Scouts get Angling Activity Award badges – how youth groups can come fishing too

Six scouts from 1st Brington Scout Group have completed their Angling Activity Award Badges, which concluded with their second outing on the bank to Browns Lake, Great Addington, Northamptonshire.

This was the perfect venue, a little-known private lake discreetly hidden in the Northamptonshire countryside and packed full of carp!

Under the watchful eye of Richard and Phillipa Winser, the theory aspects were conveyed without any distraction at the waterside, and the instructor lineup was complemented and concluded by Roger Adams.

Roger commented:

“I suspect that by the time the participants have completed the various elements to achieve this award, their knowledge surpasses that of the average seasoned adult angler. Well done to everyone!”

Richard said:

“As instructors, we were really looking forward to getting out with the 1st Brington Scout Group again; my only apprehension was that, having had such a phenomenal day in Bedfordshire previously, could we replicate such a fishing adventure again?
“On this occasion, we studied ‘Feeder techniques’ to present our tackle differently and at a far longer range. This method is often employed to entice species like carp, and we were not disappointed!”

Scout Leader Tim Collins managed to catch the largest (and his first ever fish), being a carp of around 6 lb, and Connie claimed the smallest fish of the day with a tiny roach!

Finn also caught his first-ever fish, followed by at least nine others, which fuelled a determination to go fishing again, and Bailey, who caught the first fish of the afternoon competition session and consistently did well, catching over 16 fish, many of which were unaided.

Tim Collins, Scout Leader at 1st Brington said:

“What an amazing experience for our scouts, I can’t thank Richard, Phillipa and Roger enough for their infectious enthusiasm and calm tutelage. So impressed that they dedicate their time to compellingly sharing their angling experience, turning our novice young people into budding anglers.”

Want to get into fishing but don’t know where to start? Our Get Fishing event programme runs nationwide and is funded by the Environment Agency from fishing licence income, reinvesting money back into angling so that more people get to have a go at fishing and benefit from all of the good things it brings with it like being outdoors, spending time together with friends and family, achieving new goals, learning a new skill-for-life and helping maintaining mental and physical health and wellbeing.

We’re running free or low cost events all over the country so, if you want to have a go, have a look here and sign up for your group, yourself, family and friends.

The Get Fishing campaign is funded by

The Angling Trust’s 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 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 Angling Direct, Exclusive Retail Partner as we 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.