TikTok tactics bring bigger angling to the millions – Get Fishing update from Jimmy’s Willis at the Angling Trust

Spreading the Get Fishing message is vital to attract new audiences. Jimmy Willis, Marketing Manager (Participation), reports:

This year saw a massive uptick in activity on our Get Fishing socials. We are now reaching millions of people every year and encouraging them to try angling.

I want to thank every single club, fishery, coach, and participant that has sent content, or tagged us. YOU are the reason the Get Fishing campaign has grown so much — thank YOU!

We released our most successful Get Fishing Podcast episode, with guest ‘Angling Royalty’, Matt Hayes. Again, thank you Matt for not only giving up your time to appear on the podcast, but also for non-stop promotion of Get Fishing on your socials. Matt has had a remarkable life in angling – you really should download this episode from your favourite podcast provider!

Back in January, Dave Munt, our northeast Regional Angling Development Office sent me a video. In itself, at  that’s not unusual – I get hundreds of bits of content every month – but this one hit me in the feels – I just knew it would smash it on social.

The short clip was filmed by a proud dad while son, Louis – just 5 – caught and played a fish at Knitsley Mill Fishing Lakes. The pure encouragement and genuine excitement in dad’s voice chimed with all us anglers and 930,000 organic views on Facebook later it became the most successful Angling Trust video ever! Surely we’d never beat that …or would we!?

This was also the year Get Fishing got on TikTok, well we had to really didn’t we! My aim for TikTok is to hit-up the non-angling public with a nice mix of beginner tips, event highlights and well, just some fairly random angling videos with viral potential!

We uploaded a brilliant one from another dad, Steven, who’d filmed son Harry – this time only 4 – get a wraparound bite and connect with a clonking fish. What happened next was stunning.

I’m just going to say it: 3,600,000 views. Ridiculous! This viral video must’ve been seen by tens of thousands of non-anglers and generated hundreds of questions wanting to know what he actually caught, so – Big Reveal – here’s a pic of Harry with THAT carp!

Harry with THAT carp

This job means many hours locked away in my studio, editing pics, videos and managing social media. But, on the flip side I do get to attend some awesome events where I meet brilliant anglers. If I had to pick the highlight? It had to be ‘Get Fishing at the FishO Final’!

Who’d have thought we’d end up with our very own mini-FishOMania fish-off between Sophie Hughes, (daughter of Superstar Match-Winner Jamie) vs Macie Bennett (niece of Top-Finalist Andy)!?

While both gents competed in the televised final, Macie and Sophie caught a fish each in our version of the main event. We had to call it a draw!

Thanks again for all the amazing support and remember please use #GetFishing, follow our accounts, do ask fishy questions, and post your pics.

Come on – together we can bring angling to the masses!

Much love,

@RealJimmyWillis

www.tiktok.com/@getintofishing

The Get Fishing campaign to get more people fishing more often is funded by the Environment Agency from fishing licence income as part of the National Angling Strategic Services contract with the Angling Trust, and Sport England. Children under 13 do not need a licence, and licences for children aged between 13 and 16 are free but you still need to register and receive a licence in order to go fishing. You can get a licence for the full year, for 8 days (ideal for holidays!) or just a day’s fishing.

NOTE: Although young children who are under 13 year old do not need a licence to fish, the person supervising them needs the proper fishing licence to take hold of the rod or to help the child fish with it.

The Angling Trust’s ‘Get Fishing’ campaign is proudly supported by
Shakespeare, Exclusive Tackle Partner and Angling Direct, Exclusive Retail Partner
as we all work towards getting more people fishing, more often.