Let's Fish! for Schools

It combines the best that sport has to offer with an outdoor learning opportunity where participants also get to explore topics such water safety, history & heritage, wildlife and nature.

One of the biggest benefits of our schools’ programme is the improvement in health and well-being associated with undertaking a fun activity in an outdoor environment. Started in 2017, our Let’s Fish programme has countless examples of young people and grateful parents who have reported significant improvements in focus, concentration and ongoing educational achievement from getting involved in fishing on a regular and ongoing basis.

Safeguarding and risk assessments

All the Let’s Fish delivery coaches are qualified, licensed and fully insured. Every event is led by a First4Sport ‘Level 2 Angling Coach’ or the equivalent Angling Trust ‘Angling Event Lead Coach’. All our Let’s Fish delivery locations are risk assessed in advance with a dynamic risk assessment undertaken on the morning of the event just in case there have been any changes of hazards on the day.

How to get involved with the Let’s Fish programme for schools

There are two programme options available to schools that work with Let’s Fish. The route that most schools currently opt for is the Let’s Fish Fishing for Families programme. This is based on our Fishing for Families 2024 pilot project, delivered by Let’s Fish working alongside the school games organiser for Stafford & Stone.

After the initial free session, this programme can continue be delivered free of charge to those schools who nominate a minimum of three participants to attend the national celebration of young people and fishing. There will be a School Games Organiser in your area so please liaise with them. Alternatively, if you know of a group of schools in a local area who would like to participate together, please email [email protected]

Alternatively, we can create a bespoke programme by mutual agreement, but this would not be available free of charge to the schools. There is no obligation for pupils to attend the national celebration. Typical guideline costs for this option would be around £350 per day depending on the number of coaches and the distance coaches may have to travel. Please email [email protected] with a view to discussing further.

Key features

• The programme potentially has no cost to the school: When the school sign up to nominate at least three participants attend the National Celebration of Young People and Fishing

• Finding out more with no obligation: One or more school staff members will have the opportunity to attend an initial CPD day where the programme will be explained in detail.  Everyone who attends this CPD experience gets to fish with 1 to 1 tuition from a licensed coach and even get to take part  in a 1-hour fun fishing match. Email [email protected] for more information as to the next available dates and locations.

• Subsidised fishing equipment: The Let's fish programme would be able provide some of the basic equipment needed for a minimum of four pupils to be able to attend one or more regional celebration and the national celebration of young people and fishing. A school may sign up to nominate more pupils than this. To ensure that valuable fishing equipment is not given to those who are not fully committed to participating in fishing on an ongoing basis, we typically charge a small fee per pupil which is reinvested in the Let’s Fish programme.

• Paperwork minimised: The lead level 2 coach will produce a site-specific risk assessment and will also undertake a dynamic risk assessment on the day. All delivery coaches will be qualified and licenced and have the relevant DBS checks in place. It is the school’s responsibility to safely transport children to and from the fishing venue.

• Hassle free: All of the necessary Environment Agency licences, permits, fishing tackle and fishing bait will be provided by the Let's Fish programme at all of the school sessions.

• One to one tuition: When working with pupils who are new to fishing, our typical coach to pupil ratio is one to one. This maximises the pupils learning in the all-important early stages of their fishing career.

• Let’s Fish Certification programme: Staring with the My First Fish Award, pupils can then go on to complete levels 1 through to level 4 of our certification programme.

• Parental involvement: Experience has taught us that when one or both parents are involved in the learning process, pupils develop their skills and confidence much more quickly. This is why we encourage schools to bring parents along to the events where circumstances allow.

• Becoming a fishing coach: There is the potential to explore keen teachers or parents undertaking a formal fishing coaching qualification. We can even help the school/MAT set up its own fishing club.

• Regional celebration opportunities: Our regional celebration programme offers young people that first taste of participating in fishing alongside others with a similar interest.

• National celebration of young people and fishing: This event is the equivalent of the London Marathon with an emphasis on participation in teams of three on a massive scale. We are expecting at least 25 different schools and around 450 participants in total to attend in 2025. There are prizes, trophies or medals and certificates awarded to every participant including trophies for the winning school teams.

• Representing your community at the Daiwa global community celebration: The legacy event followed on from the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games junior fishing event. This celebration is a celebration of global diversity and is a unique opportunity particularly for those with overseas ancestry (parent grandparent or great grandparent born overseas) to represent that community. Best we know, it is the largest global event of its type in fishing, certainly in the UK and possibly the world.

Should you wish to explore getting involved and want to find out more, please e-mail [email protected] Or alternatively ask your local school games organiser to get in touch with us.

13 ways in which pupils could benefit

1. Connection with nature Fishing is a terrific way to be active outdoors and to connect to nature and the environment. It's also an ideal way to begin to recognise and study the many species of plants and animals that live within our waterways as well as learning what the Canal & River Trust is doing to look after this precious natural resource

2. Water safety knowledge   At the commencement of their fishing journey, children will be instructed in appropriate conduct and behaviour around water. They will be introduced to the dangers of water and will be expected to act sensibly near water as well as look after their borrowed equipment in a responsible whilst it is in use

3. Initial skills development For most children fishing is something they have never tried before. Let’s Fish introduces children to a new hobby with ongoing personal growth and development potential. Our Let’s Fish certificates scheme ranges from level one up to level four. A level four participant will be in a position to fish fully unaided.

4. Ongoing progression For those that want to develop their fishing further, we have a network of angling academies and clubs with fully active junior sections that pupils can join. Alternatively, we can help you form your own school fishing club. There is even the option to progress all the way to be considered for the England U15 world championship team for those ambitious individuals who desire it.

5. Increasing confidence levels We have experienced countless examples of the creation of more confident individuals through fishing. Even catching that all important first fish is a huge self-esteem boost for some pupils who may struggle to be successful in other activities.

6. Anxiety reduction Being by water has been shown to have a calming effect on many children, with these benefits then being  carried over into other aspects of that young person's life.

7. Improved focus When concentrating on the magic of the fishing float, and trying to tempt the next fish to bite, many young people tell us they find they are able to concentrate in ways they have previously found difficult and with time are able to transfer that focus into other areas of their lives.

8. Decision making and critical analysis Teachers often report that children who fish regularly have improved academic performance, and their critical thinking improves as a result of their experiences gained whilst fishing.

9. Improved resilience When fish are not caught quickly (or occasionally not at all) resilience is built from having a fun and immersive experience, thinking things through and amending the approach despite not always ultimately catching the next fish.

10. Learning to be a team player Fishing is both an individual sport and a team sport. When you are part of a team every single result counts equally for aggregate team points and you will spend as much time participating as every other member of the team

11. Ensuring correct co-ordination and posture Our coaches will help children with the correct fishing techniques at the outset so that poor habits and posture that could cause Musculo-skeletal problems later are not developed at the outset.

12. Learning to share the space Canals are a multiuser environment, and children will learn how to layout and manage their equipment to limit interference with other tow path users such as walkers and cyclists.

13. Free doses of Vitamin D This essential vitamin can be produced by the body by exposing the skin to sunlight. Spending safe time outdoors with access to the sun is nature’s way of ensuring sufficient production of vitamin D which is needed for string bones and teeth.

Should you wish to explore getting involved and want to find out more, please e-mail [email protected] Or alternatively ask your local School Games Organiser to get in touch with us.