NATIONAL ANGLING COUNCIL

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. Why is the boat final always fished in the West and South West?

A. The main criteria for this final is that there should be a back up venue in case of bad weather so that it should never need to be cancelled.  At Beaumaris you have the Menai Straits, Weymouth has Portland Harbour, Plymouth has the Sound and several rivers and Milford Haven has the Haven and several rivers. Bear in mind that a lot of money has been spent in advance on accommodation and boats which cannot be reclaimed.

The other criteria are a stable charter fleet and suitable local accommodation, all of which we have found in the above four locations. That is not to say we are stuck on these, if other venues can meet these criteria we will certainly consider using them.

Q. Is it possible to practice on the coarse final venue the day before the match?

A. You must check beforehand with the coarse representatives but generally we would allow fishing on a commercial fishery or venues like the River Bann, N. Ireland which benefit from lots of ground baiting but no fishing would be allowed on private waters such as Hepworth Burn Reservoir, Durham. 

Q. Why is the game final always fished at Rutland?

A. This venue is the Wembley Stadium of the game fishing world with many national competitions fished here. However if Rutland Water was unfishable on the day we have the option to move to Graham, Pitsford or Eyebrook. A very good relationship with Anglian Water and The Old Wisteria hotel certainly helps with this final. 

Q. How is the Council made up?

A. Our constitution allows for four officers and up to eight other members, two for each of the disciplines.

Q. How are council members elected?

A. Vacancies for one of the four officer posts are filled, where possible, from the other members of the council for continuity purposes. Other vacancies are advertised in Leisure Scene, where CV's are requested and the most suitable person is appointed.

Q. How do I compete in a final?

A. Qualification for regional angling events will adopt the following rules. An angler can compete in either the region in which, a) he/she has a permanent place of residence, or b) a permanent place of employment (ie. where the member spends the majority of their working time during a qualifying of six months prior to the date of the regional qualifier). If neither apply then an angler shall compete in the region shown on his/her current CSSC membership card. These rules apply to full, linked and family members.

Q. I would like to compete in the regional qualifier but it says teams of three, there is only me in the office who is interested. How do I enter?

A. All competitions should now be run on an individual entry basis with the best anglers being put forward to represent their region.

Q. I competed in a recent final and there seemed to be an awful lot of committee there, what do they do?

A. There will always be the Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary at each event, they deal with general organisation, accommodation, pools, claims, presentation, meal arrangements and any problems that may arise on the day, etc. There will then be stewards, these can vary from one in the Game angling final to six for the coarse plus we have a committee meeting after the Coarse final every year. Wives and partners are present at their own expense unless they are designated drivers. We do also fish and you may see one or more of us representing our region!

Q. I have been selected to fish for my country, can you help with any sponsorship?

A. It is CSSC policy that sponsorship is not provided for individuals competing in a non-CSSC event, however each region currently holds a Special Needs Fund to which you can apply via the regional committee.