The ATA continues to work tirelessly with the Environment Agency and other partners to deliver the National Angling Strategy, even during the Covid-19 pandemic, to ensure a steady stream of new anglers, often from new sectors, to the market for tackle and fishing.
The National Angling Strategy has been in action for three years now and is gaining pace in market influence. Each of us in the industry, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, fisheries and clubs can help deliver some aspect of the NAS by working with others to maximise its impact and the number of new anglers we grow each year.
This report outlines how we dealt with Covid-19 and what initiatives are currently available, which require trade support both nationally and locally.
In exciting developments for 2022, the Canal and River Trust will again be running Let’s Fish, right through the year, targeted at new anglers learning in a long session repeating experience how to catch fish on the canals and being introduced to clubs and fisheries participating in the scheme.
There are sponsorship opportunities for both national brands and local retailers across the country located in the following towns: Abergavenny, Bedford, Birmingham, Burnley, Chester, Coventry, Derby, Devizes, Gloucester, Hemel Hempstead, Leeds, Leicester, Leighton Buzzard, Liverpool, Llangollen, Luton, Market Drayton, Middlewich, Milton Keynes, Nantwich, Northampton, Northwich, Nottingham, Pontypool, Reading, Rochdale, Rugeley, Sheffield, Stafford, Stoke on Trent, Taunton, Watford, Whitchurch, Wolverhampton and Worcester.
As more angling clubs join the Let’s Fish scheme, additional towns as centres will be added over the winter and into the spring.
The ATA is working with the fisheries team at CRT to develop a package of opportunities for members of the trade to use, as part of their own marketing plans.
At this stage there is a lot of flexibility as to what any sponsorship package may look like. Money is vital in driving these initiatives, which are delivered pretty much by volunteers but we also need specific tackle and bait to deliver these vital new anglers to the market.
In addition to Let’s Fish, 2022 is the host year for the Commonwealth Games and plans are already advanced for a series of 20 qualifiers to select teams representing Commonwealth countries to compete in the Nations Team Event for young people. There are 21 events needing a national brand sponsor as well as opportunities for local tackle shops to assist with trophies, prizes and certificates and to be the focal point for these new anglers locally.
There’s also the National Celebration of Young People and Angling – a weekend of competitions, on the canal, for teams of three and individuals, to demonstrate their new-found skills as anglers and discover the pleasures and camaraderie of match fishing and the importance of local fishing clubs. This offers plenty of opportunities, from being an event sponsor to individual prize sponsors and goody bag suppliers.
The National Angling Strategy can deliver your future business but to really succeed it needs everyone in the trade to do their part. Read the report and call one of the organisations involved to discuss what opportunities there might be for your brands and your outlets.