How the angling world is rising to the challenge of Coronavirus pandemic
Free bait, float donations and tackle deliveries are just some of positive ways the angling community is pulling together
TURN on the radio or television and you’ll be bombarded with horror stories regarding the Coronavirus pandemic. New travel and social restrictions don’t fill any of us with joy, but in the world of angling, people are trying to make things are a little brighter.
Up and down the country they have been doing small, thoughtful things to help out those in need, including junior, disabled and elderly anglers.
Howard Kaye, who runs the tackle shop at Manor Farm Leisure Fishery, Worcestershire is offering young anglers a pint of pellets, as well as a pack of hookable pellets, completely free of charge.
“I’ve had two kids myself and know how difficult things can get for parents when they’re stuck indoors,” he says. “With the schools closed they may as well be outside, fishing. They’ll be in a safe, open air environment at Manor Farm, spaced at least 15 metres apart around our lakes.”
In addition to free bait, Howard is also giving juniors items of tackle that they need, as well as offering free tuition and coaching.
“I’ll be walking around the fishery making sure everybody is alright,” he says. “Angling is desperately short of anglers aged 10-20, so if I can get a few more people into our sport for the price of a few bags of pellet and a bit of my own time, it’ll absolutely be worth it.”
Bob Shone, of family business, Pablo RWC Floats, has also been making a difference, after donating £1,500 worth of floats to juniors, the elderly and the disabled.
“With all the negative stuff happening in the world at the moment, I wanted to do something good,” he tells us.
“I had these boxes of prototype floats lying around and thought I may as well give them away. “I specifically wanted to help angling clubs who teach youngsters, as well as people who support those who find angling enjoyable but a challenge, either physically or mentally.”
After posting his offer of free floats on Facebook, Bob had an amazing response.
“There are some really good people out there,” he adds, “who do a hell of a lot to help out other anglers. I got a long list of requests and in the end, I picked some out of a hat and sent out the floats to them.
“Although they’re prototypes, the floats have still been tried-and-tested by top match anglers, so I think they’ll be of good use. I’ve got another £2,000 of them to donate to other names on my list, which will go out soon.”
In Wigan, Leigh Tackle and Bait have been
“There are some good people out there who do a hell of a lot to help”
helping out those who are self-isolating by starting up a delivery service for anglers living within a five-mile radius of their shop.
“We wanted anglers to be able to keep fishing in this time of crisis,’” says Gav Vernon, who works there.
“We’ve completed around a dozen deliveries already, including to a customer who is in his 70’s. He rang us to order some line, rigs and maggots and ten minutes later, we were at his door. He told me he was so glad this service was running as he wouldn’t be able to continue his fishing otherwise.”
Gav urges all tackle shops to take responsibility to look after their customers:
“If they haven’t already, other tackle shops should follow suit and go that extra mile. We have an obligation to make sure anglers can continue to do the sport they love so much.”