The Championships are being organised in a partnership between us and the Angling Trust. It is sponsored by Angling Direct with support from Tackle Guru and Colmic. Tickets for the event, costing £5, are on sale via the Angling Trust website.
The Championships
The event is open to anglers aged from seven to 20 and, in order to meet social distancing guidelines, this year's championships are being staged over two days on the Shropshire Union Canal.
The Cadet (ages 7-10) and Youth (16-20) Championships will take place on Saturday 19 September on the canal between Little Onn and Church Eaton.
The Junior Championship, open to those aged 11-15, will take place the following day at Soudley near Market Drayton.
A three-person team event will also be taking place in both the cadet and junior competitions. It's free to enter and is a great way to represent an angling club, school, scout or guide group, tackle shop or community group.
Keeping safe
Each event will adhere to social distancing guidelines and event organisers, stewards and support coaches will all be using hand sanitiser regularly. Unlike previous years equipment will not be available to loan on the day and participants are also asked to bring their own bait.
The Championships will follow hot on the heels of the Let's Fish! programme of taster sessions, run by us and the Angling Trust with support from players of People's Postcode Lottery, which has recently resumed following the coronavirus lockdown. Although running a reduced programme this year there are still expected to be over 200 Let's Fish! sessions taking place across the country offering free fishing sessions to up to 4,000 people.
Increased interest in outdoor activity
John Ellis, our national fisheries & angling manager, said: “This year more than ever we've seen a real interest in spending time outdoors, enjoying some fresh air and rediscovering what's on your doorstep, and angling ticks all three boxes.
“It's a great sport for youngsters to get interested in as it gets them away from their smartphones and it's the ideal socially-distanced activity.
“This year we've split the competition across two days to ensure everyone's safety and it promises to be a real celebration of angling. There's even a team event in two of the categories giving young people the chance to represent their local town, village or angling club on the big day and compete for a trophy. With only around a month left to enter I would urge anyone interested to sign up and take part as you never know you could be walking away with a trophy.”
Book your place now
The entry fee for all ages is £5, but everyone taking part will receive a £10 Angling Direct voucher, as well as a medal or trophy depending on finishing position. There will also be individual prizes on the day.
The closing date for entries is 10.30am on Tuesday 15 September 2020.
