A hundred young people who are wild about fishing will be given the chance to go angling in Leek thanks to an £24,600 award from the Heritage Lottery Fund. (HLF)
The free sessions will be part of a project on Rudyard Lake and is aimed at 14 to 16 year old fishing fans in the area. As well as learning the art of angling, the young people will look at the history of the lake, care of fish, wildlife identification, the environment and water safety.
The one-day angling taster sessions will take place over the summer and will be run by The Rudyard Lake Trust and Staffordshire Wildlife Trust.
Ray Perry, Chairman of Rudyard Lake Trust explained, “Angling is the most popular participation sport in the UK, it is also intrinsically linked with heritage environment sites: rivers, lakes, reservoirs and canals that are shared with other people and wildlife.
“We aim to produce better qualified anglers, able to look after the fish they catch and with a strong understanding of their potential impacts upon the heritage locations they visit in future.â€
The project will be supported by Lake Ranger John Davey, a qualified angling coach, Stoke Angling For All (SAFE) volunteer and the Chair of Staffordshire Angling Society in conjunction with qualified staff from The Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. A Fish Oasis will be an important part of the project, designed by the participants and maintained by Rudyard Lake Trust once completed.
HLF’S Regional Manager Anne Jenkins said, “Rudyard Lake is a wonderful environment for young people to take part in angling and learn how their actions can impact on the heritage site surrounding them. I’m sure they will have great fun learning all about the art of angling.â€
