The Angling Coaching Initiative gets people fishing and creates memories for a lifetime!

The Angling Coaching Initiative is a non-profit making umbrella organisation supported by six local angling clubs in mid and north Essex that has been providing coaching for juniors since 2018.

The scheme is aimed to bring juniors aged 8 to 16 into the sport who may not know anyone to take them fishing, but also to develop the skills of juniors new to angling. The scheme, therefore, caters for both novices and those who already fish. Parents/Grand Parents etc. are welcome to join in as well. For many of the younger participants, they will rely upon a parent to take them fishing outside of the coaching scheme, so for them, coaching the parents is equally important.

ACI has organised 20 coaching sessions in the year 2025. They have catered for the very young to those whose hair is greying. During the course of 2025 the coaches at ACI have taught students who are in the spectrum; individuals with ADHD and those who are severely physically handicapped too.

The end of season match was on Saturday the 4th October 2025 at Oliver’s Lake near Witham, Essex. A total of 19 students took part divided into the Red Team and the Blue Team. The conditions were not ideal with certain swims more difficult to fish than others.

Winner for Blue Team was Noah EVANS with a weight of 21 lbs 11 oz which included 10 lb 8 oz carp catch.

Blue Team Catch of the Day was Noah SPENCE with a Tench of 5 lb 1 oz.

Winner for the Red Team was Lachlan PUSSORD with a weight of 26 lbs 10 oz which included a Carp of 17 lb 7 oz.

Red Team catch of the Day was Eoin SINNOTT with 4 Bream and a Tench weighing 19 lb 8 oz

Well done to all who took part!

We continually see the appreciation of these events through parents, grandparents and guardians, who all leave with families eager to get back out onto the bank. You can find an event in your area here!

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.