
Every month, the ATA meets with the Environment Agency (EA) to discuss the many elements surrounding rod licence sales and their promotion.
Extensive study of past figures has revealed trends in angling participation that give us an insight as to how we might increase angling numbers across the different age groups. More recently, with the growth in the number of interventions and societal changes, the pattern of angling licences is changing.
One change of note is the ratio of full licences to short term. Are people changing their attitude towards licence purchases because of pressures on their free time or are anglers less inclined to fish year round.
The 2024 licence sales were slow to catch up with last year but by July/August we were ahead. Sales in September have slowed a little, something we might expect given the adverse weather, a return to school and other seasonal effects but we are still marginally ahead at 1.37 per cent as opposed to 2.01 per cent in August.
The main point of interest for the trade as always is the unique angler number (UAN) which gives us a much clearer understanding of the number of anglers as opposed to the number of licences being sold. September’s UAN is still ahead of last year by a slender 1.11 per cent, down on the more impressive 5.4 per cent recorded in August.
With an increase in prices, the income going towards the maintenance, improvement and stocking of fisheries is up 6.42 per cent on last year. The increase in sales is in large part down to a significant increase in junior licences, which do not contribute to licence income but are nonetheless very welcome.
An increase in junior licences bodes well for the future if those juniors can be retained throughout the dreaded junior to senior transition where we traditionally see a high rate of erosion.
One item of interest and or concern has to be the sale of key rod licence products. Full adult 2 and 3 day coarse and non-migratory trout licences, the traditional backbone of sales are both still down for the 2024/5 season so far at -2.63 per cent and -5.73 per cent respectively. A negative in both cases that is getting worse as we go through the year.
Full licences being eroded might be a sign of societal change with anglers spending less time on the bank and or not committing to a full season, should we expect to see a steady increase in short term one day and eight day sales?
Increases in disabled and senior licences are welcome and potentially a sign that well run fisheries complete with accessible pegging and on site facilities are making angling more accessible than ever, a great feather in the cap for angling and a reflection on the quality of fisheries out there.
But what of the erosion of our core angler base and the severe annual churn in terms of year on year sales? A reduction in annual angler churn of 50 per cent would push us back up to the numbers seen during Covid and beyond. Future targeting of investment by the industry has to be continually monitored to achieve the best outcomes for business now and in the future.
September’s figures are showing us that we have not yet had the desired impact on core angler numbers despite the sums injected, and the trade needs to acknowledge that fact.
