This year’s National Celebration of Young People and Fishing looks set to be maxed out with 500 youngsters tackling up on the Shropshire canal next weekend (September 13th and 14th), making it one of the largest angling events ever held.
Helped and supported by nearly 100 Let’s Fish volunteers (part of the Canal & River Trust), the draw will take place on Facebook live on the evening of Wednesday, September 10th .You can sign up HERE.
The full peg draw and car parking instructions will be sent to each participant by e-mail on Thursday 11th September.
The National Celebration covers a range of age groups – Cadets, Young juniors, Full Juniors and Youth – and sees entrants of all abilities compete for prizes including the coveted Gudgeon Mugs in a great festival of angling which is gaining popularity year on year.
The event has proved so popular that a priority booking system was in place for 2025 for junior anglers to register interest well in advance with organisers.
The National Celebration of Young People and Fishing will be held on Saturday, September 13th 2025 for Cadets and Youth and Sunday, September 14th 2025 for Young Juniors (11 to 12 years), and Full Juniors (13 to 15 years).
After the fishing has taken place and catches weighed in by the stewards, competitors will gather at Harper Adams university, for the prizegiving plus food and refreshments.
Those catching a gudgeon recorded on the weigh sheet will be entitled to collect a coveted 2025 Guru Gudgeon Mug. Those catching three different species of fish will win a copy of Tommy Pickering’s book Born to Win. The event certificate signed by six anglers that have won gold medals at international level can also be collected at this time along with the Tackle Guru goody bag and a £5 Angling Direct voucher. Along with the coaching mugs, these certificates are likely to become collectors’ items over the next few years.