers to small independent tackle shops, the message to anglers is clear this Christmas – if you see it in stock, buy it now!
Angling’s booming popularity this year has led to a clamour for tackle, causing delays in the supply chain and the need for some adjustment of expectations from buyers and sellers alike.
There has been a surge in demand for fishing tackle
There have been more than 300,000 new anglers on the banks since the spring lockdown was lifted, and an astonishing 36,000 rod licences were sold in the traditionally quieter month of October alone. This has led to increased pressure on tackle manufacturers and retailers who are also battling the continued worldwide fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“My advice to people is if they see an item they want on the shelves then buy it now because you just don’t know when it will be back in stock,” said Dave Eve of independent shop Castaway Tackle in Oxfordshire.
His sentiments have been echoed by James Bigmore, director of large online retailer Total Fishing Tackle, who told us:
“If it’s in stock with your local retailer or with us, just buy it. If it’s a good-selling item and you know it’s had good reviews then pick it up, because there’s no guarantee when stuff will come back into stock at the moment.”
Lack of stock explained
When fishing was banned in March, few could have predicted the sport would rebound so positively from May.
The rush to buy tackle took retailers and manufacturers, who had been preparing for a bumpy year, largely by surprise. When the surge in demand came, the Chinese factories where the majority of tackle is produced were already playing catch-up after enforced closures earlier in the year. The ripple effect also meant shipping-container space became limited, and prices naturally rose.
“You’ve got to remember that this surge in angling popularity isn’t just in Britain,” said James.
“This boom has been worldwide. Everyone is fighting for shipping space, and companies are struggling to get stock.”
Flying hooks and long delays
One trade source told Angling Times that a large British tackle company had begun flying its hooks into the country to circumvent shipping bottlenecks during the initial lockdown, but air freight prices soon quadrupled as carriers saw the potential to cash in.
Dave Eve added:
“One tackle company has got a container of bedchairs and chairs coming in around now, but it’s all sold on back order and the next one isn’t coming until July.
“We’re seeing most orders coming back with 30 or 40 per cent of it out of stock, though that’s the fast-moving items like terminal tackle. Where before we might be ordering one trade pack of items, we’re now ordering two or three trade packs if we know it’s popular stuff that won’t perish. Talking to the sales reps, everyone is doing the same, so it’s creating even more demand.”
Changing buying habits
“What we’ve seen this year is that customers aren’t as brand loyal as they might once have been,” said James Bigmore.
“Because there’s not as much choice as before, where once they might have only been looking for a Trakker bivvy they may now be looking at the Fox alternative.”
He added:
“There aren’t quite as many deals around at the moment and prices will stay very stable. We’re quite a big clearance buyer because we’ve got the space and capacity to buy end-of-line stock, but there hasn’t been as much available this year.
“However, we’ve still bought clearance from firms like Nash, Daiwa and Shimano, and we will still have Black Friday and Christmas sales. It’s been a tough year for some people and I think customers expect those deals to still take place.”
Looking good for 2021
Despite the current logjams in the supply chain, the picture is improving. James continued:
“We’ve got stock arriving every day and it’s definitely been getting quicker in the last six to eight weeks.
“We’ve placed orders based on what we’ve seen this year and hopefully, by next spring and summer, supplies will be back to normal and it should be one of the best years in a long while for the fishing trade.”
Fisheries set for busiest winter ever as licence sales soar...again!
THE BOOM in angling participation has shown no signs of slowing down this month, with many venues reporting unprecedented numbers of visitors for the time of year.
After angling’s busiest-ever summer, it was anticipated that numbers on the bank would tail off as temperatures started to fall, but reports suggest quite the opposite, with fisheries saying business is still booming.
Surrey’s Bury Hill Fishery is one of the venues enjoying a productive autumn, as staff member Ian Chennell revealed:
“I’d say there’s probably a 40 per cent increase on the usual numbers we’d experience at this time of year. We sold a lot of memberships for our carp and predator waters, and these anglers keep coming back.
“In particular, we’ve had a lot more people interested in catching pike and zander, so as the temperatures fall, we hope these guys will keep fishing for these winter species.”
