Angling Trust North East

The Angling Trust is the national governing body and representative organisation for all freshwater and sea anglers in England. It was formed in 2009 following a merger of several disparate bodies and it has now incorporated eleven different organisations into a single structure.

We have 1,600 member angling clubs, with a combined membership of around 350,000 anglers, nearly 20,000 individual angler members and hundreds of fishery owners in membership. The Angling Trust manages and helps administer some 29 England angling teams in various disciplines and runs a wide range of national competitions.

England is one of the top nations in the world for competitive angling, and is ranked number one in several disciplines. It is funded by Sport England to deliver increased participation in angling, and also from revenue raised from the Environment Agency rod licence, which is a legal requirement for all freshwater anglers. It now employs nearly 70 staff.

We launched a National Angling Strategy with support from Defra to get more people fishing more often. The Angling Trust also carries out significant campaigning and lobbying work on behalf of its members on a wide range of environmental issues affecting marine and freshwater fish stocks and also on angling issues such as access to water.

The Angling Trust is the national representative and governing body for angling in England. It is united in a collaborative relationship with Fish Legal, a separate membership association using the law to protect fish stocks and the rights of its members throughout the UK. Joint membership packages with Fish Legal are available for individuals, clubs, fisheries and other categories.

Angling is practised by more than 3 million people, generates £3.5 billion for the economy and directly employs nearly 40,000 people in England and Wales.