What a great Idea, Scouting Angling Proficiency Badge

Fishing in Devon can only be positive about a Scout's Angling proficiency badge that has been launched by the Environment Agency, in partnership with The Scout Association in a nation-wide campaign to encourage responsible angling and a wider environmental awareness among the young.

The launch, at Mid Kent Fisheries, Chilham Mill, Canterbury, coincided with the annual UK National Fishing Week, which offers opportunities for potential new anglers to try the sport and is backed by angling and sports bodies throughout the country. We would have preferred a launch within the Devon fishing holiday area, but can only applaud any launch of this sort of encouragement in the sport.

The Agency already does much to encourage youngsters to fish - no licenses for the under 12s and half rates - £8 for those under the age of 17. It also produces booklets, magazines and fishing guides, offering advice and useful information for anglers of all ages.

It is hoped the Agency's sponsorship over the next three years will be further encouragement for more boys and girls to take up the sport. The proficiency badge offers an enormous potential for the future of angling. There are some 10,000 Scout Groups in the country, comprising more than 140,000 Scouts between the ages of ten-and-a-half and fifteen-and-a-half, and nearly 210,000 Cub Scouts between the ages of 8 and ten-and-a half.

We have a selfish interest in this encouragement, our Holiday cottages and fishing centre wants more young anglers to enjoy the sport. We promote a low pressure environment to help all young anglers to enjoy their fishing. Self catering cottages and fishing allow the whole family to enjoy the sport in a no pressure atmosphere.

The Environment Agency's Chief Executive, Ed Gallagher, who announced the sponsorship welcomed the opportunity to work with the Scout Association.
"This is a unique opportunity to offer young people the chance to be able to learn more about the environment at first hand. The proficiency badge will teach youngsters not only how to fish safely and responsibly, and how to get the very best out of the sport, but also encourage a respect for nature - for the animals and fish that are part of the countryside, itself an essential part of the environment on which we all depend."

Welcoming the Environment Agency's sponsorship of the Badge, Scout Chief Commissioner of England, Bill Cockroft, said: "Scouting has always brought young people into contact with nature and Scouts have long been active in learning about the environment. This sponsorship is especially welcome, not only because it brings with it a valuable resource booklet to help young people gain the badge but also the fact that this is the first time a Government Agency has sponsored one of our proficiency badges.

The Agency's curriculum will cover a wide range of environmental issues, including waterside awareness and safety, fishing techniques and the care and maintenance of tackle, wildlife, fish biology and care of fish. It also includes a trouble-shooting section on what to do in the event of water pollution.

10,000 copies of the new resource booklet will be distributed to Scout Groups in the next few weeks.

(The new requirements for the Angler proficiency badge can be found on ScoutBase UK in the badge requirement pages at http://www.scoutbase.org.uk/library/books/badge/index_sp.htm)
For further information contact: Public Relations Department (pr@scout.org.uk)

The badge requires that the Scout completes the requirements below:

Health and Safety
1. Know the water safety rules and the appropriate precautions to be taken when fishing from the bank or shore, or from a boat. Understand the dangers of wading in fresh water and shore fishing in the sea and the precautions to be taken.

2. Know the basic hygiene precautions to take when fishing.
Angling Craft

3. Go fishing in fresh or salt water on at least six occasions, recording the following:
• numbers caught
• species and size of fish
• method, tackle and bait used
• weather and water conditions

Discuss the trips undertaken.
4. Explain the signs of stress in fish. Know the Environment Agency Emergency Hotline number.

Tackle and techniques
5. Understand why it is important to discard used tackle properly.

6. Choose one of the following activities:
a. Cast with beach fishing tackle a distance of 45 metres.
b. Cast a ledger and float tackle into a 1metre circle at least three times out of six at nine metres range.
c. Cast a trout fly on a fly line into a 3-metre circle at least three times out of eight at 11-metre range.

7. Demonstrate how to set up one of the following sets of tackle:
• waggler rig
• swim feeder rig
• fly cast
• spinning rig
• shore fishing rig
• beach casting rig

8. Explain the importance of:
. Handling fish with care and releasing them carefully.
a. Using a lower strength hook link when coarse, game or sea fishing.

9. Explain the importance of the one of the following activities:
. Setting a keep net correctly.
a. How to use a priest to despatch fish quickly.

Know your fish
10. Be able to identify each of the species in one of the following groups:
a. Bass, cod, flounder, grey mullet, and mackerel
b. Roach, perch, chub, common carp and tench
c. Grayling, brown trout, rainbow trout and salmon

11. Have knowledge of the habitat and feeding behaviour of the fish identified and know suitable baits, flies, lures and hook sizes.

Administration and law
Complete the requirements from either of the options below:
12. Freshwater fishing
a. Know the dates of the fresh water season and size limits of freshwater fish in the areas in which they fish.
b. Be able to explain why licenses and permits are required for fishing and know the age at which a national rod license is required.
c. Know the location of the local fishing club and any waters they may control.

13. Saltwater fishing
a. Know the size limits of saltwater fish in the areas in which they fish.
b. Be able to explain why licences and permits are required for fishing and know the age at which a national rod licence is required.
c. Know the location of the local fishing club and any waters they may control.

Notes
If you need help designing alternatives to these requirements for those with special needs please contact the Special Needs Office at Gilwell Park.
Come fishing in Devon on a Devon fishing holiday, stay at our holiday cottages and fishing for fun, Devon self catering cottages and fishing extraordinaire.

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