A similar trend has been witnessed further north at East Yorkshire’s Starcarr Lakes.
“We’ve had unprecedented numbers on our banks” said fishery boss Shane Turrell.
“I expect things to drop off a bit more when it gets really cold and the bream begin to back off, but if only half the people come who are currently visiting, we’ll still be doing much better than usual.”
In addition to the continued surge in bankside numbers, the Environment Agency has reported yet another boom in rod licence sales, with 36,851 people buying or renewing their licence in October.
This suggests the influx of newcomers to the sport is continuing unabated. An EA spokesperson told us:
“Despite colder weather, we continue to see thousands of people buying licences. We hope this shows that the current popularity of fishing isn’t just a summer trend but the revival of a much-loved sport.”
People can’t get enough of fishing and now look set to hit the banks all winter too!
Extra £1.35m to be invested in fishery projects
Following a boom in rod licence sales this summer, the Environment Agency revealed that £1.35m of additional income will be invested in fishery projects, with an extra £400,000 being pumped into fish farming and research.
The news follows hot debate on where the new income should go, and it seems that the EA is investing it to safeguard the future of our sport.
An EA spokesperson told us:
“Securing £1.35m will benefit our angling community, as it will go to our Fisheries Improvement Programme and the Angling Improvement Fund (AIF) to support local projects across England.
“These projects have already had a big impact, with the AIF helping to fund more than 500 angling projects.
“An additional £400,000 will go towards new equipment at the National Fisheries Laboratory, Calverton Fish Farm and new technology to monitor fish populations.”
The EA is reviewing where further income will be allocated. Watch this space for further developments.
To submit a proposal for the Angling Improvement Fund, visit: www.anglingtrust.net/aif
The money has been generated from a boom in rod licence sales
What does the future hold for our fisheries?
AS THE autumn leaves begin to turn, they herald not just the start of a new season, but also the end of one of the most remarkable summers of fishing on record.
Across the nation, clubs and day-ticket waters have been hit by a tidal wave of new pleasure anglers, giving our sport a much-needed boost. The question now remains: what does the future hold?
Many people will now be going back to work as the furlough scheme ends and, while a return to something like normal levels of angling activity is expected over the coming months, many fisheries and clubs are expanding and upgrading their facilities to accommodate the throng of new anglers ahead of the good weather returning next spring.
A tidal wave of new anglers has given our sport a much-needed boost
Aaron Grantham, manager of Lincolnshire’s Lindholme Lakes, one of Britain’s premier commercial fisheries, experienced such a busy summer that he’s completely restructuring his business plans.
“It’s been scary!” he told us.
“Numbers have dropped a bit in recent weeks, which is a good thing because the fish can have a bit of a rest, but the number of new people we saw was just incredible.
“Around 1,500 anglers visited each week, up from our usual 1,000, with a large proportion of these being pleasure anglers.
“If we can retain just 20 per cent of these newcomers next year it will be a massive boost for the industry, so we’re making some big changes to try to keep these new faces coming through the gates.”
“We’ll often have all our lakes booked on weekends for matches,” Aaron added,
“but from next year we’re going to make sure that we always have a lake or two reserved for the pleasure lads. Every weekend there will be up to 50 pegs to choose from. In addition, we’ll be building between 50 and 100 new touring caravan plots on a new site with a toilet block. We want to keep everyone happy and continue to appeal to the newcomers to our sport.”
Lindholme has big expansion plans
It’s just not day-ticket fisheries that have experienced a dramatic rise in numbers, with angling clubs across the country also experiencing unprecedented demand from new members.
Wiltshire’s Warminster and District are one such club, and its president Richard Curtis revealed how the club was so busy at times that it struggled to cope with the demand.
“It was manic. I spent three weekends solid just sending out membership cards, and we took so much money through PayPal that it shut down our account because it suspected we were money laundering!
“In the 2015/16 season we had 142 members, including just one junior. Now, we have 924 members, including around 150 juniors. It’s a dream situation that I never could have imagined would arise.”
