Simple Match Fishing Forum

The Angling Trust has taken its first steps to safeguard the future of the Winter League. The aim is to improve satisfaction among existing Winter League anglers and attempt to introduce new teams and anglers to the league.

The changes have been introduced following a survey conducted by the Angling Trust to gather the thoughts and opinions of anglers about how the Trust could improve the Winter League. The results of the survey were clear and that change was required if the Winter League was to see an upward turn in satisfaction and participation. The Angling Trust has acted decisively to address the issues highlighted in the survey and the changes will come into effect for the 2014/15 season.

The new look structure will include:
100% Increase prize money, now £2k to winning team
8 anglers per team throughout local stages to final
Removal of Semi-Finals
2 day Grand Final
The addition of a new Cup competition within the existing structure
£1k prize money to the winners of the Cup competition

HAVE YOUR SAY

The research highlights that anglers want the team sizes to be smaller but consistent throughout local and finals and that a reduction in team size would make it easier for teams to field a team more often, allow some teams to enter two teams and encourage new teams to join the Winter League.

Semi-finals will be a thing of the past and the team finishing 1st in each league will earn a place in a 2 day grand final and teams finishing 2nd in each league will qualify for a place in a 1 day cup final. The introduction of the Cup competition is designed to provide all anglers competing in the Winter League with a chance of achieving glory rather than bowing out at the local league or semi-final stages, it is hoped that it will also act as a catalyst for new teams to join and be in with a chance of achieving success and building their way to the top.

Ben Thompson, Angling Trust Senior Competitions Manager said "As custodians of the Winter League it's really important that we reach out and listen to anglers and ensure the Winter League is fit for purpose. The survey has allowed us to make informed decisions based on what anglers have told us. Our aim is to maintain the quality and increase the quantity of anglers participating in the Winter League and we believe these initial changes are a step in the right direction. These changes will take effect for one year and we will continue to review and evaluate the competition.
"We are actively seeking sponsors and the bigger the competition, the more attractive it becomes to potential sponsors."

Top match angler Lee Kerry said "The Winter League is a team fishing institution in this country and in the last few years it has been on the decline. The newly formed Competitions team at the Angling Trust have done some great research to find out what we as anglers want and I congratulate them on being bold enough to make these significant changes in an attempt to revitalise this competition. Let's hope the anglers get behind their own ideas!"

To find out exactly what the changes involve and to view the full results of the survey, visit the Angling Trust website and download the full results at www.anglingtrust.net/winterleague

The Angling Trust Winter League provides opportunities for anglers to compete in a national competition structure at a local level and achieve national success and recognition. Neither participants nor teams need to be members of the Angling Trust, however teams must register to participate and entry is only £70 per team.

The local league begins in October and usually complete by the end of December with the Finals being held in the spring of the following year.

For further information as to how to get involved, please contact the competitions department on 0115 9061301.

That's quite good really!

prize money is relatively trivial - it's never even going to cover costs ..... but the return of league winners only going through is a good thing whilst leaving a carrot for the second place.

Will be intersting to see how / if they split the final and "cup final" between natural and commercial venues.

Good to see and hear something is being done about the dire situation , just hope it isn't too late .

Definitely a step in the right direction.

My only comment is that these findings should have taken place as soon as Angling Trust took it over.

I hope it is not too late

Call me a cynic? But I think the team size is a wrong move, only going by my own league, but I think we will have less fishing this season because of this change ? 8 is too close to the current team size of 10, if the want a change it should be 5 or 6. Most of the teams in the league struggle to field 10 but so far they always have done, if it's 8 the we just get 2 less per team meaning a 6 teams of 10 league (60 pegger) drops to 6 x8 (48) as none of the current teams will be able to field two teams which means 12 guys don't get a match each week, if the extras joined together ( which I don't think they will?) as even the £70 entry fee will be a stumbling block? 6 would be better as most teams could field 2? and if there is a short coming and only one team fields 1 It wouldn't make the match any small than it had been this year. I'm sure new teams would join if it was only 6 as well, I can't see new teams joining with 8?
I hope I'm wrong? As I have loved fishing the winter league over the last 30 years

We can all guess what teams are going to win what league now, and we will probably be 90% correct, surely the semi finals should still be fished, it's a way the lesser teams ( no disrespect to any teams fishing the league)can beat the more dominant teams for a place in the final, just my thoughts on the changes

The last two posts do seem sensible to me and perhaps something than can be tweaked with a bit of common sense.

As you probably know I live in Staffordshire. I have seen FIVE of these leagues (whole leagues not teams) completely disappear in Staffordshire alone (there may have been six in fact).

Going by that you have to ask if there is any future in it at all. I would like to think there is.

Ive contacted Brian Hull our league secretary he feels sure all teams will be 8 man teams from qualifying rounds to the final.

Sounds ok ish!!!! but NO semi final as stated before it gives the lesser teams a fighting chance as on the Loughborough canal this year!!! and all the lost revenew for said angling clubs holding practice matches for the semi finals Not very good for those

am i missing something here and please tell me  if you think ime wrong but the angling trust is trying to get more anglers to fish the compatition yet  last year the soar winter league had  7 teams of 10   70 anglers that have stood by that league when team fishing was in a decline now the angling trust are going to limet the teams to 8 a side that means that 14 angers per round will have to be told they cant fish my thought is that a league can sustain 10 a side then let them do so

Hi Keef we are working with the trust on numbers bob dyer, Brian hull and Ben Tomson all are work hard on improving the winter league . Although trying to Incourage new anglers we have to remember the successful leagues that have been well run over the years and could come under pressure of anglers dropping out . I personally feel 8 is too many to put two teams in such as starlets, Trentmen and Leicester . I also thing in the soar valley league this will take the chance off the lesser teams upsetting the odd round . I have been told we could run the league with 10 anglers with the best 8 points counting which would be better . I also think with in couragaging 8 man team this will mean less sections and more anglers in each section again the average angler will have less chance of winning there money back and dropping their own confidence in fishing . Yes I agree these changes are a start and we must get behind them but I feel some fine tuning is needed . Can the sections take more pegs might be a problem of tight pegging . If team put two teams in that also means a £140.00 entrance fee . I would personally leave the qualifying rounds to each individual league and then cut the final to 8 remember 30 plus teams could be in the final . 240peg venue is another point with a two day final I'm all for a two day final but I would split each day into two halves . Fish 4 anglers fish a natural venue and the other 4 on a commercial and then swap the anglers over on the second day so the natural anglers fish the commercial on the second day and the commercial anglers fish the natural venue .
Loads to look at and the Trust are willing to listern .

And less anglers in teams=less anglers in tackle shops.