Identifying barriers to participation

in angling

Dr. Elizabeth OughtonProf. Jane Wheelock

Dr. Jon BollandDr. Geoff Whitman

Angling in the Rural Environment

Rivers Swale and (Yorkshire) Esk,and the Ure catchment

The aim: to analyse the complex network of natural and socioeconomic relationships around angling in the river environment, including institutions of governance and land use practices at a range of interconnected scales

Environment Agency Public Attitudes to Angling 2005

What factors would encourage you to go fishing?

Lapsed anglers%

New anglers%

Having someone to go with 34 40

Lower licence fees 26 10

Knowing places to fish close to home 21 13

Places to take children 21 18

If it were easier to use local ponds/lakes 19 13

Better facilities 13 7

More people knew more about fishing 11 8

Hire or borrow tackle 11 10

More fish in rivers and lakes 9 6

Information on how to fish - 19

EA study suggests a latent demand

Is it demand or supply that limits participation?How is participation restricted?

Supply of angling opportunities

Good variety of day fishing: small and large commercial lakes or as a part of a holiday, with a hotel, caravan or B and B

Swale and Ure catchments: 59 commercial day ticket153 stillwaters

Some free places to fish on rivers

Social aspects of fishing• ‘..I don’t go fishing gladly on my own even now. I’m

always ringing up and asking people if they want to come with me on my stretch.’ (Esk angler)

• Angling clubs vary in the extent to which they welcome members:– ‘Well if somebody who resides in the village wants

to be a member and we know that he is not a drug addict or thief and whatever else, we’d welcome him with open arms’

– ‘…we’ve never had a closed membership, we’ve never, some clubs once they got to a number of members closed the membership down and wouldn’t let anybody else in or if you wanted to get in it was waiting for dead men’s shoes, …

What makes a good place for fishing?

Tranquillity, peace, natural environment

Quiet, rural setting, wildlife, un-spoilt unpolluted

75 (36%)

Fishing quality/management

Good restocking policy, variety of fish, good quality fish, good pegs

63(31%)

Access, availability of waters

Access to rivers, short travel times 26 (13%)

On site facilities Café, secure parking, toilets 24 (12%)

Other Friendly, cost of day tickets, organised competitions

18 (8%)

Total 206

What makes a bad place for fishing?Lack of tranquillity Dirty, noisy, crowded 69

(36%)

Fish quality Too few/too many fish, damaged fish, little variety

36(19%)

Management of fishing environment

Unsafe, crowded pegs, poor maintenance

32(17%)

Poor access 19(10%)

Poor facilities Lack of facilities, too commercial, greedy owners

16(8%)

Presence of other non anglers Dogs, kids, cyclists, boats and others not fishing

10 (5%)

Other Over priced, silly rules, bad sportsmanship

10(5%)

Encouraging greater participation

• Provision of a range of different types of angling opportunities

• Natural environment, peace and wildlife are very important to anglers

• Do not underestimate the social aspects of angling

• ‘Going fishing’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘getting away from it all’!