Hundreds set to compete in young fishing contest

The Canal and River Trust said interest has risen since they started the contest in 2017

Hundreds of young anglers are expected to take part in a national contest as organisers said they have seen a surge in interest over seven years.

The Canal and River Trust's National Celebration of Young People and Fishing is being held on Saturday and Sunday along part of the Shropshire Union Canal.

Spanning Staffordshire and Shropshire, organisers said they expected 380 youngsters to take part over the two days.

“We started [these events] in 2017, when we had just 17 attendees. It’s grown every single year," John Ellis, from the trust, said.

“We were fearful the angler would become extinct but we found that not to be the case.”

The two-day event has entrants aged from seven to 20 years old taking part to fish across four age categories in order to try to become champion.

Anyone skillful enough to land a gudgeon, a fish said to be increasingly uncommon on many of Britain’s waterways, will receive a special mug, the trust said.