Fishing for the Future

Fishing for the Future Project

About the project

The Nith Catchment Fishery Trust has been running the “Fishing for the Future” project since 2014.  This project teaches the participants about the aquatic environment by following the life cycle of the Atlantic salmon. It provides them with the opportunity to explore the outdoors by taking them out to a local river to look for bugs and fish, providing them with professional angling instruction so that they can try out fishing and introduces them to the coast. “Fishing for the Future” also delivers sessions to the Nith Young Anglers Club and organises Angling Taster Days to encourage young people to take up the sport of fishing.

The Fishing for the Future project provides a three step process for getting children into angling and educating them on the importance of the aquatic environment and the wider natural environment.

School sessions

Delivery of outdoor education sessions featuring the lifecycle of the Atlantic salmon to schools and groups throughout Nithsdale.  These sessions teach the children about the lifecycle of salmon, the freshwater and marine environments and associated issues such as plastic pollution and over-fishing.  Activities include rearing salmon eggs in the classroom, aquatic invertebrate and fish surveys, learning how to fish and how to cook a fish and exploring the shore.

Angling Taster Days

These days provide children and their families the opportunity to try fishing for a day at a local rainbow trout venue.  The NCFT provides professional angling instruction and support, all the equipment required and a safe venue for the day.  We deliver three Taster Days per year during the school holidays.

Nith Young Anglers Club

The Nith Young Anglers Club offers children regular days out fishing for different species of fish whilst building up their skills, knowledge and confidence.  This has proved to be extremely successful since we started the Club in 2017 and many of the participants have become dedicated anglers and go fishing regularly with their families. Some of the older, more advanced anglers are starting to teach the newer participants and sharing their knowledge.  We deliver 9 angling days annually as part of the Nith Young Anglers Club and provide professional angling instruction, the equipment, and transport if required and organise suitable venues.  The aim of the Club is to introduce children to angling in a safe, welcoming environment and progress them to a level where they have the skills and knowledge to going fishing themselves.

The Trust also runs hatchery visits to enable other groups within the local community to learn about the work that is carried out by the Board and the Trust.  Please contact Debbie at the Trust for more information and to book a visit.  Visits are free but due to the charitable status of the Trust donations are always appreciated.  All money donated goes into conserving fish within the Nith catchment.

This project is funded by Nith District Salmon Fishery Board, The Holywood Trust, The Misses Robinson’s Trust, Nithsdale Area Committee, Tesco Bags of Help and Dunscore Community Council.