With such a sharp rise in members you’d expect that there would have been problems with crowded banks – as has been the case at some day-ticket carp lakes – but Richard revealed that the club managed to accommodate all the newcomers, and has even expanded its portfolio as a result.
“We’ve acquired a new water, giving us six lakes and two stretches of river approximately four miles long, ensuring there’s plenty of room for people to spread out. In addition, we’ve bought tools to help maintain and improve our fisheries, such as a boat with a weed cutter, which will help to manage our waters and hopefully encourage new members to keep coming. With the influx of cash we can continue to invest in our waters and continue to thrive.”
Warminster AC saw a sharp rise in members
Bedfordshire-based Vauxhall Angling Club also experienced a record year, and even closed its memberships in mid-August after reaching its 11,500 capacity.
Head bailiff Dave Bing, was impressed with the behaviour and respect for the rules shown by club members during the summer.
“At some day-ticket waters I know there have been problems with people kicking off about various things as well as huge queues to enter fisheries,” he says,
“but our members have shown great respect for the guidelines we put in place. I think the difference is that day tickets are a commodity.
“With an angling club, members have made an investment and are part of something. There’s more of a duty of care towards other members and officials. Our bailiffs have also done a great job of ensuring that everyone follows the guidelines set out by the Angling Trust.”
Many of Vauxhall’s new members have been people that have got back into fishing after a long lay-off.
“I’ve talked to lots of people who fished as kids but then started playing football or rugby at the weekend and focused on that as their hobby instead. While these contact sports were still banned, they gave fishing another go, and many of them now say, ‘Do you know what? I’m not sure why I ever gave this up.’ Hopefully they’ll keep coming for many years, and continue supporting us and the sport we love.”
Vauxhall AC reached its capacity
Post-lockdown rod licence sales soaring - where should the money go?
THE ENVIRONMENT Agency has been handed the chance to tackle some of the biggest issues facing fishing after receiving millions of pounds in extra income.
In the four weeks following the lifting of lockdown restrictions on May 13, more than 335,000 rod licences were sold, a 230 per cent rise in less than two months and 200,000 more than were sold in the corresponding period last year.
In the four weeks following the lifting of lockdown restrictions on May 13, more than 335,000 rod licences were sold
Newcomers to the sport accounted for the majority of the spike in sales, but there is nothing particularly new about the major issues facing angling. Anglers have been crying out for authorities to address growing problems with issues such as water quality and predation, but they aren’t the only problems and now a debate has begun on how the extra cash should best be spent.
The EA will obviously have its work cut out trying to please everyone, so we asked fishery owners, club officials and some of angling’s unsung heroes to tell us where they think the money should go.
Chris Wood, Shrewsbury Angling Club Secretary
SPEND IT ON: Improving river fishing
“The money should be put back into rivers and supporting angling clubs. There are several ways to do this, but the most important is by making fisheries safer. By this I mean building platforms along stretches to make river fishing comfortable and accessible. Clambering down steep banks and cutting your way through a jungle isn’t for everyone, particularly when so many of us are used to sitting by a manicured commercial where you can park next to your peg.
“River fishing’s popularity is on the rise – our club is completely full, with a 300-angler waiting list – so we need to make our rivers accessible to all. By building more platforms you get more bums on the bank so you can police a stretch more easily, as anglers can report anything dodgy.”
We need to make our rivers accessible to all
Mark Barrow ,underwater cameraman for Beneath British Waters
SPEND IT ON: Tackling the major polluters
“The key area to address is the amount of pollution that goes into our rivers, particularly sewage. I’ve been diving and filming in rivers for 30 years and in the past, I’d film shoals of grayling that were 300-strong. Nowadays in the same areas I find small pockets of 15 or so fish at best.
“I’m sure that all the pollution that enters our rivers is having a negative impact and there needs to be a combined effort between the EA, water companies and all other forces to tackle the problem. There are other issues, of course, but sorting the rivers themselves should be the primary objective.
“I’d like to add that the EA gets a lot of stick, but it does some fantastic work. Its people on the ground are just as frustrated and passionate about all this as we are. The problems may be at the top.”
