Angling is having a moment.
ishing was one of the only sports that actually benefited from the pandemic.
Now Inland Fisheries want to attract more women to the predominantly male sport.
Yesterday, for the first time in Ireland, a group of experienced female anglers completed coaching training at Ballyshunnock Reservoir in Waterford.
Imelda Scallan, of Inland Fisheries, hailed the group’s achievement as “huge for women in sport”.
“As angling is predominately male-dominated, this is huge for women in sport and for angling coaching as numbers actively involved in coaching are dwindling.
“Fishing was the only sport in Ireland to continue during the lockdown, for those lucky to live close to a venue. Numbers of anglers actually increased during the pandemic.”
Jane Cantwell, from Wexford, is among those who qualified as an angling coach yesterday. Now aged in her 50s, Jane started fishing more than 40 years ago.
She is eager to pass on her skills and highlight the “huge” mental health benefits.
“I have been fishing since I was seven years old.
“My dad and grandfather were fishermen. I took a break from it for a while, but in my late 20s, I went back, and it has been one of the great joys of my life.”
Jane says the sport is open to anyone and thinks it could be the ideal way for women to take a break from stress.
“There is a huge mental health aspect to fishing; that is a massive part of it.
“As well, there is a brilliant social side to it. You are meeting up with friends every couple of weeks for competitions and being part of a club is wonderful. We all land at a beach and have a chat, and then we are sent to our positions. You have great craic during the competition.
“When you are going fishing, all you have to think about is getting your gear together, putting your waterproofs on and getting down to the beach.
“After that, you think of nothing else.
“You are there in the most beautiful surroundings with wildlife around you, the birds passing through and the seals in the water.
“For four or five hours, all you have to think about is will you get a bite on your rod.
“It’s just brilliant. You couldn’t find a better way to switch off and forget about everything for a few hours.”
With coaching numbers dwindling, Jane is eager to pass on her skills.
“It’s not that it is terribly skilful in that you could go out with a rod and reel any time you like, but there is a lot to learn, and it is a little bit intimidating for people who have never tried it.
“So as much as it is easy and relaxing, there is a challenge there.
“Even though I’ve been fishing forever through the coaching, I have learned fly fishing which I never knew how to before.
“So it has been fabulous to learn new things as we were going along.”
Jane said even Ireland’s notorious inclement weather should not put people off.
“We’ve been out in very bad conditions, and you still catch fish.”
Jane said there was a strong ethical code among anglers to respect the fish and ensure they were not damaged during fishing.
One of Inland Fisheries Ireland’s goals is to make angling more accessible to the Irish public through various initiatives and programmes.
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