Welcome to Jack Culpin, the new Regional Angling Development Officer for the East of England

This month we welcome Jack Culpin to the Angling Trust’s Participation Team of Regional Angling Development Officers – welcome onboard Jack! Jack now holds the position of Regional Angling Development Officer for the East of England.

Jack told us about how he first got into fishing, his favourite species and what the new job holds:

“I’ve been a keen angler since I was very young. My Dad got me into fishing by taking me with him at every opportunity when we went pike fishing locally, and travelled throughout the Fens. But even before those pike focused adventures with Dad, I was going fishing from the age of 4! Looking back at that time I think I learnt to fish by using one of the purest and uncomplicated forms of coarse fishing with just a small basic fishing rod and reel, a handful of floats and donated end-tackle with a few worms or maggots for bait and fishing for (…and catching!) whatever I could.

 

As I’ve got older, the majority of my fishing time became focused on predatory species, but I would say my real passion came to be pike fishing. I’ve based most of my fishing around the Cambridgeshire Fens, but with the odd trip up to Scotland with the Pike Anglers Club of Great Britain.

 

I’d probably describe myself as an “all-rounder” though really, as I spend my summers chasing “Fenland Gold” (the beautiful gold and red-finned rudd) on these wonderful wild fisheries. It really does feel like you can get away from it all there, and really, like so many other people are discovering, fishing has become my means of temporarily escaping the stresses of everyday life.

 

Despite fishing being a means of escape, I can’t wait to get my feet under the table in my new role as the Regional Angling Development Officer for the East of England, and the opportunity to work across one of the largest of the Angling Trust’s eight Regions, with all its amazing angling clubs, coaches, charities and fisheries – many of which are already involved with Get Fishing or other projects funded by the Environment Agency from fishing licence income, or by the support of other funding partners.

 

I know that together we all have a common goal to get more people fishing more often! Our Get Fishing Award programme, and it’s next stage – the Get Fishing CAST Awards – are the ideal vehicle to introduce newcomers on their angling journey. Being able to arrange a free group rod fishing licence to cover everyone fishing during one of the freshwater events that we liaise with the Environment Agency on, and who generously donate this “waiver” to cover Get Fishing events, as well as helping my Region’s many and varied Event Delivery Partners to access and apply for facilities and funding such as the Get Fishing Fund is an exciting challenge, but one I can’t wait to get started on!

 

For this reason I encourage any clubs, fisheries, charities and coaches in the East of England to get in touch (by email in the first instance please) to arrange a quick introductory chat or face-to-face meeting, and find out how we can continue or start work together and bring all of the amazing health, wellbeing, and lifelong benefits of going fishing through the diverse and all-welcoming offer of simply going fishing!“

 

Drop me a line at [email protected], and let’s get the conversation started!

 

Best wishes,
Jack

Jack Culpin
Regional Angling Development Officer (East of England)
[email protected]
07808 779470

The Angling Trust’s Regional Angling Development Officers and
our Get Fishing campaign are funded by

Our Regional Angling Development Officers and the Get Fishing campaign to get more people fishing more often are 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 before you 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 to have the proper fishing licence before they take hold of the fishing rod or help the child fish with it.

Get Fishing is Proudly Supported by

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.

If there’s something that you cannot find here to help you start fishing or return to angling, please contact your local Regional Angling Development Officer – you can find the nearest one to where you want to go fishing here.