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Encouraging signs as more juniors take up fishing

by Freddie Sandford |

Published on10th January 2026 at 11.45am

Over the last decade, the number of rod licences sold has generally been in steady decline. However, according to figures that have just been released, in the year to the end of March 2025 they were up for the second year running – something that hasn’t happened since 2010 – with a strong rise in junior participation cited as one of the main reasons.

In 2024/25, the Environment Agency (EA) sold 934,000 licences, up 2.5 per cent on 2023/34, which equates to 832,449 unique licensed anglers in England. This boost in sales generated an impressive £24.15m, an increase of £1.62m.

“Sales of the Junior Two-Rod Coarse and Non-Migratory Trout licence were up 27.1 per cent and the Junior Three-Rod Coarse and Non-Migratory trout up 40.6 per cent,” a spokesperson from the EA told AT.

“The upturn is encouraging, and we have continued to build on these gains so far in 2025, with overall sales up so far this year by 4.8 per cent.

“The number of junior anglers continues to rise, but also, for the first time in many years, we have seen an increase in our key rod licence products: the annual Adult Two and Three-Rod and annual Senior Two-Rod Coarse and Non-Migratory Trout licences.”

IF YOU WANT TO TAKE UP FISHING, OUR BEGINNERS GUIDE SHOWS YOU HOW...

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