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The charity making life better by water

Become a Let’s Fish! coach

As a charity, we’re encouraging as many people as possible to get into fishing, but we need great, experienced coaches to inspire people to learn and love angling as much as we do.

Coaches from the award winning Let's Fish! programme: Andrew Fairclough, John Ogden (rear), Peter Henery (Front) Jonathan Henery, Peter Fieldhouse, Eric Brown

Why become a qualified angling coach?

Hundreds of thousands of people regularly go fishing across England and Wales, usually on one of our canals or rivers. If you're one of those people, we need you to share your passion and knowledge with others who are new to the sport, especially the next generation of anglers.

Eric Brown, Chairman of Hodnet Angling Club, explains in this video why he became a Let's Fish! coach.

This is where you come in

There's a tremendous amount of personal satisfaction gained from introducing people to angling. Most coaches get involved because of a desire to put something back into their clubs, rather than for the financial rewards.

How to get your coaching qualifications

The Angling Trust are responsible for all training and licensing of professionally qualified angling coaches.

All licenced coaches will have:

  • an accredited Level 1 or Level 2 ‘1st4Sport' coaching qualification
  • up-to-date child protection and safeguarding training
  • a current first aid certificate
  • an up-to-date DBS certificate
  • a current insurance policy

Find out more about coaching from the Angling Trust.

Become a Let's Fish! partner club

We want to make sure everyone has a chance to try angling, which means providing access to towpaths, angling clubs and the right teaching and support. In 2019 there were 300 Let's Fish! events, with over 8,100 people learning to fish.

As a Level 2 coach, if you sign up as a partner club to deliver our Let's Fish! programme you'll have support from our Let's Fish! co-ordinator.

Email us if you're interested in becoming a partner club.

Help to cover your costs

You'll need to part fund your qualification, including any transport and accommodation costs**.** Part funding is available from the following sources.

Continuing professional development

We're helping coaches to improve their canal fishing skills. National canal champion, Simon Mottram, trains our coaches in the skills they need to successfully fish our canals. It's important that every coach is skilled enough to make sure everyone who comes along to a Let's Fish! event catches at least one fish.

We call Simon's training 'Mottification' and the film below will give you just a taster of the hints and tips available. (This is a long play video: 1 hour 10 mins)

Your next steps

If you're interested in getting involved in coaching or would like to find out more, email us.

Last Edited: 11 September 2023

photo of a location on the canals
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