Record growth in young anglers in the Inverness area has seen numbers shoot up from 103 youngsters in 2016 to 141 last year – and the push is on for a further surge this year. As a result of their encouragement of young anglers, Inverness Angling Club has received a £2,500 cheque from the Ness District Salmon Fishery Board.
Graham MacKenzie, president of Inverness Angling Cub, said:”We’re delighted at this token of appreciation from the board, reflecting the work we do to produce the anglers of the future. “The 141 recorded last year represented youngsters aged from 17 year old right down to four year olds, the latter being sons or daughters of existing members. We have 160 adult members. We have invested in producing six fully trained coaches, accredited to Sportscotland and Disclosure Scotland, allowing skills to be passed on to younger anglers.”
Mr MacKenzie added:”We plan to maintain this growth in children being interested in angling. Any young boy or girl who wants to try their hand at the sport can simply go to Graham’s Tackle Shop, Inverness, and pick up one of our free tickets for the new Ness season, which begins on February 1. They don’t have to register or face any red tape — just collect a ticket and start fishing. Over 18s interested can register online for season tickets. In addition, any youngster of any age, member or not, can receive free casting tuition from award-winning anglers every Wednesday in June.”
Chris Conroy, river director of the Ness District Salmon Fishery Board, said: ”This cheque presentation shows that we value the significant contribution the angling club makes to the promotion of ‘angling for all’. They’ve done an excellent job, as the numbers increase shows, and we hope that our contribution can help ensure continued provision of affordable and accessible salmon angling in the Inverness area.”
