THE RISE OF THE FEMALE CARP ANGLER
MORE WOMEN than ever before are choosing carp fishing as their hobby, a trend that shows no sign of stopping in 2022.
In a largely male-dominated sport, the spike in new female anglers, particularly in carp fishing, is putting old stereotypes to bed and proving once and for all that fishing truly is for everyone. This can be attributed to a whole host of factors, as Ladies Carp Team England Manager, Bev Clifford, explains…
“There’s definitely been a surge in the number of females on the bank carp fishing in the last few years,” she says. “I think we started seeing it slowly increasing six or seven years ago, and since then it’s gathered pace. Social media has been a massive help, as has the angling media promoting more women on the bank.
“A lot of the big companies are now taking on female anglers and promoting them on their social channels too.
“It all helps to show that angling is inclusive for women and that as a sport we want to highlight that women can be just as good at catching fish as the men!”
Success on the international scene is something Bev and others believe will take female angling to the next level.
“There’s always a gravitation towards a certain sport when the country does well in it,” she says.
“For example, you could attribute the massive increase in the number of females taking up cycling to Victoria Pendleton’s success in her domain. I think us having a women’s national team gives inspiration to young and old females, but also helps highlight that angling can be a competitive sport as well as a relaxing, chilled hobby.” These sentiments are supported by the new manager of the rival Welsh Ladies Team, Rhian Thomas…
“Having a female national team in a male-dominated sport is a very powerful and inspiring thing,” she told us.
“This September, women’s carp fishing will be making history with the first Ladies World Carp Championships, which is being hosted England.
“It’s absolutely great to see we’re being recognised in the sport and that it’s moving in a positive direction.”
Both Bev and Rhian confirmed more and more women are turning up to trial for the ladies national teams, showing that the competitive side of carping is certainly a driving factor for some.
For some like Lauren Stanford, however, the lure of fishing was similar to that felt by many others – the escape.
“I used to suffer anxiety quite badly
when I was younger,” she told us.
“From being out in public spaces or just having a phone call to someone triggered my anxiety badly, but fishing has helped massively!
“Being outside in nature is an escape – you forget everyday life and focus on fishing. I’m so grateful that fishing has helped in the way it has!” she said.
Alongside Bev, Lauren has been part of a drive to introduce more women to carping.
“When I first started fishing, I made an Instagram account purely to log my own catches but didn’t expect it to grow so quickly,” she said.
“This time a year ago, I thought it would be a good idea to start doing some Instagram Live Q&A’s, where I invited different female anglers on to talk about their fishing.
“From here I have run a few different female-only social events, which are great. Although some people say they’re sexist, they may not think first about how females feel about going out on the bank alone.
“This way they make new friends, learn new skills and have a great time alongside other like-minded people.”
Other female-only events such as the Ladies Carp Academy have also seen tremendous growth, as Bev Clifford confirmed…
“The interest in this event continues to blow my mind” she said.
“The first we had in 2017, and there were just 12 ladies.
“Now there are numerous events every year and they are selling out, sometimes within a few hours with 30-plus places available.”
So how can we keep this encouraging trend going? Bev believes there aren’t many barriers left to women in fishing.
“I think the only barrier we have now is anybody who thinks women don’t belong on the bank,” she told us.
“There’s just no excuse for that attitude, and if we can banish that then it’s job done!
“Most venues now have female toilets, and many fisheries are actively trying to attract more families to the venue by showing how safe and welcoming they are.
“In terms of anglers, I just ask any guys out there to be respectful to any women they see on the bank.
“Don’t use belittling behaviour and treat them the same you would any male angler – with respect!”