One of the more interesting issues to emerge from our angler survey concerned sea angling; in particular, the view that the fishing effort of commercial (industrial) fishing trawlers in UK waters has had, and continues to have, a significant impact on both the fish stocks targetted by recreational anglers, and the overall quality of the recreational sea angling experience.

Today's young anglers will grow up to be the key consumers of tomorrow, so how is the tackle industry investing in young people’s angling engagement?

Friday 11th was a big day for the Angling Research team. We published our first Interim Reports, the culmination of just over six months of research covering our three themes of Participation, Young People and Rural Areas. They are now available on our website and we would love to hear what you think. There’s space to comment in the forums or contact us direct.

In August, I visited a project working in Cumbria, Dumfries and Galloway and across the Scottish Borders. Chris Bowman and Clive Mitchelhill have been delivering fishing experiences for young people in the area for the last 12 years, and in 2005 went on to set up Borderlines as a not for profit company.  

I have been spending much of my Saturdays visiting the junior fishing matches being held at Charlton pond over the summer. GHOF Dave Munt was involved in the clean up of the original pond that has made it into the accessible, young people friendly community hub that it is now.

By way of immersion, I spent the weekend of 18th and 19th of July at the Go Fishing Show at Cudmode Fisheries. It offered me the opportunity to spend time with the GHOF team providing 20 minute coaching sessions to young people, but also to meet many more people involved in angling and find out about coarse fishing (something I was completely new to).

Along with my fellow angling researcher Natalie, I recently attended several events organised for National Fishing Week, including several aimed specifically at young people. I’m guessing Nat will tell you about her experiences in her own blog.

Fishing as an intervention tool for working with young people appears to have been used for many years but there is little evidence or research on what such work may comprise, and the effects it can have remains anecdotal.  One of the aims therefore of the research into the 'Social and Community Benefits of Angling' is to identify and evidence how fishing is being used  to engage young people, particularly those who may be socially marginalized either due to poverty, their location, disability, or anti-social behaviour.

Welcome to my research blog.

The concept behind this blog is to keep people informed about what I am doing in my role as a researcher for Substance’s 3-year angling research programme. The blog is designed to tell  you about where I go, who I meet, and what’s on my mind as I explore the ways by which people participate in angling.

I’ll try to keep it interesting and informative; now there’s a challenge for me!