Do the EA need to take a harder stance on polluters?
Bryan Dray, Wellingborough & District Nene AC Youth Coach
SPEND IT ON: More coaching facilities for juniors and newcomers
“It should be spent on funding grassroots level coaching. We’ve seen a phenomenal number of juniors and newcomers get into fishing this year and we need to keep them interested in angling.
“We’ve got 300 juniors in our club, and our coaching sessions have been key in getting these guys interested. The problem is having the funds to keep it all going.
“It’s been so busy that I’ve pretty much had to give up my day job. We’re also in need of more tackle for the kids to use, as well as a van to transport it.
“If we can continue supporting young anglers and keep encouraging more to the sport, we’ll be able to keep fishing on a healthy grounding for generations to come.”
We’ve seen a phenomenal number of juniors and newcomers get into fishing this year and we need to keep them interested in angling
Kevin Clark, Founder of The Angling Initiative project
SPEND IT ON: Policing our waters better
“I’d love to see the extra money spent on better policing for our rivers. Take my local River Wye for example. It suffers badly from poaching, like many waterways, but it also suffers from other so-called water users doing what they like, with little fear of prosecution.
“In recent years the river has been plagued by high levels of phosphates entering the river from neighbouring farmlands, causing terrible algal blooms, which have a detrimental impact on the water quality.
“There’s also an issue with the amount of water from the river being used for irrigation purposes from various interests along the Wye valley, which the river can’t support. It’s caused some of the lowest water levels I’ve seen in decades, and the fishing has suffered as a result.
“The EA needs to contact the local farmers, make them aware of the problems being caused, and start to do something about it. I’m sure many other rivers are suffering a similar fate...”
May waterways suffer badly from poaching
The great club book boom!
MANY OF Britain’s fishing clubs have postponed memberships until 2021 after becoming full to capacity following the post-lockdown surge in angling participation.
The news demonstrates just how popular the sport has become since restrictions were lifted in mid-May, and reflects the Environment Agency’s latest report which highlighted a 17 per cent rise in rod licence sales compared to last year.
One club that’s just sold the last of its 2020 memberships is Northamptonshire’s Vauxhall AC.
Head bailiff Dave Binge tells us:
“Usually we have 700 to 800 annual members, but this year we’ve exceeded 1,000.
“We could have sold a lot more too, but with the current rules on social distancing in place we had to put a cap on our sales so we could keep all of our members safe.
“The extra income has been incredibly beneficial to the club and will contribute to maintaining and stocking our fisheries.”
Sales of club books have soared since lockdown
Despite some anglers missing out on memberships for certain clubs this year, many associations are continuing to provide day tickets for the same waters.
Newark and District Piscatorial Federation (NDPF) is still offering memberships to anglers living within an eight-mile radius of Newark, although those living outside that area must now wait until May 1 of next year before they can submit an application.
According to club bailiff Alfie Naylor, though, there are still plenty of free pegs for day-ticket anglers to enjoy.
“Like the annual memberships, our day-ticket sales have also increased this year and have more or less doubled compared to 2019,” he says.
“However, we’re fortunate at NDPF to have a large selection of River Trent venues that provide plenty of space for anglers.
“Although we have seen an influx in anglers buying a day ticket, our stretches just never get close to being full or too busy.”
Clubs on the River Trent have been particularly popular
Commercials playing their part in the angling boom - Reader letter
A long time ago, angling celeb and TV personality Matt Hayes wrote an article about ‘real’ fishing and compared it with commercial fisheries.
Matt said that he felt that commercials were responsible for sanitising fishing, and that the real excitement of a catch came from anticipation.
At the time, many of us would have shared Matt’s sentiments. However, since then commercials have been quietly maturing. They contain some cracking roach and monster perch, piling on weight from the pleasure anglers’ baits to offer a challenge worthy of the best of us.
Knowing Matt’s commitment to all things fishing, I’m sure he will be absolutely buzzing at seeing the explosion in fishing over the last few months, and be grateful to the part commercials have played in this upturn.
Commercial venues are about much more than just carp
Ron Brooke, via email