 National Fishing Month Cancelled For This Year | National Fishing Month which promotes angling in all of its forms has been cancelled for this year. The annual August jamboree has been run by the Angling Trades Association for nearly three decades Hundreds of locally run events each year, right across the country, have given anyone the opportunity to be taught how to fish by a qualified coach. |
The 2020 celebration has fallen foul of the Covid-19 pandemic and it is unlikely to resume in the same format next year. However, one-day rod licences are back soon for a whole seven-week spell after a successful two-week period last month, as part of 2020 relaunch of Take A Friend Fishing. Mike Heylin, vice chairman of the ATA explained "This year there was too much uncertainty around coronavirus and the various government restrictions in place to make running National Fishing Month viable "Postponement was not an option either, as nobody really can predict what will be happening next week, never mind next month.
"The Canal & River Trust is running some of its Lets Fish! taster events, but they are much reduced in number, for various reasons, including older coaches not wanting to take the risk, and there being lots of regulations around hygiene and social distancing. "The ATA has run NFM in the past as getting more people into fishing will result in more people buying tackle, but ultimately we are an organisation with a primary purpose to promote the tackle trade directly.
"We feel that there are other organisations better placed to exercise the promotion of angling Next year we will be looking to tackle companies and shops to organise events, rather than the ATA organising them directly. "I can envisage us having a purely co-ordination role, putting together a calendar of all the events that others are organising. "The recent Take a Friend Fishing initiative, which offered a free one-day licence to take a newcomer fishing, went well, and I understand there are plans to repeat it shortly.
"Currently, the campaign asks anglers to take a friend, but I think we should explore advertising it to the public, suggesting that they ask a fishing friend to take them. "I do believe that the need to buy a licence to try fishing for a few hours is a major barrier to people starting the sport and permanent ways round it should be explored "I know the Environment Agency need the income, but one way around the issue would be to formally allow someone who has a licence to let someone use their second rod, provided they are in close proximity.
"But there is mounting evidence that numbers going fishing are increasing since lockdown People who have a lot of time on their hands are getting their old gear out and others are giving it a try for the first time.
"The tackle trade is booming, with some shops having business at record levels since they reopened, and manufacturers are at full pelt to maintain supplies of tackle Rod licence sales are 15 per cent up year-on-year, and my gut feeling is that this represents a 25 per cent increase in the numbers actually going fishing It's difficult to know, as I don't believe the EA track how many licences sold are renewals and how many are returnees or newcomers. "The EA really should know their customer base better, like businesses always try to do, because their income and profit relies upon it."
"The Canal & River Trust is running some of its Lets Fish! taster events, but they are much reduced in number, for various reasons, including older coaches not wanting to take the risk, and there being lots of regulations around hygiene and social distancing. "The ATA has run NFM in the past as getting more people into fishing will result in more people buying tackle, but ultimately we are an organisation with a primary purpose to promote the tackle trade directly.
"We feel that there are other organisations better placed to exercise the promotion of angling Next year we will be looking to tackle companies and shops to organise events, rather than the ATA organising them directly. "I can envisage us having a purely co-ordination role, putting together a calendar of all the events that others are organising. "The recent Take a Friend Fishing initiative, which offered a free one-day licence to take a newcomer fishing, went well, and I understand there are plans to repeat it shortly.
"Currently, the campaign asks anglers to take a friend, but I think we should explore advertising it to the public, suggesting that they ask a fishing friend to take them. "I do believe that the need to buy a licence to try fishing for a few hours is a major barrier to people starting the sport and permanent ways round it should be explored "I know the Environment Agency need the income, but one way around the issue would be to formally allow someone who has a licence to let someone use their second rod, provided they are in close proximity.
"But there is mounting evidence that numbers going fishing are increasing since lockdown People who have a lot of time on their hands are getting their old gear out and others are giving it a try for the first time.
"The tackle trade is booming, with some shops having business at record levels since they reopened, and manufacturers are at full pelt to maintain supplies of tackle Rod licence sales are 15 per cent up year-on-year, and my gut feeling is that this represents a 25 per cent increase in the numbers actually going fishing It's difficult to know, as I don't believe the EA track how many licences sold are renewals and how many are returnees or newcomers. "The EA really should know their customer base better, like businesses always try to do, because their income and profit relies upon it."
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