There must be something in the name… Chris Yates L2 Angling Coach helps schools Get Fishing

Chris Yates, a Level 2 angling coach, has been fronting an inspiring initiative in partnership with the Angling Trust to introduce fishing to local schoolchildren – proving that angling is much more than just a pastime.

Over the summer, his coaching and outreach culminated in a fun fishing match between local schools, despite cold overnight temperatures and tricky conditions. The young anglers enjoyed catching silvers, and for many, watching carp leap dramatically – but just out of reach – added to the excitement.

These opportunities come through the Reel Education programme, a flagship project run by the Angling Trust and funded by fishing licence income in partnership with the Environment Agency. The programme begins with in-school education — using classroom activities, games, and curriculum-linked lessons — then progresses to bank-side, hands-on fishing sessions. The aim is to give children a lifelong connection to angling by embedding environmental learning and practical experience.

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The Reel Education curriculum is particularly powerful because it links directly to national curriculum subjects like Science, Maths, and Art, while also using P.E.-style games and environmental activities led by trained, DBS-checked coaches. In this way, the project seamlessly connects classroom learning to real-world outdoor experiences.

One of the most profound impacts of the programme is how it builds routes out of the school and into the wider community. After a school’s in-class day, pupils are supported to visit local angling clubs or fisheries, creating what the Trust calls “exit routes” from the classroom to the water’s edge.

This pathway ensures that the excitement of their school-day activities doesn’t end there — children and families can continue fishing, building confidence, knowledge and a sense of belonging in the angling community.

Feedback from schools has been overwhelmingly positive. On the Angling Trust website, a teacher commented:

“The children in my class absolutely loved the day! They learned so much, and it was a really engaging and exciting range of activities for them.”

Another powerful example comes from a more recent pilot: in Bridlington, an alternative-provision school worked with Chris Holden (Reel Education Manager, North) and a regional coach to introduce angling through games, casting, knot-tying, and water safety. Then the pupils were taken to fish at a local venue — and everyone caught fish, even earning their Silver Get Fishing Award. The school is now establishing its own angling club, with a teacher training to become a qualified Level 2 Event Lead Coach.

That sense of progression — from classroom to bank, from trial to self-led angling — is exactly what Reel Education sets out to deliver. Over 40,000 children have now participated in the programme, and in every school visited so far, over 80% of students have expressed a desire to fish after their initial engagement.

The wider benefits of angling that the Angling Trust regularly highlights are striking. The Get Fishing campaign exists to get more people fishing, more often — and most events are free or very low cost, especially for beginners. These sessions are funded through licence income, meaning that anglers’ own licence fees help to reinvest in growing participation.

Beyond learning new skills, Reel Education (and angling more broadly) contributes strongly to health, wellbeing and community. Time by the water helps children connect with nature, improves mental wellbeing, and builds social confidence — all while learning valuable environmental lessons. Indeed, the Angling Trust has noted that fishing can act as a powerful tool for inclusion, giving people of different backgrounds a shared space for recreation and learning.

Chris Yates’s work — facilitating the Reel Education summer programme, coordinating bank-side matches, and fostering that pathway from school to angling community — is a shining example of how these initiatives can deliver real, tangible impact. Because there really is something in the name: education, community, resilience, and a lifelong love of the water.

If your school would like to benefit too, you can contact your local Angling Trust Reel Education manager by clicking 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.