The Director's Update, November 2025

After all the excitement of our recent event which launched our qualification - which generated a huge amount of interest – it's back to the day-to-day reality of managing, guiding and ensuring that everything is as it should has begun. So far so good.  

Not for the first time on these pages, I would like to celebrate and applaud the professionalism and sheer enthusiasm and expertise brought to everything that we do by our wonderful cohort of coaches; this grows and now encompasses some of the finest tutors in the land. The sheer knowledge within the group is breathtaking and helps us deliver a programme that not only meets a critical need of the young people of now, but ensures that what we offer is fit for purpose and inspires the next generation.  

But there are dark clouds, too. 

The other week I had the enormous pleasure of visiting Wingerworth. If there was a more unlikely battleground, I would love to know of it. My colleague and Director of External Affairs at the Countryside Alliance, Mo Metcalf-Fisher and I were there to address a room full of very upset anglers. Upset because angling in their local lido had been banned by the local council – a place where so many young people learnt and had fun. But not at the moment - although I am given to understand, that there is sufficient discussion and an apology from the council, and we hope a relaxation of the current angling ban.  Well, we shall see... all eyes are on them.  

 However as dark a cloud as that might have been for angling, there are still vestiges of a silver lining.  One of the leading anglers calling for a reinstatement and re-introduction of angling on that water has been James – Big Duff – Duffy. To thousands of carp and specimen fishers, James will need no introduction. His monstrously popular angling clips and advice across all media platforms educate, enlighten and entertain thousands. I am absolutely thrilled to say that James has graciously agreed to become one of our esteemed Fishing for Schools Ambassadors, helping us to promote angling in every way, and on every platform.  

Big Duff, this fly fisher salutes you…. but actually what is a “Zig”?  

Tight loops and singing reels!