Increasing Participation
Angling has long been regarded as one of the biggest – if not THE biggest – participation sports in the country. While that makes good reading in itself, the challenge remains for clubs and fisheries to attract newcomers and to rekindle the interest of those who may have lapsed.
The Angling Trust’s five-year strategic plan, Fishing for Good 2023-28 reflects participation as one of its key pillars through the period. In this section, we highlight some of the specific activities that help to underpin that plan and that clubs and fisheries may find helpful in the development of their own strategies.
Finding New Anglers
An Introduction to the Get Fishing Programme
Any club or fishery seeking to widen its membership base or visitor footfall across any age group might wish consider a Get Fishing event as one of its promotional options. Each year, campaign staff work with venues across the country to run hundreds of events for all ages and abilities
Get Fishing aims to present angling as a recreational past-time to those who may not have previously had the opportunity. These events are for anyone who wants to get into fishing, get back into the sport or simply wishes to find out more about where they can go, who with and what to use. The potential benefits to venues in terms of numbers, commercial viability and community engagement are plentiful.
The Get Fishing YouTube channel offers guidance across all disciplines including how the campaign works and how it can help with introductory activities.
A series of ‘How To’ guides also offer information reflecting incentives for new anglers. While these are specifically aimed at the individual angler, it’s a taste of the advice the Angling Trust’s Development officers can offer to clubs and fisheries looking to expand membership and participation numbers.
Clubs and fisheries hosting low or no-cost ‘Have a Go’ beginner events will see their association with the Get Fishing programme advertised on our dedicated page.
Other projects which may support a club or fishery’s campaign for greater participation are:
We Fish As One
This is the Angling Trust’s long-term community inclusion campaign that aims to use the power of fishing as a community building activity. Within it, clubs and fisheries are encouraged to forge greater links with their local communities to raise the profile of angling and the opportunities their organisations can provide.
On the We Fish As One webpage, clubs and fisheries are encouraged to download the official campaign toolkit which includes key contacts for participation, promotion and safe-guarding information, logos and social media assets.
Get Fishing For Wellbeing
Regular anglers will know how angling is a firm ally for boosting mental health and wellbeing. The Get Fishing For Wellbeing page sets out how clubs and fisheries might involve themselves in activities that can be of benefit to existing and new members or casual visitors. Information includes a listing of Approved Delivery Partners which are presented on a regional basis and a series of videos that illustrate how clubs and venues can provide a wider offering than simply catching fish.
Building Bridges
One specific pathway to finding new anglers is through the Angling Trust’s Building Bridges project which promotes the integration of migrant anglers into the angling community. Building Bridges has its own page in another part of the Fisheries Support section of this website but you can find introductory and directional information below.
Across the country there is a large group of anglers – or would be anglers – whose heritage and general approach to fishing is very different to ours and the campaign works to bridge the gap between the local angling communities and its migrant anglers.
In this short presentation, Building Bridges Project Manager, Janusz Kansik, a migrant arrival himself in 2010, discusses ways in which the campaign can support clubs and fisheries with free information and services that will help acquaint migrant anglers with angling, its laws and its customs in England.
Within the above presentation, Janusz reflects a series of opportunities and services that will help clubs to embrace members of the local community for who the Building Bridges Project was created. Click on the links below to be directed to more information.
- Multilingual signs and leaflets
- Multi-lingual pocket guides on freshwater fishing rules (English, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian)
- Sessions for young people (video)
Coaching
The ability for a club or fishery to call upon the services of an officially qualified angling coach (or coaches) can be a great selling point for memberships and casual visitors. It can also provide an entry point into the local community with school holiday events that are fronted by qualified and officially registered representatives. offering something different to occupy young minds.
Anyone who can catch fish with a rod and line is already on the way to becoming a qualified angling coach. In this presentation, the Angling Trust’s Coaching Centre Manager, Richard Hadley, offers an introductory view of the pathway to qualification. Richard reflects on the motivation, the process and the opportunities a coaching qualification as an angling coach might provide.
This presentation was first aired in January 2024.
This Lines On The Water blog “How To Become An Angling Coach“ offers some gentle reading and a different slant on the subject. It might be something to show a potential candidate and edge them closer along a path towards a new, rewarding direction in their angling career.
As part of the overall considerations for a coaching programme, please also refer to the Safeguarding and Welfare advice provided in the dedicated section of the Fisheries Support Service pages.