School Project introduces the benefits of fly fishing to students

Over the last 6 months staff and students at Jubilee School in Hampshire have been undertaking a range of angling activities, with students learning a new skills that include pole fishing, fly-tying, fly-casting and fly-fishing, keeping safe around water, understanding the natural world and building new friendships.

The project has been a great success with many of the young people now using these activities in school to help them stay calm when they are stressed. These activities include practise casting and fly tying.  Thanks to a donation from YETI of three, 15Ltr Loadout boxes and Seperfli materials, students have access to a full fly-tying kit to allow them to tie a fly for their next visit to the water and hopefully their next catch. They are looking to include other classroom based activities around angling over the coming months.

In the first week of the summer holidays, teacher Shane Davies undertook a sponsored walk of the Southdowns’ Way (some 100 miles) ending each day with a visit to a local trout fishery along with Spencer a student that left Jubilee School this year. During these visits Spencer and Shane spent time with other anglers fishing, tying flies and fundraising for an event to be held later in the holidays. So along with a go fund me page they were able to raise £1100.00 which covered the cost of the event which was held at Chalk Springs Fishery on August 14th

The event was a huge success. Sixteen young people that attend Jubilee school along with siblings, parents, careers and staff where supported by five volunteer angling mentors and staff from both the angling trust and ORVIS. Orvis also supported with the donation of a Yeti Cap for each young person attending and helped out with mentoring, casting instruction and supplied a range of fishing tackle. This event impacted positively in the development of the students and enabled them to build new and improve old friendships.

After the event Orvis offered all of the students an opportunity to attend the 6th annual Orvis Saltwater festival held on Hayling Island. Three students attended along with Shane Davies and their parents or careers. During the event two of the students, one granddad and one of the students fathers were even interviewed for an upcoming episode of the TV angling show “On The Bank” ! Shane Davies was also filmed to give an overview of why angling is great for the students and generally beneficial for the mental health of anyone involved.

Moving Forward Shane is determined to continue to establish angling across the school. They hope to establish an organisation called Angling Mentors and aim to work closely with The Angling Trust, Fishing for Schools and local fishing clubs to plan events both during the school term and during the school holidays.

Flyfishing really can bring positive benefits to young people and Shane and the staff at Jubilee School should be very proud of what they are achieving with this project. The support they have received from Orvis, Yeti and Semperfli has made a huge difference and is a great example of how the whole angling family can work together as a force of good.