Get Fishing CAST Awards

The CAST Awards, developed by the Angling Trust, with funding from the Environment Agency and support from Sport England are a series of progressive skills awards for anglers in England, designed to support, reward, and recognize their achievements, starting with the CAST Starter level and progressing through multiple levels.

Anglers taking part in the Get Fishing CAST Awards will have by now developed some fundamental skills, enabling them to challenge themselves and build their abilities for future participation on their angling journey. For example a participant may have experienced or want to: target specific species and use specific tactics, select and prepare bait, tie rigs, understand fish habitats, learn swim selection, demonstrate multiple fishing methods and so on.

Purpose of the Get Fishing CAST Awards:
To support, reward, and recognize the standards of anglers across England.

Progression in the Get Fishing CAST Awards:
The Get Fishing CAST Awards are a series of progressive steps, helping anglers develop skills in their chosen discipline.

Levels of the Get Fishing CAST Awards:

• CAST Starter: Rewards interest in new anglers (e.g., attending a fishing event, helping net a fish, knowing fish species and bait, and water safety). This is the first step on the skills pathway, and rewards the interest of new anglers. (attended a fishing event, helped net a fish, can name fish species and types of bait, knows how to keep safe by water)
• CAST Level One: Focuses on basic skills for competent anglers (e.g., assembling equipment, identifying fishing spots, bite recognition, playing and landing fish, and unhooking fish). At this point children will learn some of the basic skills to become a competent angler. (assembling equipment, identifying where to fish, bite recognition, playing and landing fish, unhooking fish)
• CAST Level Two: Highlights competence in basic angling skills (e.g., line selection, terminal tackle, methods, equipment, casting, tying knots, weather and water conditions, and fish location). This stage highlights the angler’s competence in undertaking basic angling skills. (line selection, attaching terminal tackle, choice of methods, choosing suitable equipment, accurate casting, tying knots, weather and water conditions, fish location)
• CAST Level Three: Enables anglers to challenge themselves and reinforce abilities for future participation. By now anglers will have developed some fundamental skills, enabling them to challenge themselves and reinforce abilities for future participation. (target specific species and use specific tactics, select and prepare bait, tie rigs, look at fish habitats, learn about holding swims, demonstrate multiple methods)

Delivery of the Get Fishing CAST Awards:
The Get Fishing CAST Awards are delivered by Get Fishing Event Delivery Partners across the country. They are the next progressive step in an angler’s journey and will usually follow on from participation in the Get Fishing Awards which have been designed to help beginners take their first steps in angling. In this situation the Get Fishing CAST Awards are the natural progressive steps in a person’s journey from catching their first fish to becoming a more experienced angler via a simple three-step programme towards the Gold Award Level which enables a participant to go fishing by themselves and (depending on age), learn how to register and pay for their fishing licence and also receive 25% Off Discover at Angling Direct*

HOW TO GET INVOLVED WITH THE GET FISHING CAST AWARD:

• Want to take part in a Get Fishing CAST Award?
  Please make contact with your local Regional Angling Development Officer
• Interested in running a Get Fishing CAST Award programme?
  Please drop us an email at [email protected]
• Want to take part in the first-step Get Fishing Awards?
  Please look for an event near to you or make contact with your local Regional Angling Development Officer

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.

The 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.

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.