Each September, the Canal & River Trust hosts the UK’s largest fishing event for young people, the National Celebration of Young People & Fishing. The aim of the event is to bring together budding anglers from across the country for a weekend of friendly competition, skill-building, and – most important of all – fun!

Unlike other angling events aimed at the younger generation, the ethos is less around winning and more about falling in love with fishing – encouraging young people aged 6 to 20 to enjoy the sport, improve in confidence and technique, and connect with peers.

Having fished (and won an individual, and two team) Junior National Chapionships, I remember the buzz and thrill of competing when I was a youngster. Months of practice, trials to make the team, squad strategy, and hundreds of miles driven all around the country (chauffeured by our Mums and Dads) was compulsory if you wanted to stand a chance of winning. As amazing as it was to fish and win National Championships, it also came with a lot of pressure. The National Celebration of Young People & Fishing offers something really special, far from pressured, where anyone within the age brackets mentioned has the opportunity to line the bank along with literally hundreds of other like-minded, young anglers.

Celebration medals, goody bags, certificates, and the highly revered ‘gudgeon mug’ were awarded to all at the 2025 event (which took place on the Shropshire Union Canal), along with 50 copies of Rutilus Redfin supplied as prizes, specifically for all cadets who fished. Top performers in each age category won further recognition with a few additional prizes, including a box of goodies donated by Sean Simms Fishing Tackle, which included a fishing towel, log book, disgorger set, loop tyer, swivel set, and pin badge; won by the incredibly talented angler and writer, Isla-Rose, of Isla-Rose's Fishing Adventures – congratulations, Isla-Rose!

The sheer amount of organisation that goes into creating events like this is staggering – having personally arranged matches for up to 20 anglers for my local fishing club, I am in awe of anyone who can do this for 500+ anglers, plus parents! This is all credit to John Ellis at the Canal & River Trust and his excellent team of volunteers who are elevating and expanding our next generation of anglers.

Well done to all those who took part both in supporting roles and competing, and here’s to getting more young people on the bank at an early age to enjoy a lifetime of angling fun!