Summerhayes Juniors Angling Club

Summerhayes Juniors Angling Club is a dedicated Somerset-based junior club for young anglers aged 6-18, offering structured weekly coaching, friendly matches, and outdoor learning in a safe, inclusive environment. Sessions are delivered by qualified, DBS-checked coaches and trained volunteers, with strict safeguarding policies, barbless hooks, and risk-assessed venues across Somerset.

The club’s coaching pathway is built around three pillars: methods (whip, waggler, pole, feeder, ledger), fish care (safe unhooking, correct net use, responsible release), and watercraft (reading the water, spotting features, understanding weather and fish behaviour). Sessions run for two hours with individual attention from coaches, and combine warm-up activities, guided practical fishing, and end-of-session reflection so juniors actually retain what they’ve learned. Course progressions include 4-week intensive blocks on specific methods like waggler and pole fishing, ending with a friendly junior match to celebrate progress.

All basic equipment is provided for beginners, no junior needs their own tackle to start. The club operates a tackle donation scheme, so unused rods, reels, nets, floats and accessories from the wider angling community go directly to children who need them most. Children under 13 don’t need a rod licence; juniors aged 13–16 use the free Environment Agency Junior Licence. With a strong focus on confidence, friendships, and lifelong skills, Summerhayes Juniors is exactly the kind of grassroots junior club the sport needs more of. Visit summerhayesjuniors.co.uk to learn more or sign up.