Going fishing is a great way to add a bit of adventure into your weekly routine.
If you’ve never tried it before then there’s a great campaign called Take a Friend Fishing (TAFF) taking place until the Sunday 19th July.
You’ll need to know someone who currently goes fishing and holds a licence and all they have to do is register for a free one-day Environment Agency fishing licence that usually costs £6. This will let them take a friend along and allow them to actually cast a line in instead of just sitting and watching.
To take advantage of the offer, all that licence holding anglers need to do is to visit www.takeafriendfishing.co.uk and provide some simple contact details including their fishing licence number and the date of the fishing trip.
This will notify their friend who, after checking their details are correct, will be able to go fishing with the fishing licence holder on the selected day using their own free one-day fishing licence.
To help you out there’s a list of great location suggestions at www.getfishing.org.uk/location that a newcomer or anybody who wants to get back into angling can visit.
Kevin Austin, Deputy Director for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment at the Environment Agency said: “We are delighted to support the relaunch of the Take a Friend Fishing initiative. This is the ideal time for anglers to introduce someone new to our wonderful sport. By providing a free one-day licence to newcomers we hope many will discover the enjoyment of fishing for the first time and once hooked will be inspired to go again and again.“Angling is a healthy activity which anyone can participate in and provides endless options for being outside in the environment, why not encourage a friend to give it a go?”
Clive Copeland, Head of the Participation at the Angling Trust commented: “It’s brilliant to see so many people trying fishing, and the busy angling venues we have seen all over the country are testament to a massive rise in participation numbers. This is not only amongst tens of thousands of people trying fishing for the first time but also the many lapsed anglers who want to get back into angling with friends, family members and colleagues who recognise that this is the perfect time to take a friend fishing.”
Fishing has seen a boom in participation numbers after being one of the first sports to return on 13th May after lockdown guidelines were relaxed. The Angling Trust – the national representative and governing body for angling in England regularly updates its guidelines to anglers, clubs, fisheries, coaches and other angling organisations to ensure fishing can comply with the latest Government guidance during the Covid-19 epidemic. Going fishing is a wonderful way to spend quality time with family and friends and has proven mental health and wellbeing benefits.
If you’re after a rod and kit then check out this fly-fishing rod from Orvis.
For more information and to get a free one-day fishing licence to Take a Friend Fishing, visit www.takeafriendfishing.co.uk.
Getting your first bite and successfully landing a fish is a very exciting memory to make
DETAILS ON LICENCES
You need a valid Environment Agency Rod Licence if you are aged 13 or over and fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel in England (except the River Tweed), Wales, and the Border Esk and its tributaries in Scotland.
An annual licence only costs £30 for up to 2 rods to fish for coarse fish & trout.
Concessionary, short term and three rod coarse licences are also available.
Visit https://www.gov.uk/fishing-licences/buy-a-fishing-licence to buy one